The Minister of Justice, Ivo Valente, was present at the launch of the report by the non-governmental organization (NGO) Judicial System Monitoring Program (JSMP), where an analysis is done to the justice sector in the year 2014. The ceremony, held on April 30th, at Hotel Timor, also marked the 14th anniversary of the JSMP.
During his speech, the Minister Ivo Valente said that as an NGO, the JSMP has worked hard to contribute to the development of the justice sector and the democratization of our country.
“The NGO publishes the annual outcome of their monitoring program and it is up to us to evaluate it. As a member of the Government, I consider most of the recommendations reasonable and well grounded. This mutual collaboration is important to ensure that the recommendations are put into practice.”
Regarding the general opinion that it is up to the Government to solve all the problems, the Member of the Executive responds that “there has to be a change in mindset. Although that responsibility is attributed to the Government, everyone’s participation is required, because the responsibility is shared. However, it is important that judiciary actors perform their role with professionalism, in order for us to solve the problems in the area of Justice. “
On the same occasion, the Executive Director of the JSMP, Luís Oliveira Sampaio, reported that the National Parliament needs to improve their supervision mechanisms, in order to solve the problems that the Government faces in the most appropriate way, ensuring that the implementation of the plans results in the well-being of the population. He added that the National Parliament and the Government should make decisions based on the Constitution and on other legal instruments, so that they do not conflict with the law.
Apart from the recommendations to the National Parliament, the report advises the members of parliament to carry on with the supervision. It also suggests that the opposition members of parliament control and monitor the Executive power.