August 2024 Sint Maarten general election

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August 2024 Sint Maarten general election
Flag of Sint Maarten.svg
  January 2024 19 August 2024

All 15 seats in Parliament
8 seats needed for a majority
PartyLeaderCurrent seats
NA Silveria Jacobs 4
UPP Rolando Brison 3
URSM Luc Mercelina 2
DP Sarah Wescot-Williams 2
PFP  [ nl ] Melissa Gumbs 2
NOW Christophe Emmanuel 1
Independents Kevin Maingrette 1

Snap general elections will be held in Sint Maarten on 19 August 2024, [1] following the early dissolution of the parliament elected in January. [2]

Contents

Background

Following the January 2024 general elections a four-party government was formed by the Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement (URSM), the Democratic Party, the Party for Progress and Nation Opportunity Wealth (NOW), all of which had won two seats. [3] As the URSM received the most votes of the four, its leader Luc Mercelina became Prime Minister. [4] Elected members took office on 10 February 2024, [5] and Mercelina took the oath of office on 3 May. [6] However, the government collapsed 18 days later when NOW MP Kevin Maingrette left the coalition to join the opposition. This crossing the floor cost the coalition its majority, leading Mercelina to dissolve parliament and call snap elections. [7] However, on 27 May Maingrette withdrew his support for the opposition and expressed support for the Mercelina administration despite still sitting as an independent. [8] However, the elections remained scheduled. [9]

Electoral system

The 15 seats in the Estates are elected by proportional representation. [10] In order to participate in the election, new parties and parties without a seat in parliament are required to obtain at least 144 signatures; 1% of the valid votes of the January 2024 general elections. [11]

Related Research Articles

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Elections in the Netherlands Antilles were held for two territorial levels of government: the state, and the island territories.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament of Sint Maarten</span>

The Parliament of Sint Maarten is a unicameral legislature that consists of 15 members, each elected for a four-year term in a general election. The first parliament was installed on 10 October 2010, the date of the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, and consisted of the members of the predecessor island council elected on 17 September 2010. The current President of Parliament is Sarah A. Wescot-Williams.

The prime minister of Sint Maarten became the head of government of Sint Maarten after the Netherlands Antilles had been dissolved on 10 October 2010. The prime minister, together with the Council of Ministers and the governor of Sint Maarten, form the executive branch of the government of Sint Maarten. Sint Maarten's current prime minister is Luc Mercelina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Sint Maarten</span> Government of the Dutch constituent country of Sint Maarten

Sint Maarten, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, has a government formed by the monarch, represented by the governor, and the ministers. The Prime Minister of Sint Maarten presides over the council of ministers. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The minister plenipotentiary is not part of the government and represents the Sint Maarten government in the Netherlands. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The country is a parliamentary representative democratic country with a multi-party system. Sint Maarten has full autonomy on most matters, with the exceptions summed up in the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the title "Kingdom affairs". The Constitution of Sint Maarten was ratified in September 2010, and entered into force on 10 October 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Wescot-Williams</span> First Prime Minister of Sint Maarten

Sarah A. Wescot-Williams is the leader of the Democratic Party of Sint Maarten and the first Prime Minister of Sint Maarten. Wescot-Williams is the current President of Parliament, a role she has occupied on five separate occasions. Even though her party only managed to secure two seats in the Sint Maarten general election of 2010, she was selected as Prime Minister in the coalition agreement between United People and the Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United St. Maarten Party</span> Political party in Sint Maarten

The United St. Maarten Party is a political party in Sint Maarten founded in 2013 by the former National Alliance deputy leader Frans Richardson. The party currently holds one seat in the parliament of Sint Maarten. In the 2014 general elections, the party obtained two seats, but its then MP-elect Leona Marlin-Romeo left the US Party and became an independent member of parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of the Parliament of Sint Maarten</span>

The president of the Parliament of Sint Maarten is the presiding officer of the Parliament of Sint Maarten. According to Article 8 of the Rules of Order of Parliament the president presides over the sittings of the House and enforces the rules prescribed in the Rules of Order of Parliament for the orderly conduct of parliamentary business. The president is supported by a team of vice presidents, divided into a first vice president and second vice president, who are also members of the House. In the event that the president is unable to lead a meeting the meeting is chaired by the first vice president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Sint Maarten general election</span>

General elections were held in Sint Maarten on 26 September 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Sint Maarten general election</span>

Snap general elections were held in Sint Maarten on 26 February 2018 following a no confidence vote in the Second Marlin cabinet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Marlin-Romeo cabinet</span>

The second Marlin-Romeo cabinet was the 8th cabinet of Sint Maarten. It was formed by a coalition of the political parties United Democrats (UD) and the St. Maarten Christian Party (SMCP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silveria Jacobs</span> Sint Maarten politician

Silveria Elfrieda Jacobs is a Sint Maarten politician and the former Prime Minister of Sint Maarten from 2019 to 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Jacobs cabinet</span>

The Jacobs cabinet was the 9th cabinet of Sint Maarten. It was part of the executive branch of the Sint Maarten Government and was formed by members of the National Alliance and the United St. Maarten Party. It was followed by the second Jacobs cabinet installed after the 2020 snap general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Vanuatuan general election</span>

Snap general elections were held in Vanuatu on 13 October 2022 to elect all 52 seats in Parliament. President Nikenike Vurobaravu dissolved Parliament in August 2022 on advice of the Council of Ministers ahead of a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Bob Loughman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">January 2024 Sint Maarten general election</span>

General elections were held in Sint Maarten on 11 January 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement</span> Political party in Sint Maarten

The Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement is a political party in Sint Maarten. It was founded in October 2021 by Luc Mercelina, who was at the time a member of Parliament for the United People's Party. The party contested the January 2024 general election winning two seats, and later entered a coalition agreement with the Democratic Party, Party for Progress and Nation Opportunity Wealth that designated URSM party leader Luc Mercelina as new Prime Minister.

Luc F. E. Mercelina is a surgeon and politician from Sint Maarten and the current Prime Minister as of 3 May 2024. He is the founder and leader of the Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement (URSM). He was also a member of the United Democrats (UD) and the United People's Party (UP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercelina cabinet</span> 11th Council of Ministers of Sint Maarten

The Mercelina cabinet is the 11th Council of Ministers of Sint Maarten headed by Prime Minister Luc Mercelina. It was installed by Governor Ajamu Baly on 3 May 2024.

References

  1. "Sint Maarten gearing up for snap election in August". Loop News. 28 May 2024.
  2. "SXM PM Mercelina calls snap elections". Times Caribbean Online. 22 May 2024.
  3. "Sint Maarten: Four political parties sign historic coalition agreement". Loop News. 14 January 2024.
  4. "BREAKING NEWS: URSM, DP PFP, N.O.W. Forge Historic Coalition Agreement for 2024-2028 Term". St. Martin News Network. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  5. "Dr. Mercelina gives update on the Formation". 721 News. 10 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  6. "New Council of Ministers appointed and sworn-in". The Daily Herald. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  7. Wong, Melissa (21 May 2024). "Sint Maarten to dissolve Parliament paving way for snap election". Loop News. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  8. "Independent MP Kevin Maingrette withdraws support from Great Eight". 27 May 2024. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  9. "URSM denies having influenced Maingrette's decision to return". 27 May 2024. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  10. The Constitution Archived 2016-03-25 at the Wayback Machine Estates of Sint Maarten
  11. "Election Ordinance - Government of Sint Maarten" (PDF). Government of Sint Maarten.