Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
PHILIPSBURG--The angry sentiments expressed on radio and in some quarters of the community against the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet for not resigning in the face of the September 30 motion of no confidence passed by the new National Alliance (NA)-led coalition did not translate into a large turnout for the protest in front of the Government Administration Building on Wednesday morning.
Some people on the scene are planning to return to the site again today, Thursday, for similar action.
Some 30 people gathered on the outskirts of Clem Labega Square after 7:00am. They slowly trickled to the Square from that time and left before noon.
When they first arrived at the scene they met a partial blockade of N. Debrot Road which gives access to the Administration Building. The section of the road leading directly to the building was blocked on one end by a large garbage truck and a front-end loader, and on the other by a flatbed truck.
The heavy equipment was said to have been placed there after 3:30am and was removed when the protesters left and the crowd control barriers placed by Government security to restrict access onto N. Debrot Road were removed from the scene.
Protesters were joined by Members of Parliament (MPs) Frans Richardson (United St. Maarten Party), Silvio Matser (independent), Silveria Jacobs and Christophe Emmanuel (both NA) at various points in the protest.
Although it was said that protesters had planned to prevent members of the cabinet from accessing the building, none of the Ministers who arrived for work were hampered or even approached by protestors.
First to arrive on the job was Education Minister Rita Bourne-Gumbs. She walked past the heavy equipment and made her way into the building.
Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Minister Claret Connor manoeuvred his vehicle past the heavy equipment to park in his designated spot in front of the building. He exited and strolled to the building without any contact with protestors. He came out of the building later in the day and headed to his car without incident.
Public Health, Social Development and Labour Minister Rafael Boasman and Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT) Minister Ernest Sams, both of whom have been on the job for just over a month, also headed into work unhindered by protesters.
However, Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs was the exception. He drove to the building, headed into the parking lot behind and accessed his office from the parking lot. He did not have any contact with protestors.
Towards the end of the protest, MP Emmanuel accompanied a group of protestors who headed to the entrance of the Administration Building with a chain with which they attempted to lock the main door. They were halted by Government security and when they appeared to hesitate somewhat to desist, police were called in. The ranking officer spoke to the splinter group of protestors, the situation came to a halt and the protest subsequently broke up.
In reaction to the attempted door chaining, the Council of Ministers Press Secretariat issued a press release stating that new coalition MPs “stood by and watched while a handful of protesters tried to cause havoc, with MP Christophe Emmanuel instigating them to charge the front door.â€
Police had to intervene, according to the release, “during the little militant protest†that saw one protestor attempt to chain the doors. The man with the chain was “caught on camera,†but was not arrested. He was “warned and pardoned to foster peace amongst the small gathering.â€
The attempted door-chaining “instilled fear in several civil servants, causing them to vacate the building,†said the Press Secretariat.
Two low-resolution mobile-phone photos of Emmanuel standing across from the Administration Building were e-mailed to the press by the Press Secretariat with the subject line “Some pictures of MP C. Emmanuel leading the charge to the building.†In one photo the MP is standing apart looking up at the building and in the other he appears to be walking away from the Square by himself.
