Philipsburg:--- Commissioner of Constitutional Affairs Sarah Wescot-Williams, chaired her first Permanent Committee for Constitutional Affairs (PCCA) of the Island Council on Friday, January 23 in the Dr. A. C. Wathey Legislative Hall.
Commissioner Wescot-Williams reported on the Round Table Conference (RTC) held on December 15 and that with the conclusion of that RTC, the development phase of the constitutional process with respect to the preparations of laws and agreements had been completed.
The next stage of the process which has now started is the implementation phase. Commissioner Wescot-Williams informed members what this part of the process entailed as agreed to at the Start RTC of November 26, 2005.
Some of the other issues discussed in the over one-hour meeting was the transfer of tasks from the Central Government to the Island Government; the Advisory Council; and the vetting process of the draft constitution and organic laws that were submitted by St. Maarten.
Commissioner Sarah Wescot-Williams told her colleagues that St. Maarten had complied with the criteria set out for the aforementioned documents, a fact that is recorded as such in the conclusions of the aforementioned RTC of 2008.
Another issue discussed at length was the proposal in the draft constitution regarding suspension or termination of a Member of Parliament or government, when an investigation is started against that member respectively when that member is convicted of a crime. The Chair concluded on this point that the matter will be further debated in a subsequent meeting of the PCCA.
Representing the Democratic Party (DP) were Island Council members Roy Marlin and Maria Buncamper-Molanus and for the National Alliance was Councilors William Marlin, Frans Richardson, Patrick Illidge, Rudolphe Samuel, and Hyacinth Richardson. Absent with notice were DP Councilors Theodore Heyliger and Leroy De Weever. Also absent was independent member of the Island Council Louie Laveist.