To: The Chairlady of Parliament,
Drs. Gracita Arrindell,
Parliament Building – Backstreet,
Philipsburg – St. Maarten.
Ref: Cellular Package Agreement signed by Mr. Hanze with UTS.
Philipsburg, January 18, 2011.
Last week, during one of the Permanent Committee meetings you informed me that a lady from UTS was coming at 10 o’clock to explain to all Members of Parliament the UTS proposal for a cellular telephone package for all Members of Parliament. According to you all Members had been informed of the meeting, which later turned out not to be the case.
That same morning, a delegation from UTS visited the new Parliament Building and brought along with them cellular phones for all Members of Parliament with new numbers. This was all supposedly based on an agreement signed by Mr. Hanze with the management of UTS.
A meeting – more of a brainstorming session – was held on Friday morning with faction leaders to reach an agreement on the cellular phone package for Members of Parliament. No final agreement had been arrived at and the matter still hangs in the air. As a matter of fact, several Members have already received their new phone, have had it activated and are already using the number assigned to them.
In the meantime, however, I have the following questions to which I look forward to receiving an answer as soon as possible. This to avoid that unnecessary mistakes could be made with negative legal and or financial consequences.
The questions are as follows:
1. When did Mr. Hanze sign the agreement with UTS, containing a "package" for the use of cellular telephone service provided by UTS? Who signed the agreement on behalf of UTS?
2. On whose behalf did Mr. Hanze sign the agreement?
3. When did or will the agreement go into effect?
4. For how long a period is or will the agreement be in effect?
5. What are the monthly/annual financial consequences of this agreement?
6. May I have a copy of the agreement?
7. Who authorized Mr. Hanze to sign the agreement?
8. Is it true that the agreement went into effect as of January 1st 2011?
9. May I have a copy of the instructions given to Mr. Hanze, authorizing him to sign the agreement?
10. On whose behalf (the Chairlady of Parliament, the Parliament of St. Maarten, as Interim Griffier of the Parliament of St. Maarten) did Mr. Hanze sign the agreement?
11. Was there any consideration given to enter a similar agreement with TELEM?
12. Who initiated discussions with UTS that led to the signed agreement?
13. Were similar discussions held with TELEM? If no, why not?
I look forward to receiving answers as soon as possible to the above questions, so that a meeting with the faction leaders could be held to take a formal decision on this matter.
For and on behalf of the faction of the National Alliance,
William V. Marlin,
Member of the Parliament of St. Maarten.