PHILIPSBURG--Second Deputy Parliament Chairman Cornelius de Weever took charge of one of the shortest Parliament meetings in the country's history on Tuesday and effectively thwarted the new coalition's move to appoint a new chairperson and two deputy chairpersons of Parliament.
The meeting for which nine Members of Parliament (MPs) signed in, lasted approximately a minute and nine seconds.
Independent MP Weever opened the meeting with the traditional "Moment of Silence," and handled the notices then swiftly said due to the national decree submitted by Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs to Governor Eugene Holiday to dissolve the Parliament he has "asked for legal advice" and had to close the meeting pending the advice.
De Weever banged the gavel and exited the General Assembly Chamber and Parliament House accompanied by United People's (UP) Party leader MP Theo Heyliger and party deputy leader MP Franklin Meyers. Though present in the General Assembly Chamber for the meeting, neither Heyliger nor Meyers were signed in for the session.
Present and signed in for the meeting aside from De Weever were members of new coalition - the National Alliance (NA), Democratic Party (DP), United St. Maarten Party (USP), MPs Silvio Matser and Maurice Lake.
Absent with notice were independent MP Leona Marlin-Romeo and MP Tamara Leonard (UP).
