Politics of Sint Maarten
Encyclopedia
The government of Sint Maarten, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
, is formed by the monarch, represented by the governor
, and the ministers. The prime minister
presides 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.
heads a Cabinet. The governor of Sint Maarten
is appointed for a six-year term by the monarch, and the prime minister and deputy prime minister are elected by the Staten for four-year terms.
|Queen
|Beatrix
|
|30 April 1980
|-
|Governor
|Eugene Holiday
|
|10 October 2010
|}
The first Cabinet of Sint Maarten is composed as follows:
|Prime Minister
|Sarah Wescot-Williams
|DP
|10 October 2010
|-
|Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Housing, Physical Planning, and Environment
|Theodore Heyliger
|UP
|10 October 2010
|-
|Minister of Finance
|Hiro Shigemoto
|UP
|10 October 2010
|-
|Minister of Justice
|Roland Duncan
|UP
|10 October 2010
|-
|Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications
|Franklyn Meyers
|UP
|10 October 2010
|-
|Minister of Healthcare, Social Development, and Labor
|Cornelius de Weever
|UP
|10 October 2010
|-
|Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports
|Rhoda Arrindell
|UP
|10 October 2010
|-
|Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten
|Mathias Voges
|DP
|
|}
Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
, is formed by the monarch, represented by the governor
Governor of Sint Maarten
The Governor of Sint Maarten is the representative on Sint Maarten of the Dutch head of state . The governors duties are twofold: he represents and guards the general interests of the Kingdom and is head of the government of Sint Maarten. He is accountable to the government of the Kingdom of the...
, and the ministers. The prime minister
Prime Minister of Sint Maarten
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 his Council of Ministers and the Governor of Sint Maarten form the executive branch of the government of Sint...
presides the council of ministers. Executive power
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
and parliament. The minister plenipotentiary
Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten
The Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten represents the constituent country of Sint Maarten in the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
is not part of the government and represents the Sint Maarten government in the Netherlands. The judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
is independent of the executive and the legislature. The country is a parliamentary
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
representative democratic
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
country
Country
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
with a multi-party system
Multi-party system
A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition, e.g.The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the United Kingdom formed in 2010. The effective number of parties in a multi-party system is normally...
. Sint Maarten has full autonomy on most matters, with the exceptions summed up in the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands describes the political relationship between the four different countries which form the Kingdom of the Netherlands: Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten in the Caribbean and the Netherlands in Europe...
under the title "Kingdom affairs". The Constitution of Sint Maarten
Constitution of Sint Maarten
The Constitution of Sint Maarten was unanimously adopted by the island council of Sint Maarten on 21 July 2010....
was ratified in September 2010, and entered into force on 10 October 2010.
Executive power
Executive power rests with a governor, and a prime ministerPrime Minister of Sint Maarten
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 his Council of Ministers and the Governor of Sint Maarten form the executive branch of the government of Sint...
heads a Cabinet. The governor of Sint Maarten
Governor of Sint Maarten
The Governor of Sint Maarten is the representative on Sint Maarten of the Dutch head of state . The governors duties are twofold: he represents and guards the general interests of the Kingdom and is head of the government of Sint Maarten. He is accountable to the government of the Kingdom of the...
is appointed for a six-year term by the monarch, and the prime minister and deputy prime minister are elected by the Staten for four-year terms.
|Queen
|Beatrix
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands comprising the Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Aruba. She is the first daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. She studied law at Leiden University...
|
|30 April 1980
|-
|Governor
Governor of Sint Maarten
The Governor of Sint Maarten is the representative on Sint Maarten of the Dutch head of state . The governors duties are twofold: he represents and guards the general interests of the Kingdom and is head of the government of Sint Maarten. He is accountable to the government of the Kingdom of the...
|Eugene Holiday
Eugene Holiday
Eugene Holiday is the first Governor of Sint Maarten, which became an constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands on 10 October 2010. He was installed by the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on 7 September 2010. He was president of Princess Juliana International...
|
|10 October 2010
|}
The first Cabinet of Sint Maarten is composed as follows:
|Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Sint Maarten
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 his Council of Ministers and the Governor of Sint Maarten form the executive branch of the government of Sint...
|Sarah Wescot-Williams
Sarah Wescot-Williams
Sarah Wescot-Williams is the leader of the Democratic Party of Sint Maarten and the first Prime Minister of Sint Maarten. 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...
|DP
Democratic Party Sint Maarten
The Democratic Party Sint Maarten is a political party in Sint Maarten. The party has long been associated with its powerful leader and business tycoon Claude Wathey...
|10 October 2010
|-
|Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Housing, Physical Planning, and Environment
|Theodore Heyliger
|UP
|10 October 2010
|-
|Minister of Finance
|Hiro Shigemoto
|UP
|10 October 2010
|-
|Minister of Justice
|Roland Duncan
|UP
|10 October 2010
|-
|Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications
|Franklyn Meyers
|UP
|10 October 2010
|-
|Minister of Healthcare, Social Development, and Labor
|Cornelius de Weever
|UP
|10 October 2010
|-
|Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports
|Rhoda Arrindell
|UP
|10 October 2010
|-
|Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten
Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten
The Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten represents the constituent country of Sint Maarten in the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
|Mathias Voges
Mathias Voges
Mathias Sinclair Voges is an politician and historian from Sint Maarten, who currently holds the office of Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten. Before this, Voges had been Acting Lieutenant Governor of Sint Maarten. He is also a former president of the Board of Directors of the University of St...
|DP
Democratic Party Sint Maarten
The Democratic Party Sint Maarten is a political party in Sint Maarten. The party has long been associated with its powerful leader and business tycoon Claude Wathey...
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