SXMElections.com

PHILIPSBURG--“That the (NA) and UP parties thumbed their noses at the people of St. Maarten/St. Martin on their day with their silly boycott is bad enough; that the Governor would fall for their silliness is highly questionable; but that the chairperson of Parliament, Claret Connor would compromise the office of Chairperson is regrettable,” said opposition Democratic Party leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams on Saturday.

  Speaking of the boycott by the National Alliance (NA)-led Council of Ministers and the non-attendance of United People’s (UP) party MPs at the official St. Martin/St. Maarten Day ceremony hosted by the French side, Wescot-Williams said the Chairman of Parliament by law represents Parliament, not any fraction or coalition of fractions.

  â€œThe Parliament of St. Maarten took no decision to ‘boycott’ the St. Maarten Day ceremonies and the Chairperson or his substitute should have been there in French Quarter, representing the Parliament of St. Maarten and, by extension, the people of St. Maarten,” she said.

  “Along with several other MPs, the Chairperson of Parliament just recently proudly displayed his participation certificate for the orientation training provided for especially incoming MPs. Surely his duties as the representative of the Parliament must have been explained there. Still he chose to take sides and follow the new coalition's lead.”

  The veteran politician queried: “Did he even RSVP? And if so, what did he communicate to our counterparts on the French side? We HOPE it was not that the Parliament of St. Maarten declined the invitation, because we did not.”