UPP, NA And NOW urge Finance Minister Gumbs to retract unlawful CBCS nomination

GREAT BAY--The United People’s Party (UPP), The National Alliance (NA) and Nation Opportunity Wealth (NOW) factions sent an official letter via Parliament calling on Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs to immediately retract her controversial nomination of Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten (CBCS).

The three factions stressed that the objection is not about the individual but about the blatant disregard of Article 25 of the Bank Charter, which outlines the lawful process for filling such a critical position for both countries.

With this latest development involving all six opposition members, coupled with uncertainty within the coalition, there could be enough votes to pass any form of motion against the Minister should such be tabled in the very next public meeting. Motions can only be tabled and voted upon in public meetings of Parliament (so not Central Commitee or Parliamentary Committee meetings).  

As stated publicly on September 24th 2025 by the Supervisory Board of the CBCS “Nowhere in Article 25 does it say the Minister can unilaterally nominate a candidate without a recommendation from the Supervisory Board adopted by a five-sixths majority”.

The Minister cannot bend the Charter to suit her needs. Based on the above, It is evident that Minister Gumbs violated the law,” the factions declared.

According to the CBCS Charter: The Chairman of the Supervisory Board must be appointed jointly by the countries, based on a recommendation of the Supervisory Board supported by a five-sixths majority. The factions warned that the misstep projects incompetence within the government and damages St. Maarten’s credibility in handling serious financial governance matters.

“This blunder paints a bad picture of St. Maarten’s ability to manage major decisions at a regional level. Worse yet, it has unfairly dragged an esteemed legal professional, his family, friends, and supporters into a political controversy that should never have existed if the process had been followed.”

UP, NA and NOW are urging Minister Gumbs to publicly retract the nomination citing procedural errors. Apologize to the people of St. Maarten and Curaçao for the mishandling of this critical appointment, and especially apologize to appointee and his family for this unfortunate turn of events.

They urge the Minister to “Move swiftly to finalize the pending appointments of Supervisory Board members who have already been vetted and cleared since February 2024. Respect the process enshrined in the CBCS Charter, ensuring that the eventual appointment of a Chairman is lawful, transparent, and beyond reproach.”

The UPP, NA and NOW factions in Parliament, Member of Parliament Omar E.C. Ottley (UPP), MP Francisco A. Lacroes (UPP), MP Egbert J. Doran (NA), MP Ardwell Irion (NA),MP Darryl York (NA) and MP Lyndon Lewis (NOW) were clear in the release , “This is bigger than one name or one nomination.” The factions said.

“It is about respecting the rule of law, protecting the integrity of our Central Bank, and restoring public confidence. The Minister must correct this mistake before further damage is done.”

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