PHILIPSBURG--The draft amendment on early Island Council elections for St. Maarten and Curaçao to be handled in parliament March 24 differs significantly from the draft the National Alliance (NA)-led Executive Council gave its consent to and presented to the Permanent Committee for Constitutional Affairs (PCCA) on Thursday.
Opposition Democratic Party (DP) Island Councilwoman Sarah Wescot-Williams said upon discovering this, party members could have "kicked up a storm" in the PCCA meeting by accusing the NA-led government of misleading the Island Council with a flawed piece of draft legislation.
DP members instead "communicated" their displeasure with these events and the correct draft was distributed during the meeting and the debate continued.
The meeting convocation was called by PCCA Chairman William Marlin on Monday without any documentation to members.
This draft amendment to the Island Regulations aims to expand the Island Council of St. Maarten from 11 to 15 members and the commissioners from five to seven, and allows for dissolution of the Island Councils and the calling of early elections.
Wescot-Williams said when these were requested in the meeting, copies of the draft amendment, the letter from the Central Government proposing the amendment to the Island Government, and the reaction of the Executive Council were provided.
When Constitutional Affairs Minister Roland Duncan (NA) started his presentation to the PCCA, DP members recognise that the versions had differed significantly. Only in the draft amendment being handled by parliament outlines that the Constitution for country St. Maarten must be approved before the Island Council is dissolved and new elections called.
In DP's opinion, this amendment creates "a sort of a hybrid parliament" for St. Maarten. The amendment creates the possibility to expand the Island Council but provides nothing else for a well-functioning dualistic system of government, a system which the same law propagates.
"DP also reserved the right to look still closer at the draft which is now before parliament and has advised the Executive Council to do the same," Wescot-Williams said.
Meanwhile, Wescot-Williams said that DP was quite sceptical when the NA-led government took office in June 2009 under the banner of "A New Beginning."
Wescot-Williams said: "The NA/Heyliger/Laveist coalition has ushered in a new beginning in many ways. Regretfully, not with the things that need to be done to show St. Maarten's maturity in governing its own affairs. This is indeed a 'new beginning' turning a democracy into a monocracy."
