Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
DAWN BEACH--Democratic Party ((DP)) candidate hotelier Emil Lee has called on the "opposition" in Parliament, which now includes his party leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams, to form "a united coalition" to provide "quality opposition in Parliament."
Lee was the 12th highest vote getter out of 90 candidates who contested the August 29 Parliamentary Elections and was the third highest vote getter of his party. He failed to gain a seat in Parliament as (DP) maintained its two seats in the legislature.
His statement about the formation of an opposition bloc comes as Wescot-Williams tendered her resignation Thursday as Parliament Chairwoman. That resignation was the result of (DP) minister candidates not being submitted for screening. Lee was the party's candidate for Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour.
(DP)'s candidates were not submitted by formateur of the new cabinet United People's (UP) party leader MP Theo Heyliger. Instead, (DP) Parliamentarian Cornelius de Weever's minister candidates were submitted. De Weever joined with the seven UP parliamentarians on October 3 to form the current coalition that later was supported by Wescot-Williams and independent MP Leona Marlin-Romeo.
Lee said in a press statement he issued on Sunday, "It has been reported to me that some politicians felt that it would be too disruptive to have me as a minister."
The reason for that feeling, according to Lee, is that he would have put ministerial budgets in line with regularly updated reporting on expenditures, develop a clear Ministerial Business/development plan with updates, develop and implement a clear departmental travel and expenditure policy, be transparent on all ministry expenditures, revise the public tender procedures to allow small and micro businesses to participate in government projects, make government-issued licences and permits like for buses, taxis and vending public record and review of ministerial expenditures to see where savings and improved efficiency could be achieved.
Lee said he entered the political arena, because he believed that real change for St. Maarten would only come from real change in government and that government would only change from within. "It is unrealistic to expect the beneficiaries of a broken system to change that system."
Lee said he will continue to make contributions by supporting the (DP)'s opposition efforts in Parliament. "When and if the time comes that (DP) can find its goals of open government in a governing coalition, I will also be able to support this as well."
"It is my HOPE that our current cast of political players will put the interests of St. Maarten above the political games which are destructive to St. Maarten and only serves to deteriorate the people's already sceptical perceptions of the stability, sincerity and effectiveness of government," he said.
