Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
Sometimes a point made in this column can lead to misunderstanding. One hardly can be against expanding the number of cabinet members from the current five to the normal seven mentioned in the Constitution, but the fact is that it really would be worthwhile only if the persons involved prove an added value.
Moreover, no obvious objection exists to reappointing parliamentarian Maurice Lake – who apparently is very interested – as VROMI minister, especially as he has held the position before. On the other hand, colleagues in the legislature may desire an explanation on the process he helped prepare to grant what is known as Emilio Wilson Estate (EWE) in long lease for the Rainforest Adventure Park project, when a majority in the former Parliament had urged government to buy the property precisely to prevent its commercial development in the first place.
While he's at it, the UP-fraction member also might want to state his intentions regarding the purchase of the Vorst land and what is to happen there. When one again accepts a function occupied before there always will be questions about the preceding period as such.
The reality is that the process to form a government after the last election was difficult at best, with an instruction to Governor Eugene Holiday regarding the screening of candidate ministers. It never was made quite clear how this went in practice, but the requirements used were tough enough to see various prominent local citizens disqualified, resulting in a team of only five ministers.
Lake announced in a press release late Sunday that he was travelling to Curaçao for a two-day Anti-Corruption, Procurement and Integrity Training Course that started on Wednesday. This no doubt will look useful on his résumé should he be nominated as minister, which also would see Maria Buncamper-Molanus, as the next UP candidate in line based on personal votes, taking over the vacated parliamentary seat.
The bottom line is that anyone proposed to join the Gumbs cabinet is likely to be judged on the same criteria as those now in office. Whoever ultimately is chosen had better be able to meet those standards.
