UD MP Sarah Wescot-Williams in Parliament on Tuesday.
PHILIPSBURG--United Democrats (UD) Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot-Williams on Tuesday queried whether pressure can be applied to government to release information on talk that it plans to call early elections.
She tabled the question during a meeting of Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee on Electoral Reform convened on Tuesday to discuss Party for Progress’ (PFP’s) proposal to remove the curtains from voting booths.
“Can some pressure be put ... [for – Ed.] the government to give us some type of information and insight with respect to what is being heard out there, that it is government’s intention to call early elections?” Wescot-Williams asked during the meeting.
“It is not the calling of early elections that is the primary part. It is actually the dissolving of Parliament that is the primary part. If it is government’s intention to, within the not-too-distant future, dissolve Parliament, my question to government has been and continues to be: What is the reasoning behind seeking to do that?” the MP said. “I hope to get some answers and I will ask this committee where questions that fit into this committee’s purview, where those questions are concerned, to remind the government of their obligation to respond to questions of Members of Parliament.”
Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs had said in early January that she had requested and received advice on the repercussions of calling an early election in the country. At the time, she provided the information while responding to a question during the live Council of Ministers press briefing.
“Elections are supposed to take place every four years. Our last election was in January of 2020. Until any further announcements are made, the next election is scheduled for January 2024. Yes, we have been discussing about the … no decisions – discussions were ongoing based on how it went during that last election, which we all know was a snap election, and its happening – all the campaigning etc. – over the Christmas holidays, but I have requested and received some advice in terms of what would be the repercussions of calling an early election for that reason; and it would be the same as basically boils down to any other snap election,” Jacobs had said on the topic at the time.
“So, we will have to continue to have the discussions to see what the decisions will be. Until that time the elections are scheduled for January 2024,” she had explained.
