Based on that request the governor has started orientation talks and received among others FOL leader Anthony Godett, who a week ago was chosen by the 11 members of the 21-seat legislature involved as the new vice-chairman of Parliament to replace Amerigo Thode (MFK). Independent (former MFK) member Dean Rozier – who had been abroad and returned only yesterday, Monday – had been appointed as chairman to replace Ivar Asjes (PS) by the same fractions of PAR, PNP and FOL plus independent (former MAN) member Eugene Cleopa.

 

However, the MFK/PS/MAN coalition that has lost its majority does not recognise the public meetings of the "group of 11" or decisions taken there, because only Asjes and Thode are authorised to call such meetings in the first place, while the Parliament Secretariat was not involved either.

 

In the other nine motions adopted by the 11 members in question they abandoned their trust in all nine ministers of the caretaker Schotte cabinet and in seven cases asked to make their earlier resignation effective immediately. However, when it comes to the two Ministers "who did the least damage" – Carlos Trinidad (PS) of Administration, Planning and Service and Humphrey Koeiman (MAN) of Social Development, Labour and Welfare – the motions asked to make their resignation go into effect only after the interim cabinet is installed.

 

Goedgedrag is also consulting vice-chairman (the governor is the formal chairman) of the Advisory Council Carl Gruning, Asjes, Rozier, the various fraction leaders and out-going Prime Minister Gerrit Schotte (MFK). The latter has already stated that he will not give his required cooperation to install an interim cabinet as the MFK/PS/MAN government already resigned and Parliament has been dissolved, with early elections on October 19 for a new legislature to take office on November 2.

While the talks with the governor are in principle confidential, Godett said afterwards that things had gone well. "The majority did what we had to do and it's now up to him," he said, adding that he had all confidence that Goegdedrag would act accordingly.

 

PAR leader Emily de Jongh-Elhage said her message to Goegedrag had been clear. "The majority no longer has confidence in this government. The ball is now in the governor's court."

 

The no-confidence motions were passed after a press release from the governor based on advice from legal experts Ronald Koeijers and Grüning. They stated that the functioning of the Parliament was being made impossible, because Asjes and Thode refused to call public meetings; that Parliament was to make the next move and that a majority could adopt motions to dismiss members of the cabinet.

 

The motions were based on more than 30 considerations, in which the 11 parliamentarians (Rozier was not back yet) basically said they had no confidence the Schotte cabinet could solve the current problems on the island and that the current government had created chaos since taking office on 10-10-'10.

 

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