~USP will not support the motion~. Deliberation deffered to a later date.
PHILIPSBURGH:--- Leader of the St. Maarten Christian Party (SMCP) and Member of Parliament Wycliffe Smith submitted a motion to parliament which was supported by Members of Parliament Franklin Meyers, Shridat Brijlani and Luc Mercelina to have the salaries of Members of Parliament slashed by 15%.
The SMCP leader said in his presentation that he campaigned on a salary cut for MPs and he also placed it in their governing program.
The SMCP leader also referred to former MP Roy Marlin who submitted the same motion in 2012 but it was not supported.
With the added support the motion submitted by the SMCP faction will be placed on the agenda for deliberations.
On Tuesday Smith did not ask any of the MPs to support his motion but when the chairlady of parliament announced that the motion would need two more signatures before it could be placed on the agenda for deliberations. At that point Meyers, Brijalani and Mercelina signed the motion so that it could be deliberated.
MP Frans Richardson in his presentation said he will not support the motion. He said that some people made statements such as they would not work with certain politicians. However, Richardson said the motion sound good but one thing he knows that parliament cannot change the salaries of MP’s during the parliamentary year. He said that such decisions had to be made at the end of the preceding year. He called on chair of parliament to further inform the people and parliament on such changes. Richardson said that the 15% will not help the people that have real needs on St. Maarten. He said that Smith should not put a test on no one instead he should begin to dialogue with Members of Parliament before such motions is presented.
The Parliament of St. Maarten have decided to deliberate on the motion that was submitted by SMCP leader. MP Franklin Meyers requested that the motion to slash MP’s salaries be delayed now that they have the lists of cuts that the Council of Ministers which will also affect Ministers.
