MP Heyliger-Marten criticizes NA for not providing quorum to Justice Committee meeting

PHILIPSBURG — Independent Member of Parliament Grisha Heyliger-Marten criticized the National Alliance faction for not providing a quorum to a meeting of the parliament’s Justice Committee. “The coalition continues to disrespect government, justice workers and population,” she stated in a press release.

‘What we witnessed past Friday was yet another unfortunate and shameless display of this government’s coalition’s disrespect for itself and its ministers, the parliament and the people of St. Maarten,” the MP stated in a press release. “When meetings are finally called coalition MPs leave the minister high and dry without a valid explanation.”

The Justice Committee was called to discuss draft national ordinances and decrees related to the legal position of police, the justice organization’s function book and calculations of retroactive and future financial obligation to the justice personnel as well as the draft Code of Criminal Procedures.

See related article: Retroactive payments to justice personnel amount to almost $25 million

MP Heyliger-Marten stated that she was looking forward to the meeting and to an update about the amount government owes to employees of the justice ministry.

These employees still cannot get paid, the MP pointed out, due to the country’s debt situation and due to the fact that the amendments for the 2023 budget still await parliamentary approval.

“This rollercoaster saga has been dragging on for over two years now and it needs to be finalized once and for all. If overdue payments cannot be paid this year, the recipients and the people of St. Maarten have a right to know.”

Related links: Function book saga

MP Heyliger-Marten noted that all opposition MPs signed in on time for the Justice Committee meeting on Friday. “The NA faction seemingly had more pressing matters to tend to than supporting its own minister,” she stated, adding that the public deserves answers to questions like “Why did the NA faction leave its own minister hanging in  parliament without a valid explanation and what does this mean for the justice workers?”

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