Governor Ajamu Baly
~Chris, Peterson will not be sworn in~
PHILIPSBURG--The members of the new Council of Ministers will now be sworn in at the Governor’s cabinet at 10:00am on Friday, May 3, Governor Ajamu Baly has announced.
The governor listed the names of five candidate ministers as well as the Minister and Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary in a press release issued on Wednesday. The names of candidate for the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) Christophe Emmanuel and candidate for VROMI Minister Raeyhon Peterson’s names did not appear on the list and hence will not be sworn in.
Governor Baly said in the release that on April 23, he received the updated final report from formateur Dr. Luc Mercelina. The release said the formateur accepted the commission to form a new government which has the support of a majority in Parliament comprised of the fractions of URSM, PFP, DP and NOW. “The new government consists of Ministers who are committed to the promotion of the well-being of St. Maarten, who will amongst others give priority to new mental health laws, the Code of Criminal Conduct, the strengthening of regional cooperation on e.g. food security and climate change, a thorough review of the existing Landsverordening Inrichting en Organisatie Landsoverheid, including a decision on the feasibility of junior ministers, the improvement of public awareness on critical national issues such as general and mental health, financial literacy and education, and the realisation of a Kingdom wide Conference on subjects such as the democratic deficit, the debt burden of St. Maarten and the right to sustainable development and self-government,” Baly said in the release.
He said candidates for the various portfolios have been vetted based on the pertinent regulations regulating the pre-screening of candidates before nomination and the faithful application of these norms, as has been the standing and official practice since the achievement of country status by St Maarten in 2010.
According to the release, the formateur has nominated the following persons who, based on the results of the screenings, are to be appointed by the Governor.
Mercelina will be appointed as Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs; Veronica C. Jansen-Webster as Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour VSA and Acting Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure;
Lyndon C.J. Lewis as Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports ECYS; Marinka J. Gumbs as Minister of Finance; Grisha S. Heyliger-Marten as Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication;
Patrice T. Gumbs as Minister Plenipotentiary and Gracita R. Arrindell as Acting Minister Plenipotentiary.
The release said that the Governor has scheduled the appointment and swearing in of the Ministers on Friday, May 3, at 10:00am at the Governor’s Office at Falcon Drive #2, Harbor view.
