Counter arguments dominate
first part of Council Meeting
MARIGOT--The first hour of Tuesday’s first public Territorial Council meeting provoked some brisk verbal counter punching from the Opposition bench over the first item on the agenda, the adoption of the Territorial Council house rules, but it was the only sticking point in an otherwise smooth flow to the first five agenda points before Councillors adjourned for the break.
House rules cover the daily functioning of the Territorial Council on such points as frequency of meetings, commissions, who calls the meetings, how voting is done, how much time Councillors are allowed for responses, etc.
Alain Richardson for the opposition argued that the rules document is based almost word for word on the Organic Law, but does not offer provisions to make the functioning of the Council easier.
“There was absence of information that we pinpointed and articles organised in a way that is confusing,” said Richardson. “There is no provision either for the English language usage in the rules, yet we know the whole concept of the change of status is to allow the whole population to be involved in what’s happening. How can we do that, not using language that is commonly used on the island?”
“Another article says the Territorial Council will be informed on a regular basis of decisions taken by the Executive Council. But how; under what format; in what frequency; and by whom? These were what we expected to see in the rules but they were not there.”
President Louis-Constant Fleming said a first draft of the rules had to be made, considering there was no reference point and clearly the rules could be modified.
“We will have a commission that will modify and embellish those rules, to make them more flexible in the interest of everyone,” he said.
Despite the arguing, Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the house rules.
The second point, regarding taxes Councillors will have to pay on their salaries, was also voted in favour of unanimously. Councillors have the right to either have their taxes deducted by the finance services of the Collectivité or pay it themselves.
Voting for the proposed members, ruling and opposition, of ten consultative commissions was also voted on and returned unanimously in favour by Councillors.
The ten commissions are Commission for Finance, Judicial Affairs, and Budgetary finance; Commission for Social Affairs, Social Medicine for Families, Senior Citizens; Bidding Commission; Commission for Economic Affairs and Tourism; Commission for Employment, Youth and Professional Training; Commission for Education, Teaching, School Affairs; Commission for Culture and Sports; Commission for Public Works; Environment Commission; and Commission for Security and Disaster Preparedness.
“In most cases, there were only two seats for opposition members on these commissions, and in some areas we have considerable expertise which the Collectivité is missing out on,” Richardson observed.
A presentation was then made of new constitutional statutes for the Bethany Home by its director Mme. Guion-Firmin Criosi Nonette, with outlines of the management structure. Because the Commune no longer exists, the Home is to become a public institution of the Collectivité with its own autonomy on January 1 2008. Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the statutes.
One of the motions taken out of the meeting was St. Martin’s status in relation to the European Union.
Fleming noted during the break that the first two weeks of the Collectivité have gone well and personnel have been cooperative.
“The most important thing right now is to get everyone up to a higher level of competence. I’m arranging for a training programme to be put in place for September and October for all the elected officials,” he said.
