Two months long enough for
naming new commissioner
~ Says Lt. Governor’s office ~
PHILIPSBURG--It has been long enough that a successor for Commissioner Maria Buncamper-Molanus has not been appointed. However, there is no indication of a violation of legal norms, the office the Lt. Governor stated in a press release Monday.
The office also stressed that the Lt. Governor had no role in naming a successor to the Commissioner.
The office of the Lt. Governor stated that it shared the concerns and calls for a speedy resolution of the issues related to the resignation tendered by Buncamper-Molanus.
The release stated that Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards, who is away from office on vacation, had confirmed that official correspondence from Minister of Constitutional and Home Affairs Roland Duncan had reached the office of the Lt. Governor last week Friday, with an immediate response forwarded to the Minister, by Acting Lt. Governor Millicent Acuna-Lopez de Weever as a result thereof.
“In its correspondence, the Acting Lt. Governor mentioned that article 52, section 1 of the Islands Regulation Netherlands Antilles ERNA provided for the convening of a subsequent meeting of the Island Council to address the matter. The Commissioner is allowed to remain in office pending the appointment of a successor,” the release stated.
While sharing the sentiment that this should be realised as soon as possible, the office of the Lt. Governor reminded the Minister that there was no binding legal requirement stipulating that a successor be named within a certain period.
“The period of two months which has now elapsed is in any case, in the opinion of the office of the Lt. Governor, long enough, something that may be attributed to the vacation period.”
However, there is no indication of a violation of legal norms and while discussions on the matter have been conducted, these have not yet led to the appointment of a successor for Commissioner Buncamper-Molanus, according to the Lt. Governor’s Office.
“It should be noted, for clarity’s sake, that the appointment of a Commissioner has always been a matter to be decided on within the political sphere and this remains the same in the matter involving naming a successor to any commissioner who has resigned.
“As a consequence, the office of the Lt. Governor of the Island Territory does not play a role in naming a successor to the Commissioner. It is the Island Council that is the competent body authorised to elect and appoint a Commissioner,” the release stated.
