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ANNUAL REPORT 2016/2017 PARLIAMENT OF SINT MAARTEN © 2017 Parliament of Sint Maarten Tel: (721) 542-2929 • 542-0635 • 542-0812 Fax: (721) 542-0306 E-mail: [email protected] Physical Address: Wilhelminastraat #1, Philipsburg, Sint Maarten Website: www.sxmparliament.org CORAM POPULO FOREWORD 04 05 INTRODUCTION Tasks and Committees of Parliament Composition of Parliament Support of Parliament Logo of Parliament Financial overview PARLIAMENTARY YEAR IN REVIEW 08 21 PARLIAMENT MEETINGS OF THE YEAR Public Meetings Central Committee Meetings Permanent and Ad Hoc Committee Meetings PARLIAMENT MEETINGS ATTENDANCE LISTS 36 Public Meetings Central Committee Meetings 48 FACT & FIGURES Permanent and Ad Hoc Committee Meetings LIST OF PERMANENT & AD HOC COMMITTEES OF PARLIAMENT 107 109 LIST OF STANDING COMMITTEES OF PARLATINO Table of Contents 4 Parliament of Sint Maarten Foreword Dear Colleagues, Honorable place and a new Parliament sat on October Constitutional Court on July 7, 2016 and the Members of Parliament and 31, 2016. Out of the originally fifteen elected subsequent action by the Netherlands earlier in readers, Members of Parliament, four resigned to become 2017. Parliament continued its debate regarding ministers in December 2016. Consequently the role and position of Parliament versus the As I reminisce on the countdown Parliament welcomed four new Members of executive branch of Government as well as to the 2016 election and take a Parliament in January 2017. These changes in Parliament’s assessment of its own functioning. moment to reflect on the past the composition of Parliament took place within parliamentary year 2016-2017, I can the first three months of the new parliamentary Parliament thanks all organizations that visited say that several accomplishments year. and presented their case to the representatives of were nevertheless achieved. the people of Sint Maarten, such as the Anti- The transition required the settling in of the Poverty Platform and the Independence for Parliamentary years run from new Members of Parliament. An orientation St. Maarten Foundation. These dialogues are the second Tuesday in September week organized by the secretariat provided a welcomed by the Parliament of Sint Maarten. through the second Monday good start for the Members of Parliament. All of September of the following High Councils of State were invited to participate Revision of the Rules of Order is nearing its year. Hence this year opened on in this orientation week. The High Councils completion. It has been extensively debated by Tuesday, September 13, 2016. emphasized their task to assist Parliament in its the faction leaders and will be sent to the Central This immediately brings us to the supervisory role over Government. Committee Meeting for further handling soon. first challenge that Parliament encountered this parliamentary The Budget 2017 of Sint Maarten was approved by In this Parliamentary Year, the Presidium of year. The parliamentary year Parliament on December 16, 2016. Parliament renewed the lease on the building “All in all, it has started only 13 days before the located on Wilhelmina Street # 1, where been a rather eventful parliamentary election and five Again, during this Parliamentary year, the Parliament is currently housed. However, weeks before a new Parliament was emphasis was placed on training of the discussions regarding a “new” Parliament parliamentary year thus set to take office. Because of this Secretariat’s staff, as well as reducing the building are in full swing. anomaly, there was no governing legislative backlog that existed due to legislation far with high hopes...” policy ready to be presented by the that was pending at the time of the dissolution All in all, it has been a rather eventful Governor of Sint Maarten during of the Netherlands Antilles. It is also noteworthy parliamentary year thus far with high hopes his annual speech at the opening of to mention that the Government chose to retract to complete above matters early in the new Parliament. several of these draft national ordinances from the parliamentary Year. former Netherlands Antilles, in March 2017. A few weeks into the new Respectfully, parliamentary year, the installation Integrity matters were very much at the forefront of Members of Parliament took this Parliamentary year with the rejection of the Sarah A. Wescot-Williams national ordinance Integrity Chamber by the President of Parliament Annual Report 2016/17 5 Introduction TASKS AND COMMITTEES OF PARLIAMENT • Committee of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, The Parliament of Sint Maarten is the highest legislative body of the country and Environment and Infrastructure; according to article 44 of the Constitution it represents the entire population of Sint • Committee of Justice; Maarten. The Parliament currently consists of 15 members who are elected for a • Committee of General Affairs; four-year period. • Committee of Finance; • Committee of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and According to article 46 of the Constitution