Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
Today's report that Dutch Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Minister Ronald Plasterk prefers cooperation to another instruction for St. Maarten in the area of Justice is a positive development. Coupled with the news that "formateur" Theo Heyliger has submitted the names of proposed ministers for what now appears is the incoming UP/De Weever/Marlin-Romeo coalition – no longer backed by DP leader Sarah Wescot-Williams (see related story) – to Governor Eugene Holiday, it could spell a start in restoring the lately disturbed relations between Philipsburg and The Hague.
This conclusion has a lot to do with the fact that Heyliger did not include himself. After all, it's no secret that the prospect of the UP leader becoming prime minister was one of the main issues that led to the screening instruction from the Kingdom Council, because of perceived integrity doubts.
At the same time there are still questions on exactly how the procedure is to continue. The formateur's short press release said the vetting of candidates now would start, but it's also known that the caretaker Wescot-Williams cabinet officially has rejected the instruction.
This reportedly means officials from the Netherlands who were to guide the governor in its execution will not be given access to government's files. The idea apparently is to stick to the existing local screening and leave it up to Holiday whether or not he will sign for the appointments of those who pass that test.
Hopefully, it won't come to such. One could imagine, for example, the governor carrying out the more far-reaching screening on his own with Dutch assistance and still approving the current list in the end.
What matters most at this stage is that the country get a new government based on the elections results of already 2½ months ago as quickly as possible. The current uncertainty is not doing anybody much good and should be ended one way or the other sooner rather than later.
