Mercelina gets another deadline for presenting new government
PHILIPSBURG -- Governor Baly has given formateur Dr. Luc Mercelina a new deadline for submitting the composition of his government. Mercelina has to submit his final report by April 26. The reason for the delay is that the screening of candidate-ministers has not been completed yet.
In a press statement, Mercelina points out that, based on historical data, the time between the swearing in of a new parliament and the swearing in of a Council of Ministers is almost two months. In 2020 the new parliament was sworn in on February 10 and the new Council of Ministers took office on March 28. The current parliament was also sworn in on February 10.
Mercelina states in his press release that the function of the formateur is to ascertain a parliamentary majority for a new government and, secondly, to submit the outcome of the screening process to the governor.
The coalition, consisting of Mercelina’ URSM, Christophe Emmanuel’s NOW, Melissa Gumbs’ PFP and Sarah Wescot-Williams’ DP, signed a political agreement on January 12 and a governing accord on February 21.
Currently, formateur Mercelina is waiting for the screening results from the attorney-general and the VDSM, St. Maarten’s security service. “Neither the formateur nor the governor possesses the authority to intervene in this process. The national decree does not specify a timeline for the completion of these screenings,” the press release states.
Mercelina ends his press statement with an optimistic note; “I wish to assure that both the formateur and the newly formed majority remain steadfast in our commitment to expeditiously swear in the new Council of Ministers. Our collective aim is to commence governance in the best interest of the people of St. Maarten.”
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Press Release Dr. Luc Mercelina
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