Good morning to my fellow St. Maarteners. Today I awoke thanking the Lord for yet another day on earth and for sparing my life at least to be able to reflect on the different struggles that our country is faced with on a daily basis. Parliament approved a proposal to celebrate the obtaining of our country's separate status through our constitution every second Monday in October. Yesterday October 12, was given as a holiday to celebrate the obtaining of Separate status but rather than celebrating it was a day to reflect whether this Constitution Day made any sense or not after our fifth year anniversary of obtaining Country St. Maarten. In 2010 the people of St. Maarten went to the polls and elected 15 parliamentarians to run our country. Then we did this same exercise last year to elect yet another 15 representatives to act on our behalf. These representatives are the persons that the electorate felt was most capable to represent our country St. Maarten.
However today we see that we are at a crossroad where the Government appointed by these same representatives are depending on the very same people that elected them to represent this country are asking them for their assistance. In one way by calling for early elections and in another way by asking the electorate to go out and demonstrate at the Government building if the Government does not tender their resignation by today, October 13, 2015. I am appealing to my fellow St. Maarteners to please start reading the constitution so that you would know for yourselves who have the last say in a situation like the one that we are now faced with whereby the Government is not prepared to resign unless the Governor signs a National decree to dissolve Parliament. In every country whenever there is a law or regulation that is put in place there are always consequences if persons does not adhere to those laws etc. In this case our Government was given a vote of no confidence and where sent home by the majority of parliament on September 30, 2015 which is possible by using article 33 sub 2 of the Constitution. It clearly states that the minister or ministers shall make their position available but it did not say that those ministers are not allowed to make any National decrees before they leave office. I am not a constitutional expert or does not claim to know the constitution fully but in my humble opinion I believe that even though the Government sent a resolution to the Governor to be signed they still have to vacate their seats to make way for another Government that is now supported by the new majority. This constitution in my opinion has too many loop holes for the Government which was appointed by our elected officials to make use of. Every citizen that does not follow the laws of the land of any country always has to face consequences that are clearly stipulated in the same laws which are made by the Parliament and which a sentence is subsequently handed down by the Judge. In this case I believe that the people needs to know who is the Judge that will hand down the sentence and who are the ones that are responsible to make sure that this sentence is carried out.
This impasse where we do not see an end to must be looked into whereby the representatives that we voted for ensures that a law be passed to avoid such a situation in the future. In this case I would like to know who must act as the Judge that hands down the sentence. Is it the Governor, the Government, the Council of Ministers, the Parliament, the Constitutional court or the people of St. Maarten? According to me the people of St. Maarten did their part by voting for persons who they believe can represent them whenever there is any kind of crisis in our country. If the elected officials are still depending on the people to solve a problem that they were put there to handle then I ask myself the question why do we as the electorate go out and put our trust in representatives who in the end cannot solve a crisis that involves Government themselves. In this case I realize that the people are only important and are used when there is election or when the elected officials cannot find any solutions for their own personal benefit which includes both sides of the fence whether it's the coalition with a majority or the opposition.
Whenever there is a citizen that commits a crime it is handled according to the law with consequences. In this case why can't the elected officials go back to the drawing board and enact a law that would also be able to have consequences when that law is not adhered to. If our Government and elected representatives needs us to solve this impasse while they sit back and do nothing about it but complain to the general public then I feel they are not capable to be occupying the positions that they now hold because when they are busy making their deals the people are never included. We should all follow the rule of law. God bless this nation St. Maarten and continue to believe that we can solve all our problems if we apply the faith and works concept of the bible. So we pray to seek council and then we act according to the answers given by God. This is just food for thought.
C. Jeffrey Richardson
