CALL FOR ACCOUNTABILITY TOWARDS LEGISLATIVE COMMISSIONS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN VERACRUZ

As part of an exercise of participative democracy, Consulting and Rural Services, in agreement with Fundar, Center for Analysis and Research, and with the support of the Kellogg Foundation, a monitoring of the 60th Legislature of the state of Veracruz was launched in 2007, with the goal of knowing about the work done between 2004 and 2007 by those appointed to the commissions of human rights and vulnerable groups as well as agricultural, forestry, fishing and food development.

The 60th Legislature of the State of Veracruz, 2004-2007, was formed by 21 deputies of the PRI, 20 from the PAN, 6 from the PRD, 1 from the PVEM and 2 independent ones, which gave way to more plurality, an openness never seen before and which allowed for the strengthening of democratic processes in Veracruz. These features were reflected upon the constitution of a governability agreement, which unfortunately only worked during the first year, but which gave opportunity for the participation of organized civil society in the approval of the Transparency and Public Info rmation Access Law and the Electoral Law, as well as in the creation of the Institute of Public Info rmation Access of Veracruz (IVAI) and the Women's Institute of Veracruz.

After interviewing some of the six deputies who were members of the aforementioned commissions, requesting information to Congress in writing about the expenditures, introducing a review resource within the IVAI due to the lack of response (a truly dramatic, non transparent and slow process, which was only alleviated by consulting the web page), we managed to reach the following results:

The performance of the commissions has not had a real repercussion in the lives of the population of Veracruz, the Human Rights Commission only gave an opinion on three proposals of its main area of expertise. In joint commissions it should have analyzed 38 proposals of which 25 were not reviewed and out of the 13 on which it gave an opinion three remained unpublished. The deputies of the Commission of Agricultural Development only presented, along the three year-period, the proposal for the Cattle Law, but no opinion was given on it.

We may say that in Veracruz the Legislative Power still cannot reach its independence from the Executive Power. Out of all the proposals presented along the three years, 20 were presented by the governor, out of which 13 were approved, corresponding to 60%, while the deputies presented 49 and only 11 were approved, adding up only to 10%.

If we consider that the nominal salary of the deputies is 58 thousand pesos per month, plus 10 thousand pesos for travel expenses, we could say in a reserved way that the 50 deputies which compose the Congress of Veracruz cost us 40 million 800 hundred pesos per year, 122 million, 400 thousand pesos for the three year-period. To the latter we must add the amounts that they earn in other categories such as “compensations, subsidies, supports”, plus the expenses generated by the medical attention service and life insurance.

The legislative work does not correspond to the expenses that it poses on the citizens. The state congress has registered important increases in its received annual budget amounts, in 2003 it spent 184 million pesos, 195 in 2004, 275 in 2005 (increase due to the number of deputies which grew from 45 to 50), in 2006 it received 288 and it raised to 315 millions in 2007. Even though the budget allocated to congress is made public, the way in which it is spent is not, thus proving little transparency to know the areas or categories of expenditures.

Contact details:

Consulting and Rural Services (Asesoria y Servicios Rurales A.C)

Mtra. Ángeles Muñoz González, Mtro. Ángel Pérez Silva and Mtro. Mario Pérez Monterosas.

Sayago No. 164- 2. C.P. 91000. Tel/fax: 01 228- 8 15 09 03. Xalapa, Veracruz.

Email: maizaser @ xal.megared.net.mx

www.maiz.org.mx