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William Marlin: Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, 2015–2017

William Marlin was Sint Maarten's third Prime Minister. He was sworn in on 19 November 2015 and served until November 2017.

By SXM Daily ·

William Marlin was Sint Maarten's third Prime Minister. He was appointed Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs on 19 November 2015, and was PM from 19 November 2015 until November 2017.

Official portrait of William Marlin, Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, 2016

Photo: Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Before he became Prime Minister

Teacher and principal. Marlin was a principal of Leonald Conner School in Philipsburg. Speaking to pupils in 2017, he recalled becoming its principal more than 40 years earlier, and Silveria Jacobs, a later Prime Minister, was one of his pupils there.

Party politics. He was a founding member of the St. Maarten Patriotic Movement in 1978 and was first elected to the Island Council in 1987, StMaartenNews.com reports. From the late 1990s he led the St. Maarten Patriotic Alliance, which he renamed the National Alliance after the 2000 referendum, according to StMaartenNews.com and The Daily Herald.

Constitutional change. As Commissioner of Constitutional Affairs from 2009, Marlin was one of the key negotiators in the final stage of St. Maarten's move to country status in 2010, The Daily Herald and StMaartenNews.com report.

Forming the 2015 government

In his speech at the swearing-in ceremony on 19 November 2015, Governor Eugene Holiday said a shift in the parliamentary majority on 30 September had "created the basis" for a new team of ministers. During the seven-week transition that followed, he named Marlin as formateur to form a new government. The Governor thanked him "for his work and cooperation as formateur".

The Governor said the new cabinet's tasks included addressing the 2015 budget problems, preparing the planned elections, and taking steps towards electoral reform. Marlin followed Marcel Gumbs as Prime Minister. The first PM, Sarah Wescot-Williams, took office on 10 October 2010.

A second formation

The Governor's office lists a second formation assignment after the 2016 elections. On 3 October 2016, Governor Holiday asked Marlin to form a government. On 16 December 2016, the Governor received his final report as formateur.

In the press

According to the Dutch Caribbean Legal Portal, Marlin was a Member of Parliament and leader of the National Alliance when he became Prime Minister. It also reported that he took the oath as acting Minister of VROMI (Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure) alongside his duties as Prime Minister.

How ministers are appointed

Under Sint Maarten's Constitution, the Prime Minister and ministers are appointed and dismissed by national decree (Article 33(1)). National decrees are signed by the Governor and one or more ministers (Article 40(1)).

Sources

  • https://kabgsxm.com/governors-journal.aspx?id_journal=87&language=EN
  • https://web.archive.org/web/2020/https://www.kabgsxm.com/news.aspx?language=EN
  • http://www.dutchcaribbeanlegalportal.com/news/latest-news/6119-new-na-led-cabinet-sint-maarten-to-be-sworn-in-today
  • https://lokaleregelgeving.overheid.nl/CVDR179884
  • https://stmaartennews.com/parliament/mp-william-marlin-bids-politics-farewell-with-a-flourish/
  • https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/william-we-ve-come-a-long-way-but-we-have-a-longer-way-to-go
  • https://sxmelections.com/news/27114/students-of-leonald-conner-school-tour-govt-building

Source: https://kabgsxm.com/governors-journal.aspx?id_journal=87&language=EN

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