PHILIPSBURG--The combined opposition factions in Parliament have submitted a request to Chairman of Parliament Rolando Brison to “urgently reconvene” the plenary public meeting on the pending Penal Procedure Code and Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) recommendations.
The prior meeting on the subject was postponed on December 12, at the request of Justice Minister Egbert Jurendy Doran.
Party For Progress (PFP), United Democrats (UD) and United St. Maarten Party (US Party) factions made the request on February 19.
The meeting’s agenda was to receive the minister’s response to questions posed in the first round of the public meeting. Signed by Members of Parliament Melissa Gumbs (PFP), Raeyhon Peterson (PFP), Sarah Wescot-Williams (UD), Claudius Buncamper (US Party) and Akeem Arrindell (US Party), the letter outlined the reasons for the urgency of the request.
“While the holidays and Election Day loomed over the December to January period, the meeting has not been reconvened since. Instead, a Central Committee meeting was held on February 18, to allow the minister to update Parliament on St. Maarten’s status with regard to the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) recommendations,” as stated in a press release issued by PFP on Wednesday.
This central committee meeting was adjourned for one week after several questions were posed to the minister by previous and new MPs.
“After receiving information from the justice minister, in this Central Committee meeting, that a progress report would not be available until the end of March, the factions in question agreed that the meeting should be reconvened to at least allow for the further handling of the Penal Procedure Code, considering the time-sensitive matter of the country’s CFATF compliance rating and the risks of non-compliance.” The Central Committee meeting’s follow-up is not necessary for this step in the legislative process. The factions hope that the public meeting is reconvened next week, even though it is a non-meeting week for Parliament.
