SXMElections.com

PHILIPSBURG--United People's (UP) party leader Member of Parliament (MP) Theo Heyliger is "not leading by example" with his challenge to Justice Minister Dennis Richardson about the guidelines for election campaigning, says Democratic Party (DP) MP Roy Marlin. Anyone who wants to lead the country must "show maturity," he said. Heyliger said earlier this week that the guidelines issued by Richardson contravened the Constitution, the National Ordinance on public manifestation and the International Treaty on Human Rights. Marlin responded to Heyliger's stance at a party press conference held in the prime minister's office on Thursday, saying that the treaty, for example, states that local laws are applicable in campaigning. He said the guidelines stemmed for motions passed in Parliament calling for campaign reform. Marlin said DP will adhere to campaign guidelines as they are "clear and straightforward." DP leader Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams added that DP "had enjoyed the traditions of elections," which included gatherings outside polling stations on Election Day. Now, however, the society has "become more complex." GEBE relief Speaking about the announced decrease in utilities cost for seniors as promised by utilities company GEBE, Wescot-Williams said the company was cautioned "not to get caught up in politics" with this relief and to think it put properly. However, this was not done and seniors are still waiting for the relief that should have started in July. Marlin said the anticipated complication that relief to a specific set of people would create was the reason he had outlined in his motion to Parliament earlier this year for the relief to be for all residents. SMMC At the same press conference, Health and Social Development Minister Cornelius de Weever said government continues to work on filling the gap in insurance for people who fall outside of Social and Health Insurance Funds SZV coverage, but cannot afford private insurance. Government will seek to include them in the medical assistance programme. This will be put to Parliament for discussion on August 6, when the minister appears before MPs to also discuss the increase in the pensionable age and other matters. De Weever has also received a report about the expansion and upgrading of St. Maarten Medical Centre (SMMC). He continues to see the centre in the hands of a private foundation as counterproductive. This is evident, he said, in the number of specialists who have indicated their willingness to work with SMMC, but after they are referred to the centre by him, nothing else is heard or followed-through on. Negotiations are ongoing to merge SMMC with the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) and forming links between MHF and Turning Point Foundation, the minister said. Preforming Arts Centre Plans for a national centre for the performing arts have been discussed by government and is in the DP platform, said Wescot-Williams. Execution of these plans must be done "prudently" and should "not look beautiful, but be too expensive to maintain" nor should it just be photos like those being circulated by UP. As for the UP's proposed location of the area where the present Government Administration Building stands, Wescot-Williams said the centre should be taken to Dutch Quarter, where it will be a boost to that community, and getting the centre going should be a "public-private partnership." Marlin said the location as proposed by UP is a bad one and one only has to think about the traffic congestion it will cause if there is a performance. The centre should not be "the idea of one person" or a project "cooked up by one politician," and should be carried out in consultation with the people who use it, he said. People are "being fooled by a picture" and those who should be consulted are "just shown a picture." Sale of undeveloped land The sale of undeveloped land in Monte Vista by the holder of the long lease has DP's attention. Marlin said in his time as housing commissioner, he had taken back part of the land granted to Monte Vista because the terms of the lease were not honoured. The leaseholder had to develop the land within six months of acquiring it from government. That land, which was slated to be phase two of the housing project, was divided up and re-issued in long lease to St. Maarteners who wanted to build a home. Part of the land is said to have been reissued by Heyliger while he was a minister. It appears that permission was given to the leaseholder "to sell bare land," said Marlin. He called that move "a grave mistake" by whosoever gave the permit to the leaseholder.Roy Marlin mentioned 1 time
Sarah Wescot-Williams mentioned 5 times
Theodore Heyliger mentioned 1 time
Cornelius de Weever mentioned 1 time

Democratic Party [DP] mentioned 1 time