Coalition dispute ongoing
PHILIPSBURG:--- Well placed sources have informed SMN News that a prominent lawyer on St. Maarten has failed the screening process to become a Minister in the UP/DP/ Marlin coalition. SMN News learnt that the candidate is allegedly under investigation for molesting a teenager. According to the information SMN News received a relative of the victim filed charges against the prominent citizen and lawyer on St. Maarten about two months ago. The Public Prosecutors Office refused to comment when they were contacted by SMN News to verify whether or not the person in question is under investigation. The formateur for the UPP/DP/Marlin coalition was given up until October 20th, 2014 to submit the names of his candidates to the governor.
The outcome of the screening of the other candidates is not yet known. Those are Marcel Gumbs (Prime Minister) Peggy Ann Dros Richardson (Health, Labor and Social Affairs) Peggy Ann Brandon (VROMI) Rita Gumbs (Education, Youth and Sports).
In the meantime Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson will remain in office and Minister of Finance Martin Hassink will also remain in office under the current coalition government.
Based on the names submitted for the Ministerial positions it is clear that the leader of the United Peoples Party Theodore Heyliger has pulled his name from becoming the Prime Minister of St. Maarten and he will remain as a Member of Parliament for the governing period 2014- 2018. Heyliger said on national television some weeks ago that he will be the next Prime Minister of St. Maarten, but that did not materialize since the Kingdom Council of Ministers issued an instruction to the Governor of St. Maarten on how to screen candidates for Ministerial positions.
SMN News further understands that the current coalition government is having severe issues which they are trying to iron out. A source within the UP political party said that the Leader of the UPP Theodore Heyliger is at odds with the Leader of the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot Williams whom he did not sign any coalition agreement with. The UPP insider said that Heyliger is maintaining his first position and agreement he signed with MP Cornelius de Weever. However, since the leader of the DP signed on October 9th, 2014 to be part of the UPP/De Weever coalition she is making demands on behalf of the Democratic Party. At a press conference held last week the Prime Minister and leader of the Democratic Party confirmed to reporters that the agreement she signed with the UPP Leader is on behalf of the Democratic Party and not herself. She said the current coalition government is the UPP/DP/Marlin coalition since MP Cornelius de Weever is a member of the Democratic Party.
