PHILIPSBURG--Half an hour after the official start time, Tuesday's Parliament meeting was called off due to no quorum. Of the fifteen Members of Parliament (MPs) only seven ? five from the National Alliance (NA), one from the United People's (UP) party and one independent member ? had signed in.
The meeting on the lawfulness of MP Jules James voting on a motion that had named him in the ongoing saga about dismissal of more than 100 workers by Simpson Bay Resort (SBR), where he is the General Manager, had been requested by the NA.
UP fraction leader MP Romain Laville failed to turn up for Tuesday's meeting. Contacted by The Daily Herald last night for an explanation, Laville said that after he had had "some issues" with party members during a fraction meeting on Monday, he had decided to stay away from the meeting.
Commenting on the non-attendance of the other UP members, Laville said that was for their account. He said he had decided to stay away to think matters through and to that end had switched off his phones.
"My only concern now is about the workers. I asked questions about what was the status with them and I am not getting answers," said a seemingly frustrated Laville.
NA leader MP William Marlin told the press, following the cancellation of the meeting, that it was "obvious" that members of the coalition, in particular the UP, "do not know how to handle the meeting and can't reach agreement."
When the NA motion seeking to instruct government to find a solution to the issues at the resort and condemn James' action in his role in the dismissal was tabled on November 17, 2011, William Marlin said the motion showed "how divided" UP members already were, with Laville saying he was being forced to go against his conscience.
William Marlin said, "It is their [coalition] good right to not sign in and in so doing buy time." The Rules of Order allow for situations such as this one. But, he added, "They cannot continue to not show up" because there are "consequences for staying away."
MP Louie Laveist (NA) also speaking with reporters after the meeting had been cancelled, said, "The Constitution says to them [the coalition] basically, they can run, but they can't hide." He was referring to the fact that if there is no quorum when the meeting is called again, it will be called a third time and no matter the number of MPs present, decisions taken will be legal and binding.
President of Parliament Arrindell (UP) waited 30 minutes after the official start time of the meeting, as prescribed by the rules, to see if any other MP would sign in, but this did not happen. Based on Article 29 of the Rules of Order, she had General Secretary Jozef Semeleer conduct the roll call that established that only seven members were present.
At least eight MPs must be present and signed in for any meeting of Parliament to be held. This meeting will be recalled in four days or, as the Rules of Order state, in four times 24 hours. If there is no quorum again when that meeting is called another postponement will take place. The meeting will then be called for a third time and will continue even if there are not eight members present. In such a scenario, any decision taken in that third meeting, despite it not having eight or more members present, will be considered legal and binding.
Only seven of the 15 MPs were present for the start of the meeting: Arrindell (UP); William Marlin, George Pantophlet, Dr. Lloyd Richardson, Louie Laveist and Hyacinth Richardson (all NA); and Frans Richardson (independent).
Other than Arrindell and MP Leroy de Weever who was absent with notice, no other members of the UP/Democratic Party (DP) coalition which is supported by independent MP Patrick Illidge were present in the General Assembly Hall, despite several members being in Parliament House. MP Roy Marlin (DP) left the building before the Parliament session commenced.
UP President Minister Franklin Meyers and fellow UP Ministers Rhoda Arrindell and Hiro Shigemoto also were in Parliament House prior to the start of the meeting. Meyers had a meeting with some coalition MPs, including James, Silvia Meyers-Olivacce and Johan "Janchi" Leonard, and Roy Marlin (DP).
UP fraction leader MP Laville was absent from the meeting.
Betrayal
In his brief session with reporters, Laveist decried the management of SBR for refusing to give workers who had signed temporary contracts copies of those contracts.
Laveist called on government to stop betraying the people. "It is betrayal to the core when you would allow a company to trample on the basic rights of the people."
He said this betrayal by government had emboldened MP James in his post as SBR general manager in that he was "threatening the very liberty of the people" by refusing to give copies of the contract. "If this is not a boldfaced slap in the face of the people, then I don't know what it is."
However, word from the resort is that workers have received copies of their contracts.
Laveist expressed the view that UP leader Deputy Prime Minister Theo Heyliger was in favour of James' and SBR's actions, because he had said nothing publicly about the saga involving the resort and the dismissed workers. Laveist said his training had taught him that "silence gives consent."
Asked by a member of the press if he was championing the issue because his sister was among the workers dismissed and whether she had been given a copy of her contract, Laveist said his stance had nothing to do with his sister's employment. "It's a general blanket statement."
Labour unrest
Laveist said he did not want labour unrest, but if matters continued in the way they were going "labour unrest will be unavoidable."
Every government respects its people, he added. "I never thought I would see the day when our government put the rights and interest of foreign investors ahead of their own people. ... It's the greatest betrayal."
He said people should "never forget what the UP party and its great supposed leader [Heyliger, ed.] are doing to them."
Laveist called on "the defenders of the labourers" ? the unions ? to take note of the situation, "because these people don't fear labour unions. This is union-busting." He urged the unions "to be united together in this struggle or it will be the end to unionism" if "James and the UP party are allowed to violate the rights of the people and ... the Constitution."
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