Pacto pela Democracia launches a document proposing reforms to the rules of Procedure of the Chamber of Deputies.
Pacto pela Democracia launches a document proposing reforms to the rules of Procedure of the Chamber of Deputies.
O Pacto pela Democracia launched Câmara Aberta, an agenda with 14 guidelines to improve the Rules of Procedure of the Chamber of Deputies, in Brasília (DF). The initiative aims to democratize the House’s rules and increase social participation in legislative processes.
The proposal was developed under the technical coordination of Beatriz Rey, a Ph.D. in Political Science, postdoctoral researcher at EACH-USP, and associate researcher at the POPVOX Foundation, along with Guilherme France, Research and Advocacy Manager at Transparency International Brazil.
According to Beatriz Rey, "Câmara Aberta is a significant and inspiring example of Brazilian democracy at work. Civil society and academia have come together to think about how to make the Chamber of Deputies more functional, representative, and transparent."
In recent years, internal changes have weakened transparency mechanisms and limited opportunities for social participation in deliberations, voting, and the overall functioning of the Chamber.
"The Chamber of Deputies has undergone a long and, more recently, intensified process of closure, which this project aims to reverse. It has become increasingly difficult and costly for society to monitor and influence decision-making processes that affect everyone," explains Guilherme France.
Key Recommendations for Reform
Among the proposed reforms are measures to improve the Chamber’s operations and ensure greater transparency in legislative discussions. These include revising hybrid voting rules and establishing clearer criteria for urgent proceedings. Changes made during the pandemic need to be refined to prevent rushed decisions and avoid concentrating power in the hands of the Chamber’s presidency.