Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
PHILIPSBURG--The “urgent†meeting of Parliament requested by opposition parties – National Alliance (NA) and Democratic Party ((DP)) about the out-of-court settlement reached by St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies and developer Zebec has stalled before it could get started.
The meeting cannot be held this week, an official Parliament meeting week, because of an already packed Parliament schedule and due to the travel of Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs from Wednesday, September 16, until Sunday, September 27, 2015.
(DP) leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams is not amused that yet another urgently requested meeting of Parliament has not been scheduled by Parliament Chairman Dr. Lloyd Richardson (United People’s party).
“How long will government play a ‘cat and mouse’ with Parliament,†she questioned in a press statement issued over the weekend.
Taking the excuse of the prime minister’s travel into account, Wescot-Williams said, “Two questions immediately arise - where is the minister responsible for harbour affairs, namely the Minister of TEATT [Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications Ernest Sams – Ed.]? And secondly, where is the deputy prime minister [Justice Minister Dennis Richardson – Ed.]? At least, not in a meeting of Parliament.â€
She added, “If anyone is holding his or her breath for answers regarding the harbour's pay-out to the Zebec company, these answers will not be forthcoming any time soon … We might get some answers from the ongoing investigation by the Public Prosecutor's Office.â€
The Harbour Group had threatened to sue Zebec, the company contracted to develop the now halted Dutch Village, for damages, but “now turns around and borrows money to pay the same company out,†she said.
“If it was all a big to-do about nothing and more sabre-rattling, do not the people deserve to know? Oh, I forgot, non-disclosure! And we, the members of parliament, should not ask anything?â€
Another urgent meeting requested by NA and (DP) has also been put on hold. That meeting, about the growing landfill and plans for a waste-to-energy plant, has been affected by the illness of the new Minister of Infrastructure VROMI Claret Connor.
“Up to Friday last, the new Minister of VROMI was still ill, so no date could be set for that meeting,†Wescot-Williams said.
“If Parliament accepts this type of behaviour from the government of the country then Parliament deserves every bit of criticism that is levied against it regarding its below par functioning as the oversight body for government,†she said.
