At least part of the new NA-led government has been sworn in and congratulations are in order. However, there won’t be much time to celebrate.
Some major unresolved issues
remain on the table, including the yet-unapproved 2015 budget and a related instruction for the huge debts to Social and Health Insurance SZV and the General Pension Fund of St. Maarten APS. Especially the Finance Minister will have his work cut out for him in that sense.
It also looked like there would be less than three months left before the elections set by national decree for February 9, with the next Parliament based on the results to meet first on March 15. However, the William Marlin Cabinet has now put these dates in serious doubt, as it will “answer the million-dollar question” whether the people indeed are going back to the polls early as announced.
One is left wondering whether that is even possible after seven parties already have gone through their mandatory registration and the voters register is scheduled to close on Monday. Moreover, the Governor would need to sign a decree repealing an earlier one signed just a month ago. It must be said, stranger things have happened in St. Maarten, although it’s a bit hard to believe that will be the final outcome.
But irrespective of the duration of their term, with urgent challenges facing the country and the tourism economy’s high season fast approaching, the usual 100-day grace period afforded to incoming pubic administrators is not applicable and they will have to hit the ground running. Particularly under these conditions it’s important for the transfer of affairs from the outgoing ministers to their successors to go smoothly. Up to now there is no reason to believe that won’t be the case either.
In light of the aforementioned circumstances, having to start with five instead of the full seven ministers is probably not very helpful. Then again, the now former Marcel Gumbs Cabinet also did so for quite a while.
So, perhaps being unsure how long they are staying actually will help inspire the ministers to waste not a moment of the day in striving to govern the state in the best general interest.
