Philipsburg: ----- The Democratic Party Faction has stated its position in the central committee meeting held on Thursday and had hoped the Island Council would have opted to make a statement concerning the upcoming parliamentary elections. Members of the DP faction at a press conference on Friday said while every member of the island council expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision taken by the central government to hold elections in January, the executive council namely the commissioner of constitutional affairs did not see the need for St. Maarten to make its concern public. Leader of the Democratic Party Faction Sarah Wescot Williams said all they were hearing from the majority is that nobody can change St. Maarten’s position. She said while they agree that no one can change the island’s position on constitutional change. The make up of the new parliament when elected can affect the process.
Wescot Williams also indicated that they are hoping that a date be pinned down on when St. Maarten would obtain its separate status during the meetings to be held on September 30. She said this situation could not remain open ended if they are going to have parliamentary elections in January. She explained that unless the laws are changed, parliamentary elections would be held in January, and those elected would be elected on a four-year mandate.
Another suggestion the faction is making sure; if the parliamentary elections are held at the end of January then the necessary measures must be taken to ensure that the lifespan of that parliament is shortened and documented. She said it must be that the transition and the termination date of parliament are connected.
Wescot Williams said her factions have concerns to the tying down of the date on September 30. She explained that it is their opinion that several conditions would be placed on St. Maarten if a date were attached since it is murmured more often that there will be conditions attached. Wescot Williams said she believes that St. Maarten need to begin talks now to discuss the consequences if unwanted conditions were attached to the island. “We need to see what the consequences are going to be attached and prepare our response now.”
The former constitutional affairs commissioner said they have the gut feeling that there are more to the whole situation that meets the eye and St. Maarten should be on its guard.
She said the position of the Democratic Party is that St. Maarten should not shun any discussion when it comes to constitutional process and they do not agree with the decisions of the parliament of the Netherlands Antilles to refuse the meetings with the Netherland Antilles and Aruban Affairs (NAAZ commission.) According to Wescot Williams the island councils members were invited to a meeting, which the parliament of the Netherlands Antilles rejected.
The DP faction also wants to know what are government’s positions and what were the proposals that were sent to the Central Government regarding the central government branches that are to be established locally. The councilwoman wants know how possible it is for the central government to set up the branches locally and what and how the recruitment would take place. She also wants to know who would be financing the process.
She said her faction intends to bring these questions to the floor of the island council on Monday, since they want to know how this would jive with the agreement of November 24 2008 on decentralization. She said based on that agreement competencies had to be transferred to St. Maarten as of July 1 while another set of tasks would have been transferred by December 31.
Wescot Williams said her faction wants an update on the decentralization law and when will this law go through the formalization process.
Island Councilman Roy Marlin in his statements said over the years St. Maarten has had numerous agreements signed on the transfer of these tasks, which is yet to begin. Marlin also expressed his concerns on the parliamentary elections and its effects on the constitutional process. He said one needs to look at the political landscape in Curacao and for those that know the opposition has been criticizing the current government and if elected they would need to do something different. Should this happen Marlin said it could cause a delay for the constitutional change, which is currently underway. In outlining the facts, he said Saba has decided to secede, Bonaire and St. Maarten wants out while the PNP, FOL and PAR in Curacao also wants out, with this grouping it would be more than two thirds of the parliament of the Netherlands Antilles. He said that would put pressure on parliament to execute the agreements that were made since now there is none, reasons why he believed that a date must be attached on the lifespan of the new parliament. This he said would give all the islands the guarantee they need for the constitutional change. He said he believes that the necessary actions should be taken to have a law is established to end the life of parliament. Marlin said the leader of government did not pick up on the proposal his faction offered during the central committee.