Wednesday afternoon in the Claude Wathey Legislative Hall, the Executive Council meet with the First Chamber from the Netherlands to discuss some pressing matters—Immigration, Security, Legal, Justice, Education, Constitution.
After exchanging of pleasantries, the two entities began to discuss the issues. Governor Richards gave a short breakdown of the latest developments on these important issues, as well as Commissioner Sarah Wescot-Williams.
Both provided insight on these topics to the members of the First Chamber, who were here on their first trip and found that they could not in good conscious legislate on the Netherlands Antilles, in particular St. Maarten, without having first visited.
Thus the Chambers’ visit was mainly fact finding and trying to determine a feel, an impression, for the islands of the Netherlands Antilles, especially considering the constitutional developments.
Questions were asked from the First Chamber on the difficulties on the immigration issue, Education of and at the so called "illegal schools", the readiness of the government and its civil service core, institutional strengthening, good governance, corruption, integrity, justice, and poverty.
The Chairlady of the First Chamber, drs. M.Y. Linthorst, thanked the Executive Council for meeting with them and that they now had a better idea about St. Maarten.