SXMElections.com

PHILIPSBURG--United People's (UP) party leader Member of Parliament (MP) Theo Heyliger on Sunday issued a statement on the integrity report compiled by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on instruction from Governor Eugene Holiday.

He said some were attempting to paint a picture of "an unwilling St. Maarten. Unwilling to address reported and alleged integrity issues highlighted in the report." He said, however, that it was important that "we" focus.

"I thought it was important to point out that contrary to the opinion of some, you cannot wave a magic wand and address every reported issue overnight. Comments emanating from the Netherlands would have you believe that St. Maarten could have solved or curtailed every instance of reported integrity issues the same week the PwC report was issued," he said in a statement.

"St. Maarten, in their opinion, should not be given the opportunity to address its own issues. St. Maarten, they imply, is not capable of doing this and requires that its hand be held," he said. He said the incoming government will seriously look at the findings of the integrity reports.

"In the same breath, the world should not expect our democratic government to set aside all forms of due process and legal frameworks and address these findings irresponsibly. Every branch of government, individual and instance that has been tagged by these reports must be looked at objectively. We also have to differentiate between conjecture and fact. We will hold true to democratic principles. We will not conduct ourselves as a radical and reckless mob or go on a witch hunt in order to satisfy ulterior motives," he said.

"The public discussions have given rise to a broad examination of the level of integrity and propriety that the public ought to expect from their government and government entities. It is a worthwhile discussion that should in time result in dispelling any mistrust the public might have of government, politicians and of the institutions that serve them if allegations prove to be true following the application of due process and the rule of law," he said.

He said rather than acknowledging that St. Maarten should be given the opportunity to right its own ship and that St. Maarten has already taken numerous steps to enhance integrity, voices from abroad know that nothing erodes trust faster than allegations of corruption. "Circumstances are often such that pretence and untruthfulness are more likely to promote their ends than honesty," he said.

He said integrity should be promoted throughout government. "The great majority of St. Maarten's public servants are good people dedicated to their jobs. That a few should so severely damage the hard won reputation of the whole public sector is deeply saddening."

He said the new government "will also be an open one. We have to finally dispel the thought that government promotes a culture of secrecy where information is scarce and only a few have access and benefit. Government must be open to all. Transparency promotes accountability and an open government promotes efficiency and participation to the benefit of every citizen."

In the meantime in a separate statement Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure Maurice Lake said he supports the implementation of the integrity report recommendations. "We got back the results from the two integrity reports and we just got to implement the recommendations from the two reports. We don't need the outside world to define us," he said in a release issued by the ministry's press secretary Roddy Heyliger.

Lake said the counterpart policy should not be feared adding that stakeholders should work together. "Annually we give out millions of guilders in scholarships and the country needs to get its return on the investment made. Our young people want to work and we should be able to provide them with work once they get the training for the position. They have nowhere else to go but here, and they should be able to find work at home," Lake said.

He reiterated earlier sentiments about raising the bar in parliament and in politics which he identified as one of his goals for the next four years.