SXMElections.com

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams again reiterated that the reason elections are being held in August is based on the date for the new Parliament having to be installed being the tenth of October 2010. The Prime Minister made her remarks on her weekly call-in Radio Program One on One with the Prime Minister; "I am still hearing comments that the fact that elections are being held in August is being questioned. This is being put in a wrong context by some politicians; we are having elections in August because of the choice that was made to have Parliament on St. Maarten commence on October of each year. Our electoral law stipulates the periods that are to be held prior to elections, such as postulation day being a prime example. The way the law is formally is that the elections must be held between the latter part of August and the beginning of September latest and I think that the discussion on an election date is being confused by some with the possibility of the Government dissolving Parliament. In 2012 and 2013 there was a change in Parliament resulting in a new coalition and not new elections. In order to come to new elections in the four governing terms you will need to dissolve Parliament which was not the case at that time.

The argument therefore now is that elections are being held in the hurricane season but that should have been foreseen when the date of October tenth was chosen for the start of Parliament. Unless Parliament decides to amend that law this date is fixed and no member of Parliament, faction or what have you has ever thought on changing the date of elections," commented Prime Minister Wescot-Williams.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Sarah Wescot-Williams mentioned 3 times