A scene during Tuesday’s meeting.
PHILIPSBURG--Parliament’s Permanent Committee on Constitutional Affairs and Decolonization will have representation from all factions in Parliament, as thirteen of the fifteen Members of Parliament (MPs) are proposed to be members of the committee.
All MPs with the exception of National Alliance (NA) MP Hyacinth Richardson and United St. Maarten Party (US Party) MP Akeem Arrindell are proposed to be members of the new committee.
Proposed for the committee are MPs William Marlin, Christophe Emmanuel, George Pantophlet, Solange Ludmila Duncan and Angelique Romou of NA; Grisha Heyliger-Martin, Rolando Brison, Omar Ottley and Sidharth “Cookie” Bijlani of United People’s (UP) Party; Melissa Gumbs and Raeyhon Peterson of Party For Progress (PFP); Claudius “Toontje” Buncamper of US Party; and Sarah Wescot-Williams of United Democrats (UD).
The advice regarding the installation and composition of the committee was handled in a meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament on Tuesday. On Thursday, November 5, Parliament unanimously passed a joint proposal by Duncan and Heyliger-Marten to establish the Permanent Committee. In that same meeting MPs also approved a motion to have the decolonisation process of the former Netherlands Antilles finalised as soon as possible.
First Vice Chairperson of Parliament William Marlin said during Wednesday’s meeting that in accordance with article 21, paragraph 3 of the Rules of Order, the permanent and ad hoc committees are reviewed and established at the beginning of each parliamentary year, as well as in the first public meeting after a periodic resignation or after the dissolution of Parliament.
Parliament established the composition of the permanent and ad hoc committees of parliament for this parliamentary year 2020-2021 on September 23. As the Permanent Committee for Constitutional Affairs and Decolonization was established after that, it is necessary that the composition of this committee be established, he said.
Faction leaders were requested on November 23 to submit the desired composition of the Permanent Constitutional Affairs and Decolonization Committee of Parliament for their faction to the Secretary General of Parliament. Based on the received proposals an advice was made.
There were no objections to the advice, which will be sent to a public meeting for further handling and ratification. That public meeting is set for 11:00am today, Wednesday.
