PHILIPSBURG–Parliament had to put off the approval of the membership of its permanent and ad hoc committees due to what appears to be an internal issue in the United St. Maarten Party (US Party).
Party leader Member of Parliament Frans Richardson drew the legislature’s attention to what he called “a typo” under the proposed members for the Permanent Committee for Kingdom Relations. The typo, he pointed out, was the name of fellow MP Rolando Brison listed as the party’s proposed committee member. This committee’s membership is only open faction leaders, which Richardson indicated he was.
Parliament Chairwoman Sarah Wescot-Williams stated that Brison was communicated to the Secretariat of Parliament as the two-seat party’s faction leader. Richardson countered that such should have been communicated to the Secretariat in writing. Wescot-Williams said communication was received on May 2.
The agenda point was put off for later in the ongoing plenary sitting in order to better resolve the situation.
Prior to Richardson’s objection, the United Democrats, led by MP Theo Heyliger, had requested that his name be removed from the committee and replaced by MP Dr. Luc Mercelina. It was at that point that Wescot-Williams stated that the committee is only open to faction leaders. Heyliger is his party’s faction leader.
Aside from the US Party issue, Wescot-Williams also put the agenda point on hold to further discuss the membership of the committee.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/76351-confusion-over-us-party-faction-leadership-stalls-committees
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