Why Caretaker Governments are not to take decisions…
If a Council of Ministers by way of the Prime Minister requests or submits the resignation of his or her cabinet to His Excellency, the Governor of St. Maarten, then that Council of Ministers would be functioning as demissionair until a new Council of Ministers is appointed by the next Parliament of St. Maarten.
In this current situation of Country Sint Maarten, after our election of January 11th 2024, and with the pending official swearing in of our next Parliament of Sint Maarten for 2024-2028, our current Government of Sint Maarten is at this moment now functioning as a demissionair Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs Cabinet.
Demissionair status of the Council of Ministers means that only running operational matters are able to continue to be on going, and that newly created decisions that can be of serious financial consequences and of any controversial nature for the incoming government may not be entertained, or accepted in line with good governance.
This can also mean that the longer it takes for the formation of a new Government would mean the more our country can be at risk to probably having to reverse certain decisions taken, that may not have the approval signature of the Governor by way of a Ministerial Decree.
Of course a demissionair Council of Ministers for political reasons may take decisions at the level of the Cabinet of Ministers or by way of temporary Policies or even attempting to appoint, replace or remove persons from various positions that may or can be reversed by a new incoming Government. For that reason it is imperative that the newly appointed Council of Ministers of the new coalition be put in place post haste after the swearing in of the next Parliament period of 2024-2028.
A sitting Cabinet of the Council of Ministers always become demissionair right after a four year election period of the Parliament of St. Maarten, because the voters would have spoken at the polls, making way for the appointment of a new majority coalition Government of St. Maarten.
written by Achken Roberto Richardson.
