PHILIPSBURG — It is a done deal: Governor Baly has signed the national decree to dissolve the Parliament based on Article 59 of the Constitution. New elections will be held on July 18. When former Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs invoked article 59 in 2015 after his government had lost its majority in Parliament there was a heated debate about his right to do so. Constitutional experts at the time, among them Professor Arjen van Rijn, had a clear answer: “If the parliament hits, the government has the right to hit back.” Once the national decree to dissolve parliament has been…
Author: The Publisher
HARBOUR VIEW, PHILIPSBURG — On May 20th, 2024, Member of Parliament Mr. Kevin Maingrette (NOW) withdrew his support from the URSM/PFP/DP/NOW-coalition government and subsequently declared himself an independent Member of Parliament. His Excellency Governor of Sint Maarten, Ajamu G. Baly, LL.M., discussed the situation that same day and convened a meeting with Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs, Mr. Luc. F.E. Mercelina. The Prime Minister indicated that he had come to the conclusion that the government had lost its majority support in Parliament and informed the Governor of the intention of the Government to dissolve Parliament and hold snap…
HARBOUR VIEW, PHILIPSBURG — On Tuesday, May 21, 2024, His Excellency Governor Ajamu G. Baly administered the oath to new Members of Parliament Mr. Richinel S.J. Brug and Mr. Viren V. Kotai at the Governor’s Cabinet. The new members, of the United Resilient Sint Maarten Movement (URSM) and the Democratic Party (DP), take their seats left vacant as a result of the appointment to the Council of Ministers of Prime Minister/Minister of General Affairs Mr. Luc F.E. Mercelina and Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport, and Telecommunications, Mrs. Grisha Heyliger-Marten. This means that the Parliament is now at full capacity…
By Hilbert Haar Back in the day, I do not exactly remember the year, the Democratic Party came up with a lofty election slogan: Country above self. This may seem logical to well-meaning citizens but it is badly understood by at least some politicians. The four-party coalition government of Dr. Luc Mercelina has not even had the opportunity to do anything wrong or the first ship jumper reported to the front line: MP Kevin Maingrette, a former member and candidate of the United People’s party (UP) and during the last elections a member of NOW (Nation, Opportunity, Wealth). Maingrette cites…
PHILIPSBURG — Michael Ferrier has sharply criticized Maingrette’s move. “This decision is not one I have taken lightly,” he quotes from Maingrette’s press release, adding: “I wonder if you meant haggling over the amount you might have been offered to pull this stunt?” Ferrier also notes that Maingrette said during the signing of the governing accord with URSM, NOW, PFP and DP that he was not going anywhere. Ferrier also fell over this statement by Maingrette: “I want to see the country thrive and restore the faith of our citizens in their leaders. Ferrier; “You are SOOOO full of excrement.”…
Dear Editor, The current Prime Minister’s Cabinet has promised to invoke Article 59 to dissolve Parliament, though the reason for this is unclear. This action would likely be a response to losing support within Parliament. It is important to note that the Governor must assess whether the motivations behind such a dissolution are justifiable, particularly as there is no evident disarray within Parliament. If the Governor decides not to proceed, this could signal an end to the frequent snap elections. However, if the Governor agrees back to the poll, we go with no promise of stability given the fragmented position…
PHILIPSBURG — Politics is once more in turmoil after MP Kevin Maingrette announced in writing his resignation from Christophe Emmanuel’s NOW-party, thereby causing the coalition of NOW, DP, PFP and URSM to lose its majority in Parliament. Shortly afterwards, MP Sarah Wescot-Williams made her position as President of Parliament available. Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina has the option to dissolve Parliament by invoking article 59 of the Constitution but so far it is unclear whether he will take this initiative. If he does not, the coalition of the United People’s party (UP) and the National Alliance (NA) in combination with…
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PHILIPSBURG — Deputy Leader of the Nation Opportunity Wealth (NOW) party Claudius Buncamper on Sunday said that Governor Ajamu Baly must substantiate that the appointment decisions regarding Raeyhon Peterson and MP Christophe Emmanuel represent a significant and structural violation of “the soundness of governance,” a matter primarily within the national jurisdiction of St. Maarten. Buncamper was reacting to the Governor’s decision last week to send Peterson and Emmanuel’s decrees back to the Prime Minister to be retracted. The Governor, Buncamper said, should clarify which national regulation or Kingdom interest is allegedly violated by these appointment decrees, providing a formal basis…
Dear Editor, The political situation in Sint Maarten presents a complex challenge due to the absence of a fully constituted parliament. With only 13 members currently active instead of the full 15, the inability to achieve quorum prevents the vetting and induction of the two pending members. This situation underlines the current gridlock, which the opposition seems to exploit as a strategy to cling to power. The criticism by the opposition is centered on the argument that the coalition is disorganized and unable to properly vet and seat their members, signaling a broader instability within the coalition, and further questions…
