The decision by the Council of Ministers to postpone Nomination Day that had been scheduled for today, October 2, and consequently the November 25 snap elections as well as the dissolution of Parliament per December 23 (see related story) is a sensible one. All members of the Main Voting Bureau making their positions available was mentioned as reason, but that had to do with the dates set violating terms in the Electoral Ordinance and Law on Registering and Financing of Political Parties which govern the bureau’s functioning.
The Electoral Council would also be unable to admit new parties because the deadline for such had already passed. The change will now give these the opportunity to do so, stated the Romeo-Marlin Cabinet’s press release issued early Tuesday evening.
And, truth be told, the four existing parties (in alphabetical order) National Alliance (NA), St. Maarten Christian Party (SMPC), United Democrats (UD) and United St. Maarten Party (US Party) were hardly ready to submit their candidate lists. Even party colours had yet to be designated as regulated.
It will be interesting to see what alternatives government comes up with, considering the three-month limit between the dissolution decree and a new legislature taking office in the Constitution. The decree itself would theoretically have be proclaimed later too.
This solution may not win a beauty prize, but it’s better than excluding aspiring politicians from exercising their passive voting rights by hastily holding an ill-prepared early vote that infringes on related legislation and could conceivably be challenged in court. Let’s get it right.
