Wycliffe Smith.
PHILIPSBURG–The Council of Ministers on Thursday appointed caretaker Minister of Education Culture Youth and Sport (ECYS) Wycliffe Smith as Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs.
The decision was made following the resignation of caretaker Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin and Justice Minister Cornelius de Weever on Thursday.
The resignation letters from the two were accepted by the Council of Ministers and it reduces the number of caretaker ministers in the Council from six to four. Smith; Minister of Finance Perry Geerlings; Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Stuart Johnson and Minister of Housing, Spatial planning, the Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Christopher Wever are the four remaining caretaker ministers.
During his absence as Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs, Smith will be replaced by Minister of Finance Perry Geerlings. Minister of Finance Perry Geerlings is now responsible for the Ministry of Justice. If the Minister of Finance is absent, Minister Smith will be his replacement.
Additionally, the Ministry for Health, Social Development and Labour will fall under the responsibility of Wever. In the absence of the VROMI Minister, Johnson will be his replacement.
Johnson will also function as the replacement for the Minister of ECYS if he is not present. When the TEATT Minister is not present, he will be replaced by Geerlings.
The Council of Ministers thanked the departing Ministers “for their dedicated service to our Country St. Maarten.” Smith said although the remaining period of the Council of Ministers in the Smith Cabinet is short, “we remain committed to executing our tasks on behalf of the people of St. Maarten.”
The four remaining Ministers who form the Council of Ministers will manage the day-to-day affairs of the Government of St. Maarten until an Interim Government is sworn in.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/91653-smith-appointed-prime-minister
View comments
Hide comments