Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
PHILIPSBURG--A pending shuffling of portfolios in the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet, particularly the move of current Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Minister Claret Connor to the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI and the appointment of a new minister in Connor's place, has drawn concern from Democratic Party ((DP)) leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams.
She has termed the pending shuffle as "cabinet shake-up." She based her position on comments made by United People's (UP) party faction leader MP Franklin Meyers recently in a television interview.
Conner's post is tipped to be taken by a minister candidate proposed by coalition member independent MP Leona Marlin-Romeo. That candidate, said to be former utilities company employee Ernest Sams, is undergoing security, judicial and integrity screenings.
The eventual appointment of that minister candidate, once all screenings are completed, will bring the cabinet supported by the UP/De Weever/Marlin-Romeo/United St. Maarten Party coalition to a total of six ministers. The composition of the cabinet then will be only one short of the maximum number of ministers allowed by the Constitution. That number is capped at seven.
Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs has served as ad interim VROMI Minister since taking office on December 19, 2014.
The cabinet still needs to appoint a separate minister for the portfolio of Public Health, Social Development and Labour. Education and Culture Minister Rita Bourne-Gumbs serves as ad interim minister for that portfolio.
Wescot-Williams said (DP) was "seriously concerned" about the state of the tourism industry, especially the lack of representation abroad, funds, cohesive direction, dialogue between industry partners and investments in the overall tourism product.
"We are facing critical times in our nation's main industry. One only has to look at the unfolding events as a result of the USA's changing policies towards Cuba," she said.
She issued a call to the coalition to "put country above self" when appointing the new TEATT Minister and not change the minister just for coalition stability.
"We are convinced that most coalition members understand that we can ill afford an appointment for appointment's sake," she said. "In this critical minister's post and at this juncture, we have no time for a prolonged learning curve.
"While some will argue that the ministry staff will not change, the fact remains that the ministry itself and related stakeholders need a clear and firm direction and this can only come from Government and specifically the minister in charge."
The coalition agreement states that ministerial appointments will be made collectively. From that premise, Wescot-Williams made "an urgent appeal" to Government and coalition members "to give this matter serious thought" and to stick to their agreement of collective appointments.
(DP) and the entire community want to know the direction Government will take to secure the country's economy and tourism product, according to Wescot-Williams, "not at the completion of the National Economic Plan, but now."
