Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
PHILIPSBURG--The United People’s (UP)-led coalition has failed to show exactly what it is ready for, as its election campaign “We Ready†stated, said National Alliance (NA) Members of Parliament on Wednesday. They called on the governing coalition to present a “unified approach,†to table its long-overdue governing programme and appoint the two missing ministers.
NA leader MP William Marlin said at a press conference in Parliament House on Wednesday that UP members had proven only they were ready to take care of themselves and “to cut more deals and use the infrastructure†for their own personal enterprises.
In his estimation, UP is not ready “to bring much needed changes†to the country’s infrastructure and to tackle social ills.
The people of the country are “tired†of not hearing from government about its plans, as MPs are not receiving requested information from the Council of Ministers, government-owned companies and government-related foundations, he said.
Marlin said NA and the country “had hoped for†a complete cabinet of ministers, but this still was not the case almost 100 days after the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet took office.
On developments at the now government-owned Industry and Golden Rock Plantations (commonly called Emilio Wilson Estate), Marlin said he “never signed an agreement with the former owners to build houses on a part of the estate they still hold.â€
Marlin called out United St. Maarten (US) party leader MP Frans Richardson for saying on a recent radio programme that he supported the Rainforest Adventures project on the estate. This was totally contradictory to Richardson’s stance on the estate in the past, which was parallel to the view of environmental activist Rueben Thompson who was on the (US) party list.
Marlin called for proper information to be given by government about a memorandum of understanding signed by utilities company GEBE with a company in the Dominican Republic. He understands the agreement is for the purchase of fuel and the company’s shareholders are “local politicians or people.â€
NA deputy leader MP Silveria Jacobs expressed disappointment in the coalition for not presenting a governing programme to steer the country’s development and progress for the 2014-2018 governing period.
She pointed out that the ill-fated “red, white and blue coalition,†formed directly after the September 2014 Parliamentary elections had had a government programme ready within three weeks of its formation. The programme was in its final stages when that coalition collapsed.
Government should “come to Parliament soon to say what they will do†for the country. People should not have to wait for reaction from government when situations occur, she said; rather they should be clear on government’s goals. “The people did not elect us to wait. … This is an insult to the people of St. Maarten.â€
Jacobs asked when Parliament would be receiving the reports on the state of education in the country that date back to 2011.
When will the two missing ministers of the cabinet be appointed? And what is the hold-up with the candidates for the post? These are questions Jacobs wants the coalition and government to answer. She said word was that even UP members were questioning the state of affairs and the hold-up with the ministers.
MP George Pantophlet (NA) said St. Maarten was “facing tremendous challenges†and its “people are struggling.â€
One burden is the rapidly increased cost of fuel. He blamed some of the “fixed fuel cost†build-up on the shareholders of SOL Gas, pointing to some family in the community benefiting from price-fixing.
Pantophlet called for issues about the functioning of the Tax Department Audit Section Head to be dealt with before staff members became more frustrated.
Government needs to give information on the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) financials and the way the foundation has chosen to award booths in Festival Village for the Carnival season, said Pantophlet. He cited the situation of one disenfranchised long-time booth-holder.
The 70-year-old woman had a booth for 19 years, but was denied one this year due to “hygiene issues.†He said that on inquiry at the Hygiene Department, no report existed.
“Leadership is lacking in government,†said NA parliamentarian Christophe Emmanuel. “One individual controls government.†After he referred to the “one individual†several times a member of the press requested that he name the individual and eventually he said it was UP leader MP Theo Heyliger.
Emmanuel also decried the ministers for their inability to obtain information from government entities as requested by Parliament.
On the Parliament front, he is not amused that NA has requested an “urgent meeting†about the Checkmate Security contract, but to date the meeting has not been put on the agenda of Parliament.
NA is “ready to govern,†as the country is “in crisis.†The coalition is “busy cutting deals†while “one individual holds the country hostage. In any other country, that would be called a dictatorship,†said Emmanuel.
