PHILIPSBURG:--- On Tuesday 5th April 2022, MP S. Ludmila Duncan submitted a request to the Presidium of Parliament for the launch of a public awareness campaign on the submission of petitions.
According to article 24 of the Constitution; everyone is entitled to submit written petitions to the competent authorities. Parliament must also respond to those petitions in a timely manner.
“Residents often have concerns that require greater attention; however, they may not be aware of their constitutional right to submit a letter, also known a petition, to Parliament. As Chairlady of the Committee for Petitions, I have submitted a request to the Presidium to initiate a public awareness campaign informing the people of St. Maarten of this important right so that this avenue can be used to assist where necessary,” stated the MP.
The Committee for Petitions is a permanent committee of Parliament, currently consisting of 6 members, with its own rules on submission criteria and processes for handling and reporting. The Committee must review petitions to determine whether they qualify for investigation by one or additional committees of Parliament in addition to other possible actions.
According to the Rules of the Committee for Petitions, the petitioner must submit a letter in writing or by e-mail to the Committee containing their name, address, signature, an elucidation of the reasons that led to the filing of the petition, and the reasons surrounding the need for further investigation.
The Committee may investigate any matters raised in petitions regarding the manner in which Government fulfills its task in addition to other actions.
Once the campaign has been approved, MP Duncan hopes that more persons will make use of their constitutional right to ask Parliament to investigate matters that affect them.
Duncan concluded “the Ombudsman is the defender of the public and does, in my opinion, an excellent job in handling complaints against Government. As Members of Parliament, we too have an obligation to represent the general interests of the people. That’s why we were elected. We also have a key public forum in which we can debate issues of interest to the public and more importantly, give voice to our people while we jointly pursue solutions to our country’s challenges. As Chairlady I will do my best to ensure that the Committee handles petitions in the most effective manner and will be working to improve the overall efficiency and work of the Committee.”
Petitions can be e-mailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or submitted in person at the Parliament building.
