Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
Today's Parliament meeting regarding the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) promises to be an interesting one. Last week the public learned that the Supervisory Board had requested that government accountant bureau SOAB carry out an "independent forensic investigation" and had placed director Henry Lynch plus two other managers on non-active duty pending its outcome.
However, then still VROMI minister and shareholder representative Maurice Lake intervened and put the probe on hold, saying the board's decision had been premature and not in keeping with proper procedure. He accused one board member of basically acting on his own and misleading another board member who was ill to support him.
Attorney Bloem on behalf of the Supervisory Board subsequently demanded that Lake correct his "erroneous statements." The latter, himself a former SMHDF board member in the past, so far has declined to do so.
The news led to immediate parliamentary questions by DP leader Sarah Wescot-Williams to Minister Lake. Independent (former US Party) parliamentarian Leona Marlin later requested help in calling for a meeting with the three management members in question to get to the bottom of the controversy.
The plenary session now called was requested by two NA fraction members, US Party leader Frans Richardson and Wescot-Williams. The convocation –understandably – makes no mention of inviting either the suspended trio or the board.
Instead, it is logically the politically responsible VROMI minister who will be expected to provide clarify in the legislature. The problem is that Lake no longer occupies that function as of Friday, while new Prime Minister and interim VROMI Minister Marcel Gumbs might not be the best person to ask, as he may not know all the details – at least yet – and could find it difficult to defend his predecessor's policy in this matter.
Anyhow, it will be interesting to see how the UP/De Weever/Marlin-Romeo coalition handles what could prove a ticklish issue, also considering that Lake is currently part of the UP fraction in the legislature. What the people need to know sooner rather than later is whether indeed there were irregularities and what measures will be taken against those responsible as well as to prevent a reoccurrence.
