~ Streets, parking lot to be closed off ~
PHILIPSBURG--The 2011-2012 Parliamentary Year will open on Tuesday morning with Governor Eugene Holiday inspecting the honour guard outside Parliament House on Wilhelminastraat.
The Governor's address to Parliament about government's plans and policies for the new parliamentary year will be delivered after President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell declares the new session open.
The opening will bring with it pomp and ceremony, with a military parade and members of the judiciary attending in their court robes. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams and members of the Council of Ministers also will be present for the ceremony which will be aired live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 15, on the Internet via
www.sxmparliament.org and on radio. Arrindell said this was in effort to involve more of the population, especially schoolchildren who are not yet accustomed to the procedures of Parliament. Also, this is an alternative for people who want to follow the ceremony from the comfort of their homes.
However, this historic event will bring inconvenience for motorists, as sections of Front Street and Back Street will be closed for the duration of the ceremony. Clem Labega Square also will be closed to the public from morning until 2:00pm. Arrindell said the closures were necessary for the proper execution of the opening ceremony, to minimise delays.
Front Street will be closed from Oranje School up to the Tommy Hilfiger store and Back Street will be closed from the vendors' market to the Kadaster office. The sections will reopen early afternoon after the ceremony in Parliament House, the military parade and the reception at Sheer restaurant.
Arrindell, outlining the ceremony at a press conference on Thursday, said invited guests have been urged to be on time: 9:50am, ahead of Governor Holiday's arrival.
The current parliamentary year will be closed off on Monday with a regular meeting of Parliament in Parliament House starting at 10:00am. Arrindell will present her year report that will cover the accomplishments and challenges, as well as the attendance records of Members of Parliament.
She said there had been handicaps and transitional bottlenecks, but much had been accomplished. She also commended the staff of Parliament, who she said have worked despite the legal limbo about whether they are working for government or for Parliament.
Arrindell hopes the new parliamentary year will bring more initiative laws from MPs that will benefit the people and there will be no more cries of "we can't do it" because staff or funds are not in place. She said she wants to focus more on the legislative process and less on the building up of the institution.
As for Parliament's budget, the draft amount is at NAf. 6 million for the new parliamentary year. Whether that amount is sufficient is not known as yet, Arrindell said, adding that it could be higher or lower.
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