Elections or New Government will cost money! Six of eight Ministers are pensioners that will not be entitled to extra pension.
PHILIPSBURG:---- The Council of Ministers from the Gumbs cabinet that got a motion of no-confidence on Wednesday from eight members of parliament dispatched a resolution to the Governor of St. Maarten Wednesday night informing him that they are utilizing their rights to article 59 in the country’s constitution to dissolve the parliament of St. Maarten and call for new elections which should be held by December 8th 2015.
Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs told members of the media on Thursday that the Council of Ministers met Wednesday night after he returned from the United States and they took a decision to utilize article 59 of the country’s constitution which gives the Council of Ministers the right to dissolve the Parliament of St. Maarten and call for new elections.
Prime Minister Gumbs said that his cabinet took that decision after receiving extensive legal advice. He said that he believes the people of St. Maarten deserves stability and the only way to give them that stability is to go back to the people (polls) so that they could elect a government. “How can we be sure that something like this will not happen in the next six months or a year? Where in the world you have seen a country with three governments in a four year governing period? I represented St. Maarten three times internationally and each time I was asked about the stability of St. Maarten’s government. When I went to Tortola the question popped up, then in Washington and most recently when I attended the UN meetings in the United States earlier this week.”
When questioned how is it possible for his cabinet that were fired on the spot by a majority in Parliament to write resolutions or make demands? Prime Minister Gumbs said that article 59 was placed in the constitution to be used by them. SMN News further questioned if St. Maarten has monies for new elections knowing that the country got an instruction from the Kingdom Council because St. Maarten is not paying its debts. Prime Minister Gumbs said new elections or new government will cost the people money. However, it must be noted that six of the eight Ministers in the Gumbs cabinet are already on pension and they did not spend one year in government therefore they will not be entitled to a salary or extra pension. The other two Ministers, namely Minister Rita Bourne Gumbs is a school manager who could return to her post while Minister Claret Connor could also return to the private sector.
Prime Minister Gumbs said when he read the motion that was passed in parliament on Wednesday he made a few observations. He said the agenda point was to discuss the problems of government owned companies but none of the Ministers in his cabinet was invited to debate the issues of the government owned companies. As for the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation, Prime Minister Gumbs laid the blame on former Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams and former Minister Maurice Lake whom he said decided not to appoint board members while they were caretaker Ministers. He said those two Ministers are the ones responsible because they chose to leave it for the incoming government to do but by the time the Gumbs cabinet took office on December 19th 2014 the time for government to appoint board members had expired.
As for the governing program Prime Minister Gumbs said he already explained that the governing program delayed but it was presented and the one presented was signed by three members of Parliament who voted in favor of the motion of no confidence.
Prime MInsiter Gumbs could not say when his cabinet will get a response from the Governor but he assured that there will not be any Mexican Stand off or St. Maarten stand- off. Asked what other plans his cabinet has in case they get a negative answer from the governor Prime Minister Gumbs said that his cabinet will be meeting again Thursday afternoon to further discuss the situation they are in now.
