PHILIPSBURG--Parliament will resume its handling of the draft 2016 budget in Parliament House on Thursday starting at 2:00pm. The session was scheduled after a faction-leaders meeting on Monday morning.
Parliament Chairwoman Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot-Williams told The Daily Herald the meeting had centred on the resumption of the budget meeting. “We also briefly discussed the latest political developments in terms of due process, but in general terms, as well as the separation of powers,” she said.
MPs forming the opposition “Super Seven” bloc have stated publicly that they will aid in forming the quorum for the meeting by signing in for the plenary session.
The Coalition of Eight, which supports the William Marlin Cabinet, has only seven MPs available for the plenary session due to the arrest of coalition member independent MP Silvio Matser on March 2 on suspicion of election fraud. Seven is one MP short of a quorum to start a plenary sitting of Parliament.
The meeting originally was slated for the same day of Matser’s arrest. The Coalition MPs were signed in, but 30 minutes after the 10:00am start time no other MP had signed in to form the quorum, although the “Super Seven,” were present in the building.
