~ Mercelina 2 cabinet looks more like a Gumbs cabinet, with three ministers bearing the surname Gumbs. ~

PHILIPSBURG: --- Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina, representing the Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement (URSM), Sarah Wescot Williams from the Democratic Party (DP), Melissa Gumbs from the Party for Progress (PFP), and Franklin Meyers from the Soualiga Action Movement (SAM), all signed the coalition accord on Friday afternoon along with their respective Members of Parliament Elect.

The signed accord and the list of candidates for the Mercelina 2 cabinet must be submitted to the Governor’s Office by 5 p.m. on Monday.

Those who signed the agreement are as follows

URSM

1. Prime Minister Dr. Luc Merclina
2. MP Elect- Sjamira Roseburg
3. MP Elect- Richinel Brug

DP

 4. MP Elect- Sarah Wescot Williams

 5. MP Elect- Grisha Heyliger Marten

 6. MP Elect- Viren Kotai

PFP

 7. MP Elect Melissa Gumbs

8. MP Elect- Ludmilla de Weever

SAM

9. MP Elect- Franklin Meyers

Ministers

The candidate Ministers that the four coalition partners have selected are as follows:

1. Prime Minister- Dr. Luc Mercelina/ Deputy Prime Minister Grisha Heyliger Marten.

2. VSA- Richinel Brug

3. ECYS- Melissa Gumbs

4. TEATT - Grisha Heyliger Marten

5. Finance- Marinka Gumbs

6. Justice— Nathalie Tackling. See the related story here.

7. VROMI- Patrice Gumbs.

8. Plenipotentiary - Gracita Arrindell

The current Minister of Justice, Lyndon Lewis, who is not part of the Mercelina 2 cabinet or coalition government, will be the key player until the screening process is completed.

Lewis will hold both positions, Minister of Justice and Member of Parliament, on the opposition benches. This will be an exciting situation since Lewis declared war on Wednesday last week when he clarified that he would monitor the entire council of ministers and intends to hold them accountable if they do not perform.

  Governor Ajamu Baly gave Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina until November 15^th, 2024, to present him with a final report on the candidate Ministers.

However, the three-month period with an opposition member of parliament in the Council of Ministers will be painful for the new coalition, the second 2x4 government elected in 2024.

MPs have the right to hold both roles for three months.

Dr. Luc Mercelina, Veronica Jansen Webster, Grisha Heyliger Marten, and Lyndon Lewis are the members of Parliament who will hold both roles.

After the screening is completed and the Mercelina 2 cabinet takes office, 15 people will be elected as Members of Parliament for the 2024- 2028 term.

MP Sjamira Roseburg, MP Veronica Jansen Webster, and Cris Wever represent the URSM faction.

MP Sarah Wescot Williams, MP Viren Kotai, and Dimar Labega will be representing the Democratic Party, while MP Ludmilla de Weever and Raeyhon Peterson, the Party for Progress (PFP), and MP Franklin Meyers representing the SAM.

Members of Parliament Egbert Jurendy Doran, Ardwell Irion, and Darryl York from the National Alliance, Omar Ottley, and Francisco Lacroes from the United Peoples Party, and Lyndon Lewis from the NOW party will be on the opposition benches.

HARBOUR VIEW, PHILIPSBURG:--- Considering the results of the August 19, 2024 elections, consultations held with the political leaders of all seven political parties that have succeeded in gaining at least one seat and in taking due account of the four parties that signed the declaration of intent to form a coalition on Thursday, August 22, 2024, namely the SAM, the PFP, the DP and the URSM, His Excellency Governor Ajamu G. Baly, LL.M. has requested the leader of the URSM, Mr. Luc Mercelina, to take into consideration an assignment as Formateur.
In that capacity, the Governor has requested Mr. Mercelina to form a new government that can count on the long-term support of the four political groups that have committed themselves to support a government and formulate a governing program that is based on the political manifestos of the parties involved and the following substantive points that have been put forward in the aforementioned consultations:
- The circumstances surrounding N.V. GEBE and in particular, the realization of a reliable supply of electricity and water and, by extension, the generation of sustainable electricity in Sint Maarten;
- The improvement of Sint Maarten's financial management and the timely realization of the country's annual budget, as well as a revision of the tax structure;
- Improving the quality of education;
- Combating poverty and the improvement of the purchasing power of the population;
- Improving the state of the environment in Sint Maarten and taking the necessary steps for climate adaptation;
- A reform of the electoral system with the purpose of strengthening the stability of the political process;
- The introduction of general health insurance;
- Investments in the economy, infrastructure and in the relationship with the Netherlands;
- Enacting legislation concerning the screening of (candidate) ministers, in accordance with the recent advice issued by the Council of Advice and the Integrity Chamber; and
- The implementation agenda of the Country Packages, as well as the relationship with the World Bank and the NRPB.
The Governor further emphasized the importance of the strict observance of the regulatory requirements, including the screening criteria applicable to the appointment for candidate-ministers.
The Formateur took the commission into consideration and will keep the Governor informed on a weekly basis during the formation process. The Governor requested Mr. Mercelina to present him the final report of the formation process by November 15, 2024.

