PHILIPSBURG–The new coalition of eight on Friday passed a motion of no confidence to discharge Prime Minister William Marlin of his duties as PM and Minister of General Affairs with immediate effect and to have Deputy Prime Minister Rafael Boasman assume the PM’s post in the interim.
The MPs passed the motion during the continuation of an urgent parliamentary session in which Marlin was not present. In the motion the MPs also called on Governor Eugene Holiday to formalise and effectuate it with immediate effect.
Friday’s meeting was the continuation of a meeting held on Thursday with Marlin present. That meeting had been adjourned for half of an hour for Marlin to attend an urgent meeting with Governor Eugene Holiday. More than an hour later the meeting was resumed and rescheduled to Friday at 10:00am. Marlin said he informed the Parliament Chairperson that he wouldn’t be able to make the morning meeting due to an urgent Council of Ministers meeting that had already been scheduled for Friday morning.
Marlin said he had to suddenly leave Thursday’s meeting of Parliament for an urgent meeting with Holiday. He said the Parliament meeting had been adjourned for 30 minutes and as his meeting with Holiday lasted much longer, he informed Wescot-Williams that he could not return to the meeting until late in the evening.
In their motion on Friday MPs alluded to Parliament’s motion dated November 2, expressing the legislature’s lack of confidence in Government’s ability to take St Maarten out of the uncertainty it is currently in as a nation. In the same motion MPs expressed no confidence in Marlin and Ministers Silveria Jacobs, Christopher Emmanuel, Rafael Boasman, Melissa Arrindell-Doncher and Richard Gibson.
MPs also highlighted that there were legal and practical arguments against an election at this time, as expressed by amongst others the Central Voting Bureau and Electoral Council. MPs also stated that an election in January 2018 as promulgated by the Prime Minister is adding insult to injury, is morally unfair and uncaring.
Friday’s motion was signed by MPs Sarah Wescot-Williams, Theo Heyliger,Perry Geerlings, Tamara Leonard, Sidhart “Cookie” Bijlani, Claret Connor, Chanel Brownbill and Franklin Meyers and will be sent to Holiday, the Government of St Maarten, the Parliaments of Aruba and Curacao, the Government’s of Aruba and Curacao and the Kingdom Government.
Bron: Daily Herald