MPs during Monday’s meeting.
PHILIPSBURG--Parliament on Monday approved the credentials of the fifteen Members of Parliament (MPs), who were elected during the August 19 snap parliamentary elections.
The incoming MPs will be sworn in by the governor on Friday, September 20, following which they will then be able to take their seats in Parliament. Each incoming MP is required to submit a request to the governor to administer the oath.
MPs Ottley, Jacobs and Brug vetting the credentials of incoming MPs.
Credentials were approved for MPs Richinel Brug (URSM); Egbert Doran (NA); Melissa Gumbs (PFP); Grisha Heyliger-Marten (DP); Ardwell Irion (NA); Viren Kotai (DP); Francisco Lacroes (UP); Lyndon Lewis (NOW); Luc Mercelina (URSM); Franklin Meyers (SAM); Omar Ottley (UP); Sjamira Roseburg (URSM); Ludmila de Weever (PFP); Sarah Wescot-Williams (DP) and Darryl York (NA).
At the start of the meeting Chairperson of Parliament Wescot-Williams said Parliament had received a letter from the President of the Central Voting Bureau on September 13, informing them that the 15 incoming MPs had accepted their election as Members of Parliament.
Parliament received the credentials from the 15 elected MPs between September 6 and 16, as well as a letter indicating whether or not they have a public function. Each elected MP also submitted a letter indicating that they had not acted in contravention of the national ordinance on registration and finances of political parties. Those who had not been a member of parliament before also submitted an extract from the Census Office.
The documents are prescribed by articles 104, 105, paragraph 4, article 107, paragraph 1 and 2 of the Election Ordinance and article 53 of the National Ordinance Registration and Finances of Political Parties.
Article 54 of the Constitution is also applicable. This article states that Parliament shall investigate the credentials of the newly appointed members and decide on matters that may arise concerning the credentials or the election itself, taking into consideration regulations established by national ordinance.
Article 108 of the Election Ordinance states that Parliament investigates the credentials and decides whether the elected person will be admitted as a Member of Parliament. In doing this it must be determined whether the elected person complies with the criteria for membership and does not have a position that is incompatible with being a Member of Parliament, and decide on matters that arise concerning the credentials or the election itself. The investigation of the credentials does not include the validity of the election lists as published by the Central Voting Bureau.
The investigation of the credentials of a person who has been declared elected according to the stipulation of article 115 does not include matters concerning the validity of the voting.
Article 2 of the Rules of Order states that each newly-elected Member of Parliament provides proof of his election by submitting to Parliament the documents prescribed by law, constituting his credentials. Article 3 of the Rules of Order states that Parliament appoints a committee of three members which has the task to verify the credentials of the members of Parliament.
A committee comprising MPs Jacobs, Ottley and Brug was appointed to vet the credentials and
found everything in order. Following the approval of the credentials by Parliament, Wescot-Williams said she will notify the Governor, the Vice Chairlady of the Central Voting Bureau, as well as the persons admitted.
