Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
PHILIPSBURG--Second Deputy Chairman Cornelius de Weever has cancelled the Parliament meeting called by the new National Alliance (NA)-led coalition for today, Thursday, at 6:00pm citing in a letter to Members of Parliament (MPs) “the current safety and security challenges.â€
The new coalition had decided to bypass submitting a request for a Parliament meeting to De Weever and had instead sent out on convocation letter on Wednesday to all MPs directly to attend an “urgent meeting†today.
The meeting had as its main agenda point the appointment of a chairperson, and a second deputy chairperson.
The letter, signed by the eight MPs of the new coalition, stated “in view of the recent developments†during meetings of Parliament, they have “all agreed†that today’s meeting would be chaired by MP George Pantophlet (NA).
De Weever in his letter to the MPs this afternoon said he took note of meeting time. He requested the new coalition MPs to “please explain the reason why the meeting is scheduled for such an uncommon and late hour. Given the current safety and security challenges I am cancelling this meeting.â€
He also requested the new coalition submit its request for an urgent meeting “within our normal working hours and it will be convened within 4x24 hours, according to the Rules of Order.â€
The new coalition, which includes the Democratic Party ((DP)), United St. Maarten Party and independent MPs Silvio Matser and Maurice Lake, passed a motion of no confidence in Parliament on September 30 against the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet. That cabinet, put in place by the now crumbled United People’s (UP) party-led coalition, has refused to demit office and had instead sent a national decree to dissolve Parliament to Governor Eugene Holiday for his ratification.
