Dear Editor,
That Latin aphorism, “Vox populi, vox Dei” simply means “the voice of the people (is) the voice of God.” In our own parlance in St. Martin, we would say, “the people have spoken.”
But what did the people really say with the results of the last parliamentary elections held in the southern part of our island on January 11, 2024? Here are 12 points that stood out for me:
1. Six out of the eight lists got seats in the new Parliament? That’s 75% of the contesting lists.
2. Every government requires at least a simple majority support in parliament. That’s a minimum of eight seats. The so-called “2 x 4” agreement signed between the four lists with two seats each gives the projected incoming government exactly that.
3. We must also note that the outgoing coalition government similarly consisted of four factions – NA (4), UP (2), Brownbill, and Arrindell – with a total of eight seats. This coalition lasted over a year and half, providing the “stability” that became the buzzword during the election campaign.
Yet, we have seen in the recent past, coalitions boasting the support of 10 seats in parliament crumble like crackers in less time. This goes to show that “stability” does not depend on numbers alone but on the Members of Parliament (MPs) supporting the government.
4. The electorate was asked to choose 15 members of parliament out of a field of 130 candidates and they did just that. The system does not allow them to choose a (coalition) government. That is left to the MPs they elect to figure out.
All the different interpretations of the election results that claim that the electorate wanted this or that coalition government in or out of office can be considered subjective because that is not what the voters were asked to do when they went to the polls.
5. Each voter had to choose one out of 130 candidates who were not significantly different from one another in ideas. That’s a daunting choice to make. So, they returned nine out of the 15 who were seeking reelection. This means 60% of the outgoing parliament will be returning.
6. This could, in fact, be interpreted as saying the electorate was satisfied with the work of the majority of the MPs. However, such an interpretation would not be based on objective facts. But elections are not a scientific examination.
7. The issue of “mandate” is one that is sometimes misunderstood. “In representative democracies, a mandate is a perceived legitimacy to rule through popular support. Mandates are conveyed through elections, in which voters choose political parties and candidates based on their own policy preferences.” (Wikipedia)
In the case of St. Martin, we are not a representative democracy and we do NOT vote for political parties per se, but INDIVIDUAL candidates. As a matter of fact, the “Constitution” of the territory does not recognize political parties. But that’s a different discussion.
What is important to know here is that whatever combination of MPs that results in a coalition government with the backing of at least eight (a majority) seats in parliament can be said to have a legitimate “mandate.”
8. The electorate “punished” the “party hijackers,” that is, those candidates who took over political groups and sidelined the founders of those organizations.
9. The electorate also made it clear that posters and other campaign paraphernalia don’t necessarily win elections.
The fact that many voters went out to vote without sporting their candidates’ T-shirts and, for example, with hardly any bumper stickers visible, also indicates that they were not interested in overtly demonstrating their political allegiances as has been customary until now.
10. Some major political leaders were out-polled by candidates on their own lists. But while “leadership” is generally decided at the “party” congress, performance at the polls is often considered a deciding factor for leadership. Obviously, intra-“party” rivalry for votes has become, in many cases, stronger than competing lists.
11. The turnout at the parliamentary elections of January 11, 2024, was 66% of the electorate. That’s a healthy turnout by any metric. It falls within the general norm for elections on both halves of the island.
12. However, it also means that 34% of the electorate did not come out to vote! That’s one-third of the eligible voters or one in every three! What does that say about the elections, the electoral process, and the candidates?
Fabian A. Badejo
Fabian A. Badejo is a culture critic, author, and senior St. Martin journalist.
Dear Editor,
NA got the most seats, NA should be the party to try form the next government. But no parties want to work with NA, so now UP is next in line with the most seats to try form the next government.
Let's wait and see if the four small parties will succeed forming the next government.
Orlando might still have a chance to be USP’s next leader for the next election.
Okay, let’s wait to see.
Cuthbert Bannis
Dear Editor,
This week the leader of the NOW party stated on the Lady Grace Radio Show that for four years the Government of St. Maarten neglected police officers and teachers. As a teacher, I agree or concur with this statement. In the case of teachers, many of us have suffered mightily. For example, public school teachers are still owed vacation allowance. On the other hand, teachers working at subsidized schools are still owed their cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Many of these teachers are wondering if they will receive their COLA next week when salaries are due.
The new Government of St. Maarten needs to do the following things to gain many teachers' respect and support.
First, ensure that teachers working at subsidized schools are paid COLA as soon as possible.
Second, devise a new formula or way how to pay subsidized schools. The current form is outdated.
Third, discontinue charging schools the same price that is billed to a business for electricity and water. A school does not make profit.
Fourth, make sure all schools have white boards, projectors and other forms of technology.
Fifth, extend the summer vacation to two months for teachers and students.
Sixth, permit students to return to school the second Monday of January.
Seventh, reduce the teaching period from 45 minutes to 30 or 35 minutes.
Eighth, amend the law to allow secondary schools to begin school at 9am and conclude at 3pm. Teachers and students will have additional time to rest and sleep.
Ninth, establish a monthly source of income to pay yearly COLA and Christmas bonuses.
Tenth, institute the recent policy on special education.
Eleventh, increase vacation allowance from 6 to 8 percent.
Twelfth, introduce a new salary scale for teachers, especially since many teachers remain at the bottom of the current salary scale for years.
