Philipsburg: --- Three members of the Democratic Party faction have requested a meeting of the island council. The letter of request was sent to the Chairman of the island council Franklyn Richards on Monday.
Island Councilman Roy Marlin in an email said three members of the DP faction signed the request while council member Leroy de Weever is off island and therefore was unable to sign.
When the meeting is called the members of the DP faction would be requiring clarification from the Executive Council on a number of issues with regard to the finances and economy of the Island.
Issues such as the preparations for the budget 2010, the statement by the Commissioner of Finance reference the 2010 budget that will have a deficit, clarification on the quarterly reports to the CFT, which have not been submitted to the Island Council as prescribed by law, budget amendments 2009 and an overall review of the performance of the 2009 budget projections v/s receivables.
In addition, the Democratic Party feels at this point and time that the Commissioner of Economic Affairs and the Commissioner of Finance must be in a position to provide clarity to the Island Council and in extension the business community and the people of St. Maarten on the economic stimulus program of the NA/Heyliger government. As recently as last week, the SHTA called for the implementation of the proposals, which came out of the economic summit. The Executive Council remains mute on these issues. In the absence of a governing program of the NA/Heyliger government which was due in three weeks since the NA/Heyliger government took office, which should be among others the guiding factor for the management of the finances of government and the economy of this country it is essential that government will then have to clarify its plans on the floor of the Island Council.