The Government of Sint Maarten

Sint Maarten - Government

Based on the etymolgy of Sint Maarten, it was explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the island after Saint MARTIN of Tours because the 11 November 1493 day of discovery was the saint's feast day. The Government system in this country is the

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy

type and the different Administrative divisions includes:

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

National symbols

brown pelican, yellow sage (flower); national colors: red, white, blue

.

The flag

The National flag of Sint Maarten has two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and blue with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the center of the triangle displays the Sint Maarten coat of arms; the arms consist of an orange-bordered blue shield prominently displaying the white court house in Philipsburg, as well as a bouquet of yellow sage (the national flower) in the upper left, and the silhouette of a Dutch-French friendship monument in the upper right; the shield is surmounted by a yellow rising sun in front of which is a brown pelican in flight; a yellow scroll below the shield bears the motto: SEMPER PROGREDIENS (Always Progressing); the three main colors are identical to those on the Dutch flag.

note: the flag somewhat resembles that of the Philippines but with the main red and blue bands reversed; the banner more closely evokes the wartime Philippine flag

The National Anthem

Title	O Sweet Saint Martin's Land
Lyric/music	Gerard KEMPS

note: the song, written in 1958, is used as an unofficial anthem for the entire island (both French and Dutch sides); as a collectivity of France, in addition to the local anthem, "La Marseillaise" is official on the French side (see France); as a constituent part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in addition to the local anthem, "Het Wilhelmus" is official on the Dutch side (see Netherlands)

More about the government of Sint Maarten

Constitution
Date of Independence	none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
National holiday	King's Day (birthday of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER), 27 April (1967); note - King's or Queen's Day are observed on the ruling monarch's birthday; celebrated on 26 April if 27 April is a Sunday; local holiday Sint Maarten's Day, 11 November (1985), commemorates the discovery of the island by COLUMBUS on Saint Martin's Day, 11 November 1493; celebrated on both halves of the island
Legal system	based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence
International law organization participation
History	Previous 1947, 1955; latest adopted 21 July 2010, entered into force 10 October 2010 (regulates governance of Sint Maarten but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Amendments	Proposals initiated by the Government or by Parliament; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority of the Parliament membership; passage of amendments relating to fundamental rights, authorities of the governor and of Parliament must include the "views" of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Government prior to ratification by Parliament
Citizenship
Executive Branch
Chief of state	King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor Ajamu G. BALY (since 10 October 2022)
Head of government	Prime Minister Luc MERCELINA (since 3 May 2024)
Cabinet	Cabinet nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the governor
Elections/appointments	the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch for a 6-year term; following parliamentary elections, the leader of the majority party usually elected prime minister by Parliament
Legislative branch
Description	Unicameral Parliament of Sint Maarten (15 seats; members directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)
Elections	Last held 11 January 2024 (next to be held in 2028)
Election results	Percent of vote by party - NA 23.9%, UPP 19.6%, URSM 13.9%, DP 13.6%, PFP 11.9%, NOW 10.3%, other 6.8%; seats by party - NA 4, UPP 3, URSM 2, DP 2, PFP2, NOW 2; composition - men 8, women 7, percentage women 46.7% (additional member is suspended)
Judicial branch
Highest court(s)	Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba or "Joint Court of Justice" (consists of the presiding judge, other members, and their substitutes); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court (in The Hague, Netherlands); note - prior to 2010, the Joint Court of Justice was the Common Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba
Judge selection and term of office	Joint Court judges appointed by the monarch serve for life
Subordinate courts	Courts in First Instance
Diplomatic representation in the US
Diplomatic representation from the US
Embassy	The US does not have an embassy in Sint Maarten; the Consul General to Curacao is accredited to Sint Maarten