SXMElections.com

PHILIPSBURG--Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin says Government should speed up its work on amendments to the national ordinance to establish an Integrity Chamber for the country, and head back to Parliament as soon as possible even though it is the annual July recess.

Marlin-Romeo told The Daily Herald on Tuesday that she believed Government should bring the amendments to Parliament.

She has been in touch with MP Franklin Meyers, faction leader of the United People's (UP) party, this week on the matter and is waiting to hear how the matter will be dealt with, in particular from fellow coalition partners.

Commenting on Dutch Minister Ronald Plasterk's statement last week to the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament that there would be consequences for St. Maarten because the law was not established by the June 30 deadline set in a protocol between the Dutch and St. Maarten Governments, Marlin-Romeo said the Dutch Government "will do what they have to do."

A possible consequence is the re-tabling of a general kingdom measure allowing the Dutch Government to establish its proposed chamber for the country. The kingdom measure was taken off the table after the protocol was signed on May 24.

The Dutch structure and approach for the Chamber has been rejected by St. Maarten's Parliament and Government in favour of the country's own proposed structure and law.

"I don't care if it [the general measure – Ed.] comes or doesn't come. We need one, but it has to be an initiative from St. Maarten," said Marlin-Romeo.

The Dutch Kingdom Council of Ministers is slated to meet on Friday. It is not yet known whether the general measure is indeed on the table for discussion or approval.

"If they bring it, we will have to deal with the consequences. Are we going to die? No, we are not going to die. We just have to face up to it. The point is, whether they put it on the table or not, it is not going to stop me from saying we have to put certain things in place," she said.

"Every country needs an Integrity Chamber," said Marlin-Romeo reiterating her stance throughout the handling of the draft law in the Central Committee meeting in April and the plenary session of Parliament last month.

"What the Dutch want I don't agree with. What St. Maarten has could be better, but you cannot rush. It's like the saying the old people have, 'you can't rush the brush else you will get dabbed,'" she said in Tuesday's interview. "We have to look at what we are doing and see if we can make it better to benefit the country, not the individual."

St. Maarten needs to develop a structure for the Chamber that works for the needs of the country and takes into consideration the opinions and recommendations of stakeholders, she said.

"We should not only be looking at the PwC [PricewaterhouseCoopers – Ed.] report and that of the Audit Chamber," she said.

"We have so many laws addressing integrity and implementing a proper checks and balance system that every country needs. Why not take the proposal our Government has done back to the board, talk to stakeholders that are all involved in integrity," she said.

While the country has numerous laws covering many aspects of integrity, even one that already establishes an "integrity bureau" and training for civil servants, what need to be addressed now are the loopholes in those laws. "What are the loopholes? What are the areas that need addressing? And, then we formulate our Integrity Chamber the way it should be," said Marlin-Romeo.