Philipsburg St. Maarten, May 19, 2020 – The St. Maarten parliamentary factions of PFP, USP and UD have called for an urgent meeting of Parliament to debate the request from the Government of St. Maarten for financial assistance in connection with its stimulus and relief plan (SSRP), and the Kingdom Government’s response to this request. According to an agreement with Parliament, the Prime Minister is scheduled to provide a briefing to Parliament on the overall state of affairs this coming Wednesday at 2PM.
In their letter to the Chairperson of Parliament, the Members of Parliament Buncamper, Gumbs and Wescot-Williams remark that this briefing will be after the deadline for Government’s response to the Kingdom Government and that would leave Parliament no room for discussion on this important matter, that will have consequences not only for the Government of St. Maarten, but for the community as a whole.
The deadline for Government’s reaction to the Kingdom Government is this Wednesday, it has been reported. Hence the request by the Members of Parliament for an urgent meeting no later than today, Tuesday afternoon.
The agenda point requested by the MPs is: Government’s response to the conditions of the Kingdom Government in reaction to Government‘s request for financial assistance for the SSRP.
The Members of Parliament further motivated their request, “the media has been inundated with bits and pieces of the conditions laid down by the Kingdom government. The Minister of Finance speaks of ‘unachievable conditions’ and the Prime Minister has labeled the proposal ‘indecent’.”
In the opinion of the Members of Parliament, If this meeting is not convened, by the time the Prime Minister comes to Parliament at 2PM on Wednesday, the die would have already been cast.
