Dear Editor,
The Constitution of St. Maarten states that if a Minister(s) received a motion of no confidence he/she/they must make his/her/their position available to the Governor in order for the process to continue with the formation of a new government.
As such the current Government of St. Maarten is functioning without a mandate from Parliament nor as a caretaker government on the request of His Excellency Governor E.B. Holiday. Their decisions therefor cannot bind government and have long reaching consequences for the budget etc. As a matter of fact they can be held individually and collectively liable if any decisions taken during this time are found to have been done incorrectly.
Their decision to send a national decree to the governor to dissolve Parliament has been executed and the governor has stated publicly that as long as there are parties willing to work together in Parliament that no new elections are needed. It is also proven that new elections will just yield the same result. The new coalition in Parliament has a governing program translated into strategic objectives, programs and actions that are ready to be executed. We have also prioritized Electoral Reform to bring the necessary changes to avoid instability in government and governing.
So, the decision of the Acting Vice Chair to further stall the functioning of Parliament by sitting in the Chairman seat which he the previous week vacated and refused to sit in as he’d made his function available is cute, but just more game playing to stall the inevitable and further irritate and annoy the people St . Maarten.
Knowing that ship jumping created this situation in the first place 1 year ago when a traitorous act was committed by the very same MP at the 11th hour of the formation after the last elections, the people of St. Maarten see through these manipulations and want this issue laid to rest.
What is good for the goose apparently isn’t good for the gander.
Question is, why are we stalling?
Isn’t there a budget that urgently needs to be passed?
Will parliament be able to meet before the end of October to meet the requirements pertaining to the budget?
Do they really want the Dutch to intervene?
Do they have interest of the Sxm people at heart?
Are we (all of us) prepared to accept the people’s level of disgruntlement with these shenanigans?
Another very important question: Where is the leader of the former coalition in all this?
Why would you concede that there is a new majority but “allow” your appointed COM to go rogue?
Why is MP Heyliger willing to hold on to government at all costs while staying in the background?
Why hasn’t the media said anything about his apparent lack of visible Leadership?
Silveria Jacobs,
Member National Alliance faction in parliament
