PHILIPSBURG--Opposition Democratic Party (DP), keen on getting answers to questions posed in last week's Central Committee (CC) meeting on Government's position on subsidies and investments, has requested another meeting with a slightly adjusted topic.
This time, DP has asked Committee Chairman George Pantophlet to convene a meeting on "answers" from Government about subsidies and investments.
DP leader Island Councilwoman Sarah Wescot-Williams said Monday morning this Central Committee meeting and another with St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SHDF) should be called this week, but she was doubtful if these would take place, because Pantophlet and Deputy Committee Chairman Commissioner Theo Heyliger were off-island.
Pantophlet is currently attending a Parliament meeting in Curaçao and Heyliger is away at Seatrade Miami.
The housing foundation meeting will centre on housing-related matters the party raised before, such as land purchase as stated in the draft 2010 budget, Hope Estate apartments allocation and the financial health of the foundation.
Government informed the party later in the afternoon that the meeting originally planned for Thursday's on "answers" had been called for, while the second on housing could not be held this week because the chairman and deputy chairman were away.
Wescot-Williams said that Pantophlet seemed to believe that, because he was away, the committee was not obliged to convene a meeting as requested. He "thereby throws the stipulation that requested meetings must be held within a week to the wind, as no further indication is given as to when this meeting will be held.
"Interestingly, though, there will be a meeting of the same Central Committee on [Thursday,] March 18, for another agenda point requested by DP. In this manner, all the government has to do is ensure that the chair and vice-chair are not available for CC meetings and the democratic process is nicely thwarted," she continued.
Also this week, last Thursday's Island Council meeting on the draft budget 2010, the consequences of its not being approved, and issues pertaining to labour, which was cancelled because of no quorum, has been reconvened for Wednesday at 10:00am.
No convocation has been sent to the party yet about any Island Council meeting to approve the draft budget. Finance Commissioner Xavier Blackman had said Sunday that this meeting was slated for Monday, March 22.
