PHILIPSBURG:--- St. Maarten's political landscape is at an impasse as the 2x4 coalition is faced with a crisis of confidence, raising questions about its capacity to govern effectively. Recent events have highlighted significant divides within the coalition, with key coalition members demonstrating a lack of trust in their coalition.
The situation unfolded last week when Members of the NOW party and a Member of the PFP failed to attend the meeting of Parliament for approving incoming Members of Parliament's credentials on Thursday, May 2nd. Fast forward to today, May 6th, the meeting was reconvened at 9 a.m. However, a quorum was not met, and one coalition member was notably absent.
To add insult to injury, at the 9:45 a.m. recall, not one but two coalition members were missing. This time, the opposition members were fully present, providing a quorum. Yet, the absence of Christophe Emmanuel of the NOW party and Ludmila de Weever of the PFP Party raises significant doubts about the coalition's internal cohesion.
The irony is palpable with Ludmila de Weever's impassioned "show up" speech, calling for commitment and accountability. However, both she and her coalition partners failed to adhere to her plea, casting a shadow over the sincerity of their leadership.
Furthermore, the eleventh-hour resignations of Luc Mercelina and Grisha Marten-Heyliger, despite being approved as Ministers by the governor well in advance, suggest a lack of confidence in the stability of their coalition. Did they not trust their own coalition’s stability? Why didn’t they enter their resignation letters sooner with an effective date of May 3rd and approve the incoming Members’ credentials?
Always remember, a divided house cannot stand. The 2x4 coalition must confront the harsh realities facing it. The presence of discord and uncertainty within their coalition cannot be ignored. Their lack of confidence in their own coalition is evident and loud.
The time has come for the 2x4 coalition to be honest with the people of St. Maarten. They must acknowledge the internal challenges plaguing their coalition and address them transparently. Only through genuine introspection and decisive action can they hope to regain the trust and confidence of the electorate that they were elected to serve.
This coalition has surely started off on a bad note, showing its instability from the onset, and the question remains: Does the recently sworn-in Mercelina Cabinet have the support of its coalition Members of Parliament to ensure continuity of Government?
PHILIPSBURG: --- The 7 Members of Parliament that makes up the opposition cleared the air on Monday morning during a public meeting of parliament that was called to examine the credentials for incoming Members of Parliament, during the notifications Member of Parliament Cloyd Marlin questioned the chair of parliament on the attendance of the 2x4 coalition government. Marlin said last Thursday, when the meeting was called, at least one and a half factions that support the coalition did not show to support their government. Yet the blame was placed on the super seven or opposition members to provide a quorum. He said on Monday, the member of parliament who called on Parliament to show up for the people’s business was also not present, and another was celebrating his birthday in Cancun. Marlin made clear that a house that is divided cannot rule.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Interns Aramik Milton, Sysesha Alicunmes, and Joshua Paul from the Sint Maarten Vocational School, alongside RyAngel Bryson from SVOBE Milton Peters College VSBO PKL/TKL, have completed their school-based assignment internships at the Sint Maarten Library.