the Parliamentary year commences Telecommunication; with a public session on the second Tuesday of September. During this meeting, • Committee of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs; the Governor delivers a speech laying out the policies of the Government for the • Committee of Public Health, Social Development and Labor; coming year. • Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations; • Committee of Country’s Expenditures; Parliament elects a President and Vice Presidents from their own number. Together • Ad Hoc Committee for the Preparation of the Construction of the New they form the Presidium. If the President is not available, the Presidency shall be Building for Parliament; taken over by one of the Vice-Presidents. • Ad Hoc Committee of Integrity. The main tasks of the President are: The Faction Leaders meeting, comprising of the President of Parliament and the • supervising the activities of Parliament and the Presidium; Faction leaders of the factions represented in Parliament according to article 12 of • ensuring that the Rules of Order are adhered to; the Rules of Order, plays a key role in the functioning of Parliament. In this setting • maintaining order during and the adjourning of deliberations; often political issues are discussed in order to determine each faction’s standpoint • executing decisions taken by Parliament and; before the issue is brought to a Public Meeting. • representing Parliament. The powers of Parliament are clearly stated in the Constitution: The Parliament has Rules of Order that regulate amongst others the procedure of • co-legislator (article 82 of the Constitution); meetings. Meetings of Parliament are public unless it is considered necessary, or it • the right of initiative (article 85 of the Constitution); is requested by four members, to hold the meeting behind closed doors. According • the right of amendment (article 86 of the Constitution); to article 21 of the Rules of Order, Parliament consists of various permanent and • exercise control over government’s policies; special committees. • the right to ask questions (article 62 of the Constitution); • the right of interpellation (article 63 of the Constitution); Currently there are 13 committees: • the right of inquiry (article 64 of the Constitution); • Central Committee; • the right to approve and amend the budget (article 100 of the Constitution). • Committee of Petitions; 6 Parliament of Sint Maarten COMPOSITION OF PARLIAMENT At present the Parliament of Sint Maarten consists of four factions: the faction of the National Alliance (5), the faction of the United Peoples Party (5), the faction of the United St. Maarten Party (3) and the faction of the Democratic Party (2). On October 31, 2016 in Public meeting no. 3, the Hon. Claret M.M. Connor was elected President of Parliament along with Member of Parliament the Hon. drs. Rodolphe E. Samuel as Vice-President. Due to developments in the formation process, the President was relieved of his duties in accordance with article 6 of the Rules of Order. LOGO OF PARLIAMENT On November 24, 2016 in Public meeting no. 5, the Hon. Sarah A. Wescot-Williams was elected President of Parliament along with the Hon. Frans G. Richardson as 2nd Vice-President. The rising sun indicates a new day full of hope and SUPPORT OF PARLIAMENT possibilities. The Parliament has a secretariat at its disposal. The core tasks of the secretariat are to give administrative support, procedural and legal The Pelican is our national bird and symbol. advice to the President of Parliament, the Members of Parliament and Parliament as a whole. One of the most crucial tasks of the According to legend, in a time of famine, a mother secretariat is the preparation of the meetings. The public Parliament pelican would draw blood from her own chest and meetings are carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV--Channel 120, via give the blood to her chicks. Symbolic of sacrece Pearl Radio FM 98.1, via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and also doing what is best for the nation. via www.sxmparliament.org. The wings of the Pelican are also a stylized version To achieve the principal tasks, the secretariat is headed by the of people symbolizing the people of Sint Maarten Secretary General Mrs. Nancy R. Guishard-Joubert, LL.M. and assisted by two acting Secretary Generals, Mrs. Ann A. Groen- Gumbs, LL.M, and Mr. Garrick J. Richardson, LL.M. The staff of the secretariat totals 11 at present. It should also be noted that all 4 factions in Parliament are supported by their own faction staff. Currently there are 14 faction staff members employed with the different factions. FINANCIAL OVERVIEW Annual Report CASH FLOW STATEMENT 2016/17 7 For the budget year 201FINANCIAL6 Parliament had a total amount of OVERVIEWNAf. 10.844.161 at its disposal, which included both the costs of Parliament (budget post 2020) as well as the costs of the secretariat (budget post 2030). Parliament’s actual expenses totaled NAf. 11.302.265. This overdraft was caused by CASHoverruns in the budget post salaries of staff secretariat.