Members of the Dutch First Chamber of Parliament, on Friday will meet with the Parliament of Sint Maarten and visit several projects.
On Friday morning the Dutch MPs will first visit His Excellency Governor Eugene Holiday; thereafter they will visit the Philipsburg Police Headquarters accompanies by members of the Sint Maarten permanent committee of Parliament for Kingdom Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations under the chairmanship of Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Roy Marlin.
In the afternoon the Dutch MPs will visit the Sanitary Landfill on Pond Island followed by the A.T. Illidge Road Sewage Treatment Plant and thereafter the Cay Hill site for the envisioned Justice Park.
President of Parliament Hon. Drs. Rodolphe Samuel said on Thursday that the projects selected for the Dutch MPs to visit related to the Sewage Plant which was just recently opened; a major effort is underway to build a Waste Treatment Facility on Pond Island; and plans are in the works to build a Justice Park. The latter two developments will play a major role in the socio-economic and environmental development of the country.
The Dutch MPs will depart the island late Friday afternoon.
The First Chamber (Eerste Kamer) of the Dutch Parliament has 75 members. They are elected by the members of the 12 Provincial Councils. These elections are indirect where voters elect the members of the Provincial Councils, who in turn elect the members of the Senate.
The Senate’s main duties are in the legislative field, but it also plays a role in scrutinizing the actions of the Government. Formally the Senate can only reject or accept legislation. Debates of legislation take place in the Senate with respect to the interpretation of a law.
The difference between the Dutch Second Chamber of Parliament (House of Representatives) and the First Chamber, MPs in the Second Chamber are paid to be full-time legislators while members of the Senate work part-time and receive an allowance. They also hold other positions.
The Dutch Senate has been in existence since 1815 when it was instituted by King William I.