PHILIPSBURG:--- In a move that speaks volumes about their priorities, three coalition members, now reduced to six Parliamentarians, have opted to travel to Paraguay for ParlAmericas alongside the Secretary-General of Parliament, halting Parliament meetings in St. Maarten.
Despite the coalition repeatedly stressing the urgency of maintaining the full fifteen members in Parliament, the coalition has chosen to proceed with their trip rather than address critical affairs of Parliament. The pending affairs of Parliament include crucial meetings, such as the approval of credentials, which still lingers due to the irresponsible manner in which the Presidium handled the resignation of the two departing members of Parliament, now Ministers, and the approval of new Members of Parliament.
Earlier this week, the National Alliance and United People's Party (NA/UP) factions urgently requested a parliament meeting to approve the incoming MPs' credentials. However, despite the majority of Members of Parliament being present on the island, the coalition has yet to officially respond to this pressing request, which they claim to deeply care about.
"The decision to cripple Parliament's operations raises serious questions about the commitment of the coalition to their duties and responsibilities as elected representatives. Why cripple the operations of Parliament when a meeting could easily be convened in their absence?" MP Doran stated.
This deliberate obstruction not only undermines the democratic process but also reflects poorly on the coalition's willingness to prioritize the needs of the people of Sint Maarten and approval of their own coalition members' credentials. It is important to note that the coalition members were a no-show on Thursday, May 2, 2024, for the meeting regarding approving the incoming MPs' credentials. At least one of these missing members was on the airwaves, expressing dissatisfaction with his coalition. "How can the other Coalition members then cast blame on the opposition for not approving the credentials of their members?" It is their members that are infighting and sabotaging the operations of the coalition.
"I am extremely disappointed with the rhetoric the coalition is playing to present a different picture to the public of St. Maarten. We, the "Super 7", have submitted an urgent public meeting request to seek clarity on the legitimacy of the booked resignation letters of the two former MPs and to approve the credentials of the two incoming MPs who are members of their coalition. However, we have not received any formal reply to our meeting request dated May 7 nor our follow-up email dated May 8, despite pointing out that urgent meetings are to be held within 48 hours according to the Parliamentary rules of order. This lack of response again demonstrates their disregard for Parliament's rules of order and us as fellow Members of Parliament. This blatant disregard has left us with no choice but to retract our urgent request as most of our MPs will be travelling on Monday for a week. While the 2 x 4 coalition publicly expresses the urgency of the matter, their actions tell a different story," said MP Omar Ottley.
As the NA/UP factions continue to advocate for accountability, transparency, and effective governance, it is imperative that the coalition reevaluates its priorities and takes immediate steps to address its major internal issues so that the operations of Parliament do not continue at this level of amateurism.
For further inquiries or comments, please contact Members of Parliament Egbert Jurendy Doran and Omar E.C. Ottley at the provided contact information.
