Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
The Central Committee meeting to handle amendments to the 2014 budget cancelled on June 30 due to lack of a quorum has not yet been reconvened. That's regrettable, because Parliament's Rules of Order state this should take place within four times 24 hours.
What's more, it involves essential matters, including the formalisation of Central Bank bond loans for capital investments this year to purchase Emilio Wilson Estate (EWE), complete the buyout of the new Administration Building and make a first payment for the Vorst family land in Cay Hill, among other things. Actually, the handling of the latter by UP Minister Maurice Lake was a major issue around that time and he survived two motions of disapproval against him in a plenary session backed by coalition partner DP and opposition party NA, but not by his own party or any of the four independent parliamentarians.
The fact is that the required half or more of the total number of fractions in the legislature were not present, so the Central Committee could not handle the budget amendments. The looming elections, but also cracks in the UP/DP/Laville government regarding, for example, the hospital and electoral reform may have contributed to this situation.
However, passing the amendment is important to remain compliant with the Kingdom Law on Financial Supervision. If it's not done soon, the Committee for Financial Supervision is likely to complain, with all possible consequences.
It may seem like lot to ask with just over 10 days before the people go to the polls, but there really is no good reason the current elected representatives should not be able to come together and ratify what the majority of parliamentarians support, including cutting their travel budget to benefit Charlotte Brookson Academy, St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) and the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. The meeting should be called and held this week if possible, also to show that these handsomely paid local politicians are serious and still willing to earn their pay by doing the people's business while campaigning to ask them for their vote.
