PHILIPSBURG--The second attempt to examine the credentials and admit incoming Members of Parliament (MPs) Richniel Brug and Viren Vinod Kotai to the legislature was unsuccessful when the meeting was eventually held on Monday.
The second attempt was a meeting set for 9:00am on Monday, however, there was no quorum as only four members of the coalition were present. It was then rescheduled for 9:45am.
When that meeting opened, a quorum of 10 members was established: Six from the seven-member opposition and four from the six-member coalition. The seventh member of the opposition was signed in, but had stepped out and was not in the hall when the meeting opened. Notice of absence was received from PFP MP Ludmila de Weever and NOW MP Christophe Emmanuel.
The meeting started with several members of the coalition using the “notifications segment” to lambast the governing coalition for not showing up to admit members of their own coalition to Parliament on Thursday last and again on Monday.
The meeting ended abruptly after NA MP Egbert Doran made a “proposal of order,” to adjust the agenda to include two agenda points: the first one being to dissolve the presidium and the second to appoint a new presidium. The proposal was seconded.
Chairperson of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams said she cannot adjourn and will not change the sequence of the agenda points of the meeting and indicated that she will first go over to the appointment of the credentials of the incoming MPs. Doran then requested that MPs be allowed to vote on his proposal based on the rules of order.
Wescot-Williams then said she cannot do this in this particular case given the constitutional requirement to appoint members by examining their credentials.
A roll call was then requested to determine the number of MPs in the hall and the opposition MPs present then walked out of the legislative hall, leaving the meeting without a quorum and forcing the meeting to be closed.
https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/2nd-attempt-to-admit-mps-fails-na-and-up-walk-out-after-proposal-to-dissolve-presidium-denied
