Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
PHILIPSBURG--Deputy Prime Minister Dennis Richardson said on Tuesday that a decision is being prepared on the current political situation.
Richardson was acting in that capacity yesterday as Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs was ill at home. Richardson declined to divulge details of the decision being prepared, but he said Gumbs was “very clear†on his position about not resigning and about wanting new elections to be held.
Richardson said also that the Council of Ministers had received a second advice on the matter, but he declined to say from whom the advice had been received and what the conclusions of the advice were. He said the Council would make these details available at a later stage via Gumbs.
Although a new majority has been formed in Parliament, which passed a no-confidence motion against the current Council of Ministers, members of the Gumbs Cabinet have refused so far to make their positions available to pave the way for the appointment of a new cabinet.
Governor Eugene Holiday made it clear on Monday that a new Government could be formed in St. Maarten based on the new majority in Parliament. He made his position known in a press release, after having concluded his consultations with parties on the recent political developments.
Holiday said that having reviewed the correspondence received and following completion of the consultations regarding the current political developments, he had informed parties that “there is no basis not to form a new Government based on the new majority in Parliament.â€
He said members of the Gumbs cabinet had not yet made their positions available. He issued an appeal “to all stakeholders to do all that is necessary to maintain and protect the integrity of our constitutional democracy and to foster actions in keeping with our constitution based on the rule of law.â€
Holiday said he had received a letter from Members of Parliament (MPs) Frans Richardson, Silvio Matser and Maurice Lake on September 30 informing him that they had withdrawn their support from the United People’s (UP) party-led coalition government.
He was informed just after noon on the same day that Parliament had passed a motion of no-confidence against the current Cabinet of Ministers. Holiday said that according to article 33, second paragraph, of the Constitution of St. Maarten, if a Minister no longer has the confidence of Parliament, he shall make his position available. “It is noted that thus far the ministers have not made their positions available to the Governor,†the release said.
Holiday also received a separate letter signed by the four members of the National Alliance fraction in Parliament, the Democratic Party ((DP)) fraction, the United St. Maarten Party (USP) fraction and MPs Matser and Lake signalling their willingness to form the next Government of St. Maarten. The letter included an attached Governing Accord signed by the eight MPs forming the new majority coalition.
Holiday said that following the motion of no confidence, the Council of Ministers had invoked article 59 of the Constitution and submitted to him a national decree to call for new elections and dissolve Parliament.
Governor Holiday held consultations with Gumbs, the leaders of all political parties represented in Parliament, the independent MPs, Chairman of Parliament Dr. Lloyd Richardson and the Vice-Chairperson of the Advisory Council between September 30 and October 5.