There are a lot more areas a new minister of education can focus on besides the ones discussed in this article. Hopefully, the new minister of education will be an educator who worked in the elementary and secondary level. Such a person should also listen and use the ideas of teachers. If many of the issues confronting education are not quickly addressed, the departure of educators that is presently occurring will certainly continue.
In closing, my wish is for the new government to last for four years and bring what the leader of the NOW party described as tangible and meaningful results daily to the lives of us all.
Kenneth Cook
Dear Editor,
There is a kind of uneasiness that is blanketing the country right now, and if this restlessness goes on, it will continue to damage the integrity of this country. Part of this discomfort is that the current coalition is about to exit their role as the governing body, and the other element is the perception that the NOW party is allowing Olivier Arrindell to dictate the running of the in-coming administration.
MP Christophe Emmanuel, you and I do not speak to each other. Roughly four years ago you went on air and bash me because you have the medium at your disposal, but I have nothing in my heart against you. Right now, I speak from a place of wanting to see the country elevate to a level where the prosperity of the land can trickle down to everybody, and not a chosen few.
The opportunity has presented itself for you to establish your own political party, and to be a part of the new government. It would be unfortunate, if this chance slips away, just because you have not taken a firm decision to dispel the perception that Olivier Arrindell is running the NOW party, and the entire soon-to-be incoming coalition. I’ve heard you on two different occasions explaining that he has no direct ties to the NOW party.
You have emphasized that Olivier Arrindell supports two candidates who ran with the NOW party and that he is overzealous, and because of this excitement, he is expressing his feelings in that manner. Very well. The question is: How long would this jubilation last – an elation that is causing doubt on the authenticity of this newly formed coalition?
MP Christophe Emmanuel, you have said repeatedly that Olivier has no direct affiliation with the NOW party; but that’s not what the people are feeling, especially your coalition partners. The country is very small and people are talking. Just like how UP and NA tried to convince the public that they were working in the best interest of the people, the population did not feel them.
I’m not feeling you, MP Christophe Emmanuel. There is a missing link somewhere that is not bringing everything together. It is very rare that my intuition is incorrect. So, if there is more to what is not being conveyed to the public, now is the time to level with the people, because whatever is done in the dark will come to light.
I agree with you 100 percent, not to throw Olivier Arrindell under the bus. But at the same time, the people did not elect him and so they are looking at you to take charge of the NOW party. Also, the NOW party is not alone in this union. Therefore, you as the party leader would have to take the lead to propel the party in the direction in which the electorate expects you to represent them.
As you know, the NOW party is not representing just the individuals who voted and supported the party. The NOW party is representing the entire population, because the party is part of the coalition that is expected to govern this country for the next four years. Do you know the true feelings of your coalition partners, other than what have been expressed in the press?
This is how I see it, MP Christophe Emmanuel. You are in partnership with two elitist parties, mainly URSM and PFP. The NOW party and DP are the two parties whose leaders are down to earth and have kept in touch with the people all year round. Right now, MP Melissa Gumbs has a gripe with Olivier Arrindell. She is blaming him for her decline in votes, which you are fully aware of her sentiments.
Suppose she and her team get fed up and pull their support from the partnership? Then what? All of your efforts for change would go down the drain. Is this your vision of change, MP Christophe Emmanuel? And, Ludmila De Weever does not say much, but judging from her quiet demeanor in parliament, this MP is unpredictable.
MP Christopher Emmanuel, with the exception of their personal lives, their fathers control their political decisions, not forgetting the influence from their political associates. So, when their fathers and affiliates reach their boiling point and demand another direction, who would get the blame? Not Olivier Arrindell. It will be you and the NOW party, who the people have voted for and are expecting the best representation.
Lastly, during the formation process, it was all well and good to refer to the group as a 2-by-4 coalition. Now that the party can better manage the excitement, it would be more appropriate to refer to the group as the coalition of 8. MP Christophe Emmanuel, the people are depending on you to take charge. So, it’s time to do the honourable thing, and take the lead!
Joslyn Morton
Dear Editor,
The majority of the people of St. Maarten have not spoken because of the sexual preferences of officials nor any form of melee, nor because of anything other than that which affected them personally or financially. It seems that this election’s outcome credit is being taken by every cat and dog except the people who actually voted. And there is exactly where the problem lies. When credit is taken by persons that get on social media or that give endorsements to candidates or that back the candidates financially they now feel that the governing aspect of thing should not have their influence.
Problem nr2 lies with when negotiations start to form a government that is mostly done by persons that weren’t even on the party’s ballot. Why the adults that got the voters trust don’t lock themselves up in a room, in this case the 8 that most likely will govern, with for instance the governor or an independent entity and come to an agreement. No outsider, no family member, no one other than the persons that the majority of The People of St. Maarten voted for.
Elected officials are quick to forget, the moment the opportunity arises to be in power, who actually pays their salary. Elected officials also are quick to forget that the moment you are elected your life doesn’t belong to you anymore to do what you please or lead a life that is contrary to the office you hold. You put yourself in the position of wanting to represent The People, so lead a life accordingly that represents The People.
To whom much is given, much is required. It is very telling that a one-man party gained more votes than some that were in rule, it speaks volumes that The People don’t care how hard you worked, it says that The People didn’t feel you worked for them. To reiterate, whether you are in rule or you are in the opposition, when you see that monthly check, please ponder on who the people are that are responsible for that check and you will always come to the same answer. That check comes from The People of St. Maarten.
Ramses Bislick
