PHILIPSBURG--The National Alliance (NA)/Democratic Party (DP)/Independent 3 coalition has requested an urgent public meeting of Parliament to appoint a new President of Parliament.
The request was submitted on Monday to incumbent President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell.
Arrindell is the only member of the United People's (UP) party still in a leadership role after the fall of the UP/DP/Illidge coalition in early May. The UP is now the only party in opposition.
With this letter, it appears that the 10-seat-strong coalition is gearing up to vote Arrindell out of the post to which she was elected on October 10, 2010, the day St. Maarten became a country within the Dutch Kingdom.
It is expected that a National Alliance Member of Parliament (MP) – either George Pantophlet or newly-sworn in MP Rodolphe Samuel – will be the coalition's choice to replace Arrindell.
President of Parliament was one of the posts assigned to the NA in the "Working for the People" Governing Accord.
Arrindell, unlike former deputy President of Parliament MP Leroy de Weever and Second Deputy President MP Patrick Illidge (independent), did not resign from her post in Parliament when the government fell. Resignation from the post is not mandatory under Parliament's Rules of Order.
De Weever (DP) has since been replaced by former UP, now independent MP Romain Laville and Illidge by De Weever.
Some contend that Arrindell's holding on to the position is not in keeping with the new political reality now that UP has no control in either the legislative or the executive branch of government.
The request letter was signed by nine of the 10 coalition MPs, including Rodolphe Samuel.
The signature of De Weever was not on the letter. He is currently off-island for his daughter's wedding in California. His daughter is marrying a cousin of UP leader/former Deputy Prime Minister Theo Heyliger.
Dennis Bergkamg Enjoy England TwiTrips Rugby union Simon Barker Insects Buenos Aires
No comments:
Post a Comment