Philipsburg--- Leader of the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot Williams is also questioning the decision of the chairman of the island council Franklyn Richards who postpone the voting on the code of conduct on cooperate governance on Thursday. Wescot Williams said based on the rules of order the Chairman of the island council can make a proposal but postponing or adjourning is not up to him. She said Richards had to allow the voting to take place and when the votes are counted then he can determine if there was a lack of quorum, but doing that ahead of voting is not proper. “Only when the votes are counted and it shows less than half of the island council voted then he can declare the vote null and void for a lack or quorum.”
Wescot Williams said her faction has no intention of arguing with the Lt. Governor and Chairman of the island council, but she already had suggested to that, the island council should have met and debated the new draft rules of order, and allow the island council to make the necessary amendments.
The DP faction is now suggesting to the governor that the matter be tabled again since there are amendments pending. She said of the things she believe is frustrating to the leader of the National Alliance is that her faction is now using the time allotted for notices to bring up important issues and not just expressing birthday wishes. She said the ‘notices” was only for the use of the Lt. Governor but they have a ‘gentleman’s agreement which allows every member of the council to utilize this time. She said being accused of misusing the rules of order is totally ridiculous instead; it seems as if the executive council has an issue with the Democratic Party raising issues in the island council. “If this is so then we would be having an issue at each island council meeting because the National Alliance/ Heyliger/ Laveist government would not shut up the Democratic Party.” Wescot Williams said.
Another concern for the DP leader is how would the meeting be reconvened, and if members of the island council would be given the opportunity to again debate the issues at hand or if they are only going to be called to vote. The sentiments of the leader of the DP were made at a press conference on Friday at the Parliament Building.
Wescot Williams also said she is wondering how important is the topic of cooperate governance to the present government. She reminded that the topic was to be discussed on August 13, which had to be postponed due to travel plans of the leader of government William Marlin. Wescot Williams said that even though the meeting was abruptly adjourned on August 13 because Marlin had to leave the island he still had enough time to hold a press conference to rebut prior statements. The DP leader said in her opinion if the executive council was serious in handling the people’s business they would have allowed the opposition to pose their questions, which would have given them enough time to prepare.
As for Thursday’s island council meeting where the same agenda point was to be discussed, the meeting had to be adjourned a number of times because the leader of government was nowhere to be found. Wescot Williams said she also wants to know what is wrong with the other full-fledged commissioners in the executive council and if one of them was not in position to read out the answers that were prepared by the advisors. Wescot Williams also refuted the excuse given to the island council that it took over three hours to prepare the answers to their questions.
Wescot Williams made clear that the DP faction is not concerned on how the National Alliance acted as opposition but right now, there is a new opposition that takes their role serious and the present government would have to be content with the way they work.
Wescot Williams said the Democratic Party is not going to accept any blame from the National Alliance leader because he failed to get the work done. She said after all the adjournments and to hear the spin put on the issue that the Democratic Party has declared war on the constitutional process will not be accepted. She said if cooperate governance was important to the National Alliance/ Heyliger government then the agenda point would have been dealt with on August 13 since the leader of government had to know his travel plans prior to August 13.
Reacting to the statements made by the leader of government who said the DP faction has declared war on the constitutional process and they are considered to be spoil brats. Island council man Roy Marlin said ‘Today is spoil brats, last week was shut up and go home, few weeks before that we were little boys” statements all made by the leader of government either in the island council or elsewhere is a total lack of respect for the voters of St. Maarten. The island councilman said each and every member of the island council has been elected and each time the leader of government levels his insults he is directing it to the voters of St. Maarten who elected them.
As per the declaration of war, Marlin said on May 21 the State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Mrs. Anke Bijleveld-Schouten sent a response on the ordinance on cooperate governance and to date the executive council is yet to respond.
The island councilman said during the first meeting of the island council he asked if a response was sent to the State Secretary and was told the governor sent a response, Marlin said he immediately asked if the executive council intended to respond and to date that was not done. He said he learnt another response was sent but that too was sent by the governor and not the executive council even though the agreement clearly states that the executive council and the state secretary should show that by August 1 2009 the code of conduct on cooperate governance is implemented. He said if the leader of government thinks he is going to blame the Democratic Party because they walked out of meeting while he did not have the common decency to respond to one letter then he wants to know exactly who is responsible for declaring war on the constitutional process.
Also reacting to the outcome of Thursday’s Island Council lady Maria Buncamper Molanus who said the leader of government does not only lack respect but there is a lack of political as well as governing maturity. She said she believes that since the NA/ Heyliger lacks maturity it lead to debacle they are faced with today. Buncamper Molanus said as per the agenda point discussed on Thursday they were presented with three letters, which clearly stated that the matter should have been dealt with prior to August 1 2009. She said she wants to know how important this issue to the present government is because they chose to bring the matter to the floor of the island council 20 days late.
She said that because of the lateness the opposition wants to know what would be the consequences of the lateness or tardy decision. She also wants to know if the council on cooperate governance has been established and if not so when would this happen if this matter is of such importance to the present government.
