Philipsburg:--- Island Council members George Pantophlet and Rodolphe Samuel from the National Alliance faction sent a letter to the chairman of the Island Council the National Alliance said that a meeting of the Island Council convened on request of the National Alliance which had to be held on Friday Nov. 28th did not take place because the faction of the DP together with the independent member of the Island Council Louie Laveist sent a letter to you indicating they will not attend the meeting. This we regret very much as it is a blatant infringement on the principles of Good Governance.
In accordance with the Island Regulation we expect the meeting to be reconvened by the chairman of the Island Council. In preparation of that meeting we are hereby submitting a number of questions which we want the Executive Council to answer in writing before the meeting are reconvened again.
1. Who were the Commissioners in the Executive Council of St. Maarten on Nov. 28th 2008?
2. When have these respective members of the Executive Council been elected?
3. How many votes did each one of them get respectively to be elected member of the Executive Council?
4. Does the Executive Council agree that the Executive Council lost its majority support when Councilman Louie Lavesit informed the Chairman of the Island Council in his letter dated Nov. 10th 2008, No. 6690 that, with immediate effect the Island Government of St. Maarten could no longer rely on his support; that he had withdrawn his support from the current DP led Government?
5. Did Commissioner Louie Laveist ever resign as a member of the Executive Council, following his election to the Executive Council on July 2nd 2007?
6. Was Commissioner Louie Lavesit ever fired from the Executive Council following his election to the Executive Council on July 2nd 2007?
7. Is Commissioner Louie Lavesit not still a member of the Executive Council of St. Maarten?
8. Has Commissioner Louie Laveist been stripped of his portfolios? If yes, in which meeting of the Executive Council did this take place?
9. Is it true that the Lt. Governor was given responsibility for the Census Office? If so, what is the reason for this decision?
10. Following the election of the Executive Council on July 2nd 2007 the Executive Council met and distributed the portfolios and on July 3rd 2007, this was established in Island Resolution AB 2007 No. 21. Has this resolution ever been withdrawn? Are there any other resolutions establishing the division of portfolios in the Executive Council of St. Maarten other than Island Resolution AB No. 21 of 2007?
11. How is the distribution of portfolios in the Executive Council in accordance with this Island Resolution AB No. 21 of 2007?
12. If there is another resolution, other than the one mentioned above, how is the distribution of the portfolios in accordance with that resolution? May we obtain a copy of said resolution?
13. The Executive Council of St. Maarten is made up of the following 5 Commissioners: Sarah Wescot-Williams, Louie Lavesit, Roy Marlin, Theodore Heyliger and Maria Buncamper-Molanus. In a letter to the chairman of the Island Council, 6 members of the Island Council declared that they are in support of the Executive Council of St. Maarten, consisting of the members Maria Buncamper-Molanus, Theodore Heyliger, Roy Marlin and Sarah Wescot-Williams. What does the Executive Council interpret this to mean? A. That Louie Lavesit is no longer a member of the Executive Council? B. That only 4 of the 5 members of the Executive Council have the support of the mentioned 6 members of the Island council? C. That there is a new Executive Council of St. Maarten? D. That the letter has no legal bearing on the position of the Executive Council of St. Maarten, and that the Executive Council still does not have the support of the majority of the Island Council?
14. Does the Executive Council consider the present situation, whereby the Executive Council of St. Maarten has lost its majority support in the Island Council since Nov. 12th, 2008 and has continued to govern without assuring itself of a majority, as in keeping with Good Governance?
15. What is the opinion of the Executive Council on the letter of Commissioner Louie Laveist dated Nov. 10th 2008, No. 6692, addressed to the Lt. Governor of the Island Territory of St. Maarten, informing the Lt. Governor that effective immediately he is taking a non-Active position as a member of the Executive Council of St. Maarten?
16. How many persons had still been attached to the office of Commissioner Louie Laveist on Nov. 10th 2008, as political appointees in the capacity of Secretary, Administrative Assistant, and Executive Assistant, etc. who had not been civil servants before their appointment to serve on the staff of Commissioner Louie Laveist?
17. Are these persons still on Government's payroll as political appointees, attached to the office of Commissioner Laveist?
18. If no, why not, and effective which date? And if yes, why?
