Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina
PHILIPSBURG--In a drastic move aimed at promoting safety and security of the population, the Council of Ministers has decided to cancel all public political meetings for which a permit is required as of Wednesday, July 24; and has banned all gatherings near or around polling stations on election day.
A prohibition on the sale of alcohol on that day will be maintained.
The sweeping changes were announced by Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina at the Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday. The decisions were taken during Tuesday’s Council of Ministers meeting.
Mercelina made clear that the “drastic” changes were made with the goal of protecting citizens of the country. “We are not going to permit – allow – public meetings any more heading towards election day. We do not want gatherings of people … that there is a threat for agglomeration of people in our society where we cannot guarantee the safety of each individual person that wants to be present or assist one of these public meetings.”
He defined public meetings as those in which a permit from government is required. Persons coordinating small gatherings for which a permit is not required, will be permitted.
“If you have for example, a private meeting on a private place for your supporters, that will be tolerated. At the end of the day we are in a democratic community and I think that should be possible. But all measures that I take with my government is to guarantee the general interest and safety of our people and I think this is a way to mitigate and control and have a good overview of the safety for the people of this county. Every incident costing the life of one citizen of this country is an attack on the community of St. Maarten and regrettable we paid a too high price last week Wednesday and I am not going to tolerate that for the people of my country and that is the reason that I took this rigorous decision for my community,” said Mercelina.
Groups of people in the vicinity of polling stations will similarly be banned. “We are not going to permit a gathering of groups of fans representing the different political parties by the polling stations,” said the Prime Minister. “I do not want no citizen to be threatened, intimidated or influenced on his way – in all tranquillity – contemplating for who he or she is going to vote...”
“There were in the past some measures taken to keep those groups from a distance from those polling stations, still expressing their wishes and their support to political parties. It is their right in a democratic system, but because this is a snap election and because there is some tension in the community, this Prime Minister decided to have some radical decisions for us to guarantee great safety for the people of our country. Agglomeration of people around polling stations will not be allowed.”
The Prime Minister hopes that the decision will make the populace feel safer. “I hope that in this way, by taking this decision, that the people are going to get, again, the reassurance that they have a serious government that is considering and guarding for the safety of their beloved St. Maarten.”