PHILIPSBURG:---  The National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) has made further progress in supporting the lives of the resettled Pond Island community that previously lived adjacent to St. Maarten’s Municipal Solid Waste Disposal Site, the landfill. Several former residents of Pond Island have completed a course under the Livelihood Restoration Plan (LRP), which supports those who were relocated to ensure their livelihoods would not be negatively impacted by the Emergency Debris Management Project (EDMP); the project tasked with making critical interventions into the management of the landfill. Vocational courses, including a baking class, were offered to these individuals to equip them with practical skills for employment or entrepreneurship, aiming to compensate for the loss of any supplementary income and restore their livelihoods to pre-project levels.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in 2017, the Government of Sint Maarten initiated a large-scale recovery effort to build a more resilient island. Funded by the Dutch Government and managed by the World Bank, the Trust Fund was established to support this recovery, with the NRPB overseeing projects aimed at rebuilding Sint Maarten. One of these projects, the EDMP, required the resettlement of communities near the landfill, leading to the creation of the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) and its Livelihood Restoration Program (LRP) of which the latter was launched in May 2023.
The baking class, carried out by The Cake Box, started on July 9th and provided instruction on cake decorating and the science of baking. Students joined with various goals, from creating a supplemental source of income to starting their own businesses in the food industry. Other courses under the LRP include a three-week financial literacy program, a basic IT/computer operational skills course, the Readiness for Job Program, and a food handler’s certification. The course subjects were selected based on consultations with the relocated people, considering their professional skills, knowledge, and education levels.
As part of the EDMP, activities are underway to further enhance waste management at the dump site. In the coming months, a weighbridge is set to be installed. This will enable the measurement and recording of incoming waste, providing a more accurate analysis for better waste management at the landfill. Additionally, the demolition of the now vacated Resettlement Area of Impact on Pond Island is in the contracting phase. This is the area where relocated people live. The demolition will create a buffer zone between the landfill and inhabited areas, further enhancing the concept of safe waste management.
As the NRPB continues to support this community through ongoing monitoring and evaluation, the impact of the LRP will be closely monitored. Participation in training programs will be tracked, along with changes in income levels, and overall improvements in livelihoods. This ongoing monitoring will be conducted quarterly in the first year of relocation, continuing annually until the end of the Resettlement Action Plan and the last LRP training.

Based on World Bank guidelines, the NRPB is committed to ensuring that the resettled residents of Pond Island are better off, or at least not worse off, following their relocation. As the implementation organization executing this task on behalf of the Government of St. Maarten, the NRPB will continue to provide the community with updates as additional courses are completed and as more insights from the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the project’s impacts are gathered. This continuous assessment will enable adaptations and improvements to efforts that support the well-being of the resettled residents whilst the RAP is in place.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Sol Antilles N.V. (Sol), the leading provider of energy solutions in St. Maarten, celebrates the continuation of its partnership with the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise, extending into 2024 and 2025, to provide breakfast to students of the Leonald Conner Primary School in Cay Bay.

Mr. Robert James, General Manager of Sol, stated he is delighted to contribute to the students of Leonald Conner Primary School, which is located within the Cay Bay district. 'Powering what moves people' is our mission, and ‘Community’ is one of Sol's core values. We look forward to continuing to support this breakfast program. On behalf of the company, we want to encourage the students of Leonald Conner School to continue to do their best in this new school year.

"Jharna Dialani, President of the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise, thanked Sol Antilles N.V. for partnering with the club to ensure this essential program continued in the new school year. The objective of the program is to assist schools with promoting healthy nutritional habits and to increase the academic performance of students."

The school manager, Ms. Alice Samuel, also thanked Sol Antilles N.V. and the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise for sponsoring the breakfast program at the school. The breakfast program, which caters to approximately fifty (50) students, allows students to start the day with a healthy breakfast, which helps them to focus better and learn better.

The breakfast program is a signature project of the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise. The program is available for children in seven (7) schools and has been in existence since 2012.