PHILIPSBURG:--- It appears as though the people of St. Maarten has to endure another stand off until they hear from the Governor of St. Maarten or the Court of First Instance. SMN News managed to obtain an advice given to the Gumbs cabinet from Professor Arjen van Rijn who said that the Gumbs cabinet are in their full rights to demand the dissolution of parliament and call for new elections. The advice is dated October 2nd 2015. The full advice can be viewed beneath this article.
However, SMN News learnt that the Governor of St. Maarten refused to sign off on the resolution and has already given a verbally advice the council of ministers to submit their resignations. A source close to the Gumbs cabinet said that while the governor gave his verbal advice there is nothing in writing to the Prime Minister as yet and the Kingdom has so far remained mum on this issue pubicly. But the Prime Minister of the Netherlands publicly stated that he regrets that the Gumbs cabinet is being sent home. SMN News also learnt that the Governor of St. Maarten dispatched the resolution to the Netherlands for annulment.
While Prime Minister Gumbs told members of the media on Thursday that there will not be any local or Mexican standoff. SMN News has learnt that the Gumbs cabinet is now preparing to head to court in order for a judge to decide on whether or not they (the council of ministers) must resign or if early elections must be called based on the country’s constitution especially article 59.
It appears that the only quick solution to this predicament is that the people of St. Maarten should demand that a business cabinet consisting of professionals with no political affiliation be installed until the Parliament of St. Maarten amends the constituion regarding voting procedures that will eliminate ship jumping and instability for the young country and its people. Once this has been achieved then new elections would make sense and solve the problem of instability. Calling new elections now with the constitution as is will not solve the problems of instability like Prime MInister Gumbs told members of media on Thursday.
Several professionals in this field are confident that this process can be finalized within a few weeks which would end the decades of instability in the country.
Click here to view the advice given to the Gumbs cabinet.