PHILIPSBURG – The formation of a new government is proceeding according to a process unique to St. Maarten. There is agreement regarding the formation of a coalition between United Democrats and the St. Maarten Christian Party, but the new ministerial team has yet to be formed and might take some time.
Going to the grapevine, SMCP leader Wycliffe Smith is claiming the Prime Minister’s position. However Smith’s coyly responded that: “the coalition is in the process of distributing portfolios and selecting candidate ministers. I know that there are many speculations, but the formateur will come with a statement as soon as this process has been completed”.
Meanwhile, there is still no prospect of a new government. According to party leader and formateur Theo Heyliger, last Thursday the UD ‘fractie’ or parliamentary party met in preparation for discussions with SMCP about the government program.
After the February 26th elections, it took 38 days for UD and SMCP to sign a coalition agreement. Since 2010, the formation of a new government team has almost always been settled in the night after the elections.
First the two informants Ombudsman Dr. Nilda Arduin and the retired banker Jan Beaujon went to work. But finding the broadest possible coalition turned out to be a ‘mission impossible’, since the two largest parties, UD and National Alliance (NA) don’t see eye to eye. The alternative, a coalition between NA, the SMCP and the USp, of the controversial politician Frans Richardson, proved to be impossible, since the SMCP doesn’t want to cooperate with the USp.