PHILIPSBURG:--- Lately, the Electoral Council has been receiving applications from several political parties at its office on Back Street 145B. Parties are currently submitting their applications to be registered by the Electoral Council for the upcoming elections. Lack of registration could mean the exclusion from participating in the elections.
The process for registration is as follows:
Upon receipt of the application for registration and the accompanying documents, the Electoral Council carefully reviews the documents to ensure that all legally stipulated requirements are met. Within three weeks after receipt of an application, the Electoral Council may invite the political party applying for registration to the Electoral Council office for clarification on the documents received. If a political party submits all the required documents and ensures that all required provisions for the establishment of the party are contained in its Articles of Incorporation, the Electoral Council will communicate its decision for the party to be registered to the party and to the Central Voting Bureau in writing. However, in the event a party fails to comply with the regulations laid down in the National Ordinance for Registration and Finances of Political Parties, the party will receive a written notification that its application needs to be corrected or rectified and will be given a week after the Electoral Council notification to rectify or correct any omission or default.
After receiving the corrected documents, the Electoral Council has to take a decision within 3 weeks. In the event the decision taken by the Electoral Council is negative because the party fails to comply with the legal requirements, the party may file an appeal against the Electoral Council decision at the Court of First Instance. The ruling of the Court of First Instance is final and cannot be appealed.
In view of the serious consequences for a party if it fails to comply with the National Ordinance on Registration and Finances of political parties, all political parties are urged to seriously study this Ordinance, before filing their application for registration. The National Ordinance can be found in Dutch and in English on the St. Maarten Government website www.sintmaartengov.org
All political parties and potential candidates who intend to participate in the upcoming Parliamentary elections, are invited to the Information Session that is hosted by the Electoral Council in collaboration
with the University of St. Martin on Wednesday, April 9, at the University of St. Martin at 7:00 – 9:00 pm.
Over the past weeks, the Electoral Council attended several congresses and a general meeting of political parties, where the procedures for the elections of the Party Board and several functions within the parties were being observed. The Electoral Council hereby requests political parties to inform the Council of the dates and venues of upcoming congresses and general meetings in order for a delegate or a delegation of the Electoral Council to be present at such events.
For more information, please contact the Electoral Council office, located on Back Street No. 145 B. Opening hours are on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 13:30 to 17:30 hours and on Thursdays and Fridays from 9:00 to 13:00 hours. Telephone no.: 543 9888. Fax no.: 543 9887.
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