Philipsburg:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams chose to dictate for the Council of Ministers by not recognizing the wishes of the council and the advice given to her by the Governor of St. Maarten on May 16th, 2013.
SMN News learnt that Wescot Williams did add the letter sent to her by the governor as an incoming document but chose to close the meeting before she reached that point on the agenda. The sole purpose of doing so was to avoid letting the other four members of the Council of Ministers vote on the matter, which is to dissolve the Parliament of St. Maarten. At some point, the meeting of Tuesday was adjourned but since the Prime Minister did not deal with the topic that would address the political situation on St. Maarten, the majority in the Council of Ministers immediately sent out a convocation to all the Ministers including the Prime Minister calling for an emergency meeting. SMN News learnt that meeting was held at 3pm Tuesday afternoon and the sole agenda point was the political situation on St. Maarten.
Majority called Urgent Meeting.
SMN News learnt from well placed sources that the majority in the Council of Ministers decided to call an extra-ordinary meeting on Tuesday afternoon where every member of the council was invited. Sources within the Government apparatus said that the sole agenda point that was discussed during the extra-ordinary meeting was the "Dissolution of Parliament". SMN News learnt that based certain articles of the rules of order, the meeting was held despite the Prime Minister's presence since she chose not to attend the urgent meeting that was called by the Members of the Council of Ministers.
The Ministers that attended the meeting voted to have the Council of Ministers discuss the decision they took since May 7th, 2013 to dissolve the Parliament of St. Maarten. A second vote was taken by the majority in the council in which they decided that the Parliament of St. Maarten must be dissolved and early elections be called within a period of three months.
A third vote by the majority was also taken and a resolution was also drafted to give the Deputy Prime Minister William Marlin the power to sign off on the Landsbesluit to dissolve the Parliament of St. Maarten.
Up to press time, none of the Ministers that attended meeting and voted on the dissolution of Parliament could be reached for comment.