Philipsburg:--- President of the Parliament of St Maarten Gracita Arrindell announced at a press conference on Friday that the second meeting of parliament is scheduled to take place on Monday at the AC Wathey Legislative Hall.
Arrindell said the agenda points for Monday's meeting with be the establishment of the rules of order which was passed by the former island council and the election of a vice president of parliament. Arrindell said based on article 66 of the constitution of country St. Maarten gives parliament the rights to establish their own rules of order. Arrindell said that even though the island council has approved the rules of order and the current members of parliament did not have chance to go through these rules she felt obliged to have the members of parliament review the rules of order and to either establish them as is or to make proposals to amend these rules of order. The president of parliament said her intention is to install an adhoc committee who would be charged with reviewing these rules of order. She said the committee will then prepare an advice which will be sent to the Central Committee. She said once the advice is seen by the Central Committee then it will be forwarded to parliament to either debate or to be approved. Arrindell said the second agenda point is to elect the vice president of parliament which will be done by secret ballot.
Arrindell said even though they have to elect the vice president of parliament they are currently facing a quagmire since the incoming members of parliament are yet to be sworn in. Those members are Dr. Ruth Douglas, Johan Janchi Leonard and Roy Marlin. Arrindell said she is aware that the process has started since the main voting bureau has been established. She said she already signed off the relevant documents (the resignation for Rhoda Arrindell, Theo Heyliger and Sarah Wescot Williams) which were sent off to the main voting bureau on Friday morning. Arrindell said doing so means that there are three seats of parliaments that has to be filled.
So far parliament did not receive the credentials for the incoming members; however, she is expecting that the main voting bureau to respond shortly so that she could add the credentials as incoming documents for Monday's meeting.
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