Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
The current deadlock over the instruction by the Netherlands to Governor Eugene Holiday on the screening of candidate ministers will have to be broken sooner or later. The high tourism season is approaching fast and the 2015 budget must be approved on time to meet the needs of the population adequately.
Without agreeing to the measure, it might be useful to entertain a possible temporary compromise, pending a resolution of the current constitutional dispute. Seeking an opinion from the Council of State on the issue could well be part of such a scenario, because regardless of procedural limitations this esteemed body ought not reasonably to refrain from giving such if requested certainly by a majority of the kingdom partners, in this case with the help of Curaçao and Aruba.
In the meantime, the incoming UP/DP/Marlin-Romeo coalition that enjoys a two-thirds majority in Parliament would do well to at least consider appointing an interim cabinet of persons who are practically guaranteed to pass even the far-reaching integrity investigation now imposed by The Hague. That's not to say UP leader Theo Heyliger, for example, necessarily would fail the test, but as the intention seemingly is to prevent him from becoming prime minister in the first place any reason to ensure that probably can be conceived of, because – as the saying goes – "it's easy to find a stick to beat a dog."
Heyliger, when asked ahead of Sunday's protest march, said he always had stated that his love for St. Maarten was greater than for himself. He also repeated that when growing up as a child he had had no ambition ever to become prime minister, but that the legislative seat he now occupies had been given to him by the people.
There are undoubtedly candidates and members of the UP party who fulfil the stringent Dutch requirements, probably because they don't have any private business ties. The names of parliamentarians Lloyd Richardson and Johan Leonard come to mind, but there are surely other options.
In addition, various "non-political" caretaker ministers who have done good jobs may be willing to stay on, especially if it regards a fixed period. Bringing in other "professional" cabinet members with proven records as public administrators could be an alternative too.
All this would not create a unique situation either, as following the ouster of the Schotte government in Curaçao and the calling of early elections by the governor in 2012 there was a provisional cabinet headed by Stanley Betrian and supported by the "new majority."
After that vote the PS/PAIS/PNP/Sulvaran coalition was formed, but they decided initially to install a so-called "task-cabinet" of experts headed by Prime Minister Daniel Hodge to deal with pressing matters, including much-needed reforms, for six months to a year, which turned out to be six months. It was only then that the "political" government now in office was installed.
A possible similar move in St. Maarten while seeking more clarity on the legal basis for the instruction ought not to be seen as surrendering the local autonomy or giving in to the Dutch. Instead, it would be a commendable gesture of putting the general interest above all else, which would speak of great maturity and leadership with selfless dedication.
