PHILIPSBURG--The William Marlin Cabinet has started to put all decisions made by the former Marcel Gumbs Cabinet from September 30 to November 19 under a microscope with the intention of reversing any that are not in conformity with prevailing regulations.
Prime Minister William Marlin said at his Cabinet’s first press conference on Wednesday that the secretaries-general of the seven ministries and that of the Council of Ministers had been instructed to put together for the new Cabinet’s perusal an overview of all the decisions made.
Marlin said the Cabinet would take a “critical look” at all decisions “across the board” made by all ministers who had served in the Gumbs Cabinet.
The Marlin Cabinet already has received a package containing some of the decisions and requested documents and they are under review. Marlin said a list had been received for the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI for which he is currently minister ad interim.
From the information gathered since the Marlin Cabinet took office on November 19, Marlin said several decisions appeared to be in conflict with a motion passed by the Coalition of Eight on October warning the then-ministers not to make any decision other than those related to the day-to-day operations of the country.
He said the former ministers appeared to have ignored the instruction issued to them in the motion and to have gone ahead and appointed members to represent the country on the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten (CBCS) Supervisory Board of Directors, furthered the agreement with the General Pension Fund APS on the transfer of the Vorst land, signed off on the renovations at the Pointe Blanche House of Detention and given out land to St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
