SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) – Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah A. Wescot-Williams has prepared draft legislation to operationalize Article 33 of the Constitution, creating a clear sequence of parliamentary motions before a motion of no confidence.
Key features of the Article 33 draft law:
- Defined motion types (e.g., motion of disapproval, motion of correction) before a motion of no confidence.
- Use of interpellation (formal ministerial questioning) as provided in the Rules of Order.
“Parliament needs structured, proportional tools. Not every disagreement is a no-confidence moment”, the MP stated during a recent press briefing.
In addition, MP Wescot-Williams confirmed:
- Work underway to nuance Article 59 to curb abuse of snap elections. The MP explained that in her view there are a few angles to look at this, and she wishes to hear from her colleagues how they view these. “This is no ordinary law. I am seeking to amend the constitution and the article 59 itself has its own history.“
- A draft Referendum Ordinance enabling referenda consistent with constitutional parameters. “This is pretty straightforward as these parameters are already established in the constitution.
“Interesting in this context is that our referendum law should legislate a consultative referendum. An advisory referendum is not part of our constitution. Simply put, this means the parliament must initiate a referendum.”
https://www.soualiganewsday.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=63136:wescot-williams-tables-drafts-to-structure-parliamentary-motions-under-article-33-and-referendum-law&Itemid=450
