PRESS STATEMENT
UP faction in Parliament is condemning the way things are done with the House of Parliament. The running of Parliament is being carried out with no regard for protocol, nor procedures. Members of Parliament are not informed or notified after the fact too often. The so called Senioren Convent consisting of Faction leaders and independent Members of Parliament of which the UP faction is represented did not receive any official nor informal information as far as we can check with respect to the official visit of the Presidents of Parliament from Curacao and Aruba and the meeting planned for Monday, January 28, 2013.
This is a blatant disrespect for the House of Parliament, and insensitive to the people of Sint Maarten, especially since the current chair wasn’t even elected by the people during the last election. Common courtesy by informing the members is the least this Chairman could have done.
Parliament had public meetings all week up until Friday evening January 26th last. Prior to handling any agenda points at the start of the meetings by way of notification, during or certainly prior to closing any of the meetings held last week, Parliament should have been informed of the pending visits.
As I pointed out before, we are on the wrong track and heading in the wrong direction.
To be clear, while we welcome both the Presidents of Parliament from Curacao and Aruba to our shores, at least the UP faction was not duly informed about the visit and nor are we aware of what will be discussed at the meeting, only what we read in the media Saturday.
On whose behalf did the Chairman of Parliament make the invitation? On behalf of the National Alliance faction, the three Independent members of parliament, the coalition, who? Again, even if it is a good idea which merits the invitation, it’s the manner in which it is done, yet again, we do not appreciate and therefore object.
The UP faction will be seeking written clarification from the Chairman of Parliament on this matter. This is a blatant breach of confidence and of authority by Chairman Rodolphe Samuel.
The UP faction will be requesting all formal correspondence related to this issue.
Gracita Arrindell
United People’s (UP) Party, Member of Parliament