Governor Ajamu Baly (centre) and the newly sworn-in Members of Parliament.
HARBOUR VIEW--Governor Ajamu Baly on Tuesday administered the oath to the four new Members of Parliament (MPs) Veronica Jansen-Webster (Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement Association (URSM), Dimar Labega (Democratic Party (DP), Raeyhon Peterson (Party for Progress (PFP) and Christopher Wever (URSM) at the Governor’s Cabinet.
The new MPs will be taking up seats left vacant as a result of the appointment to the Council of Ministers of Prime Minister/Minister of General Affairs AZ Dr. Luc Mercelina; Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor VSA Richinel Brug; Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Grisha Heyliger-Marten and Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) Melissa Gumbs.
In remarks at the ceremony, Baly told the new MPs that they are called by the Constitution to represent all the people of St. Maarten and only serve the general interest of the people of St. Maarten; and that brings with it considerable responsibilities.
“You alone, along with your colleagues in Parliament, have a direct electoral mandate and therefore, direct democratic legitimacy. This makes you, as Members of Parliament, the anchor and heart of St. Maarten's democracy,” Baly said.
“You have to defend the people of St. Maarten wholeheartedly and unconditionally. You bear a special responsibility as co-legislator with government, whilst keeping a check on said government. Your free mandate is a precious commodity that should be cherished and applied as such. Stability of our country is in your and your colleague parliamentarians’ hands. But I know and trust that you and the rest of Parliament know and understand this and shall not take your role lightly, seeing that the people of this country have elected you to represent them and are depending on you and your colleagues in Parliament to do so to the best of your ability. And in addition, the oath you are about to take does not allow it anyway.”
He said MPs should be vigilant in their task as parliamentarian and ensure stable and good governance, by making sure that the interest of the nation and its people is placed above individual interests, but also above outside interests, influences and outside forces. “And make no mistake, they are present. To ensure stability in government and governing you have to commit to the well-being of all the people of St. Maarten,” he said.
