WILLEMSTAD - Today September 8, 2020, is the opening of the Parliamentary Year 2020-2021. As is customary, the President of Parliament holds a press conference a few days before the closing of the Parliamentary year. Current President, Ana Maria Pauletta indicated that the second part of the 2019-2020 Parliamentary Year is characterized by COVID-19 and the many problems that ensued from it, such as the country's economic and financial malaise, but also the social situation and the poverty exposed by this virus.
The solemn ceremony of the opening took place in a more sober way this year and the military part is now omitted by Covid-19.
According to the President of Parliament, the past Parliament year can be split in two; a period from September 2019 to February 2020 and then the period from March 2020 to now, which is characterized by the corona pandemic and the related crisis.
Topics that were discussed in the Parliament during the first period are the growth in the field of tourism, security, public transport, nature and the environment (for example the development of the Rif area and illegal dumping grounds), UTS, Girobank, the preparations for a survey on the hospital (HNO) and the general financial situation of the country. During the second period, the following topics were mainly discussed: COVID-19 and the economic crisis, cut in the parliamentary budget, cut on fringe benefits by 25 percent, the manifestation and riots of June 24, the sale of PSB Bank, funds of the Social Insurance Bank (SVB) and the Caribbean Reform Entity (CHE).
In the 2019-2020 parliamentary year, Parliament had two Presidents of Parliament. Pauletta took over the hammer on June 3 from William Millerson, who died not long after.
What has also drawn attention in the past year is the stalemate in which Members of Parliament found themselves in for weeks when Marilyn Alcalá-Wallé withdrew, Rennox Calmes withdrew his support of the coalition and continued as an independent Member of Parliament and the opposition blocked the admission of Shaheen Elhage to the Parliament. Elhage was eventually able to take his seat in parliament after the court issued an order. He took the oath on 12 August and has since been a member of Parliament for the coalition party PAR.
During the 2019-2020 parliamentary year, 36 public meetings took place, of which 22 in the hall and 14 by video conference. In addition, 38 meetings of the central committee took place, of which 26 in the hall and 12 by video conference. Parliament has 11 standing committees that met 33 times during this parliamentary year. Due to COVID-19, the committees met significantly less this year than in previous years.
In the 2019-2020 Parliament year, Parliament discussed various important bills. Examples include the Debt Collectors Act, the National Petroleum Ordinance, the Medical Cannabis Act, the 2020 budget, the State Ordinance on State of Emergency, the National Ordinance on Disaster Response and the Expropriation Ordinance, an animal welfare law, the electoral council and same sex marriage.