~ Governor to take cabinet resignation into consideration ~
HARBOUR VIEW--St. Maarten will head back to the polls on February 9, 2016, just about a year and a half after voters cast their ballots for the sitting Parliament, the second such to be voted in since the attainment of country status on October 10, 2010.
Governor Eugene Holiday announced on Wednesday evening that he had signed the national decree submitted by the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet to dissolve Parliament and call snap elections.
The Governor said he "evaluated" the revised national decree and signed it effectively setting elections on February 9, 2016, and the dissolution of Parliament for March 14, 2016.
The signing of the decree was coupled with the resignation of the Cabinet via letters from the individual ministers. The resignation is the result of a motion of no confidence, passed in Parliament by the Coalition of Eight on September 30 and the ongoing formation of a "new interim cabinet" by formateur National Alliance (NA) leader and Member of Parliament William Marlin.
The Governor informed Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs he will "take the resignation request into consideration" pending the installation of the new interim government.
The Governor, according to the statement from his cabinet, repeated his call of October 5 for the ministers and the minister plenipotentiary to "only handle the daily operations of government" and continue working with him in the interest of Sint Maarten "until a decision has been taken concerning the request for resignation."
The national decree the Governor signed was a revised one submitted by the Cabinet on Friday, October 23. The reviewed decree came after he had advised the Prime Minister to seek consensus with Parliament and after he informed Gumbs that neither the initial draft of September 30 nor the adjusted draft of October 14 were in accordance with the electoral laws as required.
Country heads back to polls on Feb. 9
