Parliamentary session with Dutch State Secretary Knops Cancelled
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Parliamentary session with Dutch State Secretary Knops Cancelled

MP Sarah Wescot Williams MP Sarah Wescot Williams

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) – The Chairlady of Parliament has canceled the meeting with Dutch State Secretary Knops due to confirmed none attendance of a majority of factions, Sarah Wescot Williams said in a statement on Tuesday.

“In order to avoid any embarrassment in front of the State Secretary, due to a lack of quorum to hold the meeting, I have called off the meeting.”

“The meeting with State Secretary Knops as requested by three members of parliament, was convened for Wednesday, September 25th at 10 am.

“This meeting was scheduled as a central committee meeting and having a guest (State Secretary Knops) present, quorum could have been formed with the half of the current factions ( so 3 of the 6), if these represent the half plus one of the members. (MP Brownbill has not yet formally declared himself independent.)

“In order not to face a no-show, I asked all factions in advance to indicate their participation in this meeting. MP Rolando Brison, on behalf of the USP, the NA and the 2 independent members of parliament has declined. Hence, I had no other option, but to cancel the meeting with State Secretary Knops.

“As an MP, I find this unfortunate, because those MPs who have declined are in my opinion exactly the ones who should have welcomed the opportunity to, as they like to put it “put the State Secretary in his place”.

“They could have used this meeting to tell the State Secretary, “thanks, but no thanks” for the Trust Fund money and find a way to return the money already received from the Netherlands, including the liquidity assistance provided to government. This would have been their perfect opportunity to put their words into deeds, because they are now in the driver’s seat. So, the question remains: what is the stance of the Coalition of 9 on the Dutch-financed TF, managed by the World Bank?”

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