Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
PHILIPSBURG--The achievements or lack thereof in the first Parliamentary year of the second Parliament came into focus as Members of Parliament (MPs) closed off the 2014-2015 legislative year in Parliament House on Monday. The 2015-2016 year opens today, Tuesday, with much pomp and ceremony.
The call to work together was issued by fraction leaders representing the coalition partners while the two opposition fraction leaders MP William Marlin (National Alliance) and Sarah Wescot-Williams (Democratic Party) were straightforward with their criticism about lack of action by the United People’s (UP) party-led coalition.
Destiny impaired
UP fraction leader MP Franklin Meyers laid the blame for the country’s stagnated growth and development in the past year at the door of The Hague saying that government and Parliament have spent the past year battling instructions and financial constraints due to financial supervision. “We have financial challenges, but our hands are tied on what we are allowed to spend.â€
For the country to overcome its challenges, the people and government need to be able to determine their own destiny and that can only be achieved through “independence,†said Meyers who has been a long-time proponent of independence for St. Maarten. “Independence is the way.â€
He also called attention to the crime situation saying the country had a low crime rate in the past year, but it has escalated to the point where a police officer was gunned down in broad daylight on a busy street. He said MPs and government have to find ways to act immediately and called for the emergency meeting on the crime situation pending since August to be reconvened soon.
Meyers said in spite of the prevailing perception that UP is “corrupt,†his party has been at the forefront of complying with all electoral regulations before and after 2014 Parliamentary elections.
Nothing tangible
NA fraction leader MP Marlin said he “searched and searched†through the actions of government for the past year, but did not find “anything tangible†achieved by the coalition for the people of the country.
Recalling the remarks of Governor Eugene Holiday about government’s plans at the start of the Parliamentary year in September 2014, Marlin said the warning about the country’s “limited fiscal space†was issued, but government did not heed it. “Instead of heeding the call,†government has landed a financial instruction from The Hague to solve its debt to the social funds.
Marlin said other MPs can cry out about not being in control of their destiny, but nothing would change if they do not do anything about it. He said the UP party “run and hide under a rock†when the Dutch Government “flexed one or two muscles†about the establishment of an integrity chamber for the country.
As failures, Marlin pointed out some of the pending projects government had on the book as per the governor’s speech a year ago. Those failures include the still-to-be implemented small claims court, the non-submission to Parliament of the laws to introduce a tourist driver’s licence as an income generator, the intellectual properties bureau, consumer protection bureau, the law to increase the pension age from 60 to 62 and the review of tariffs for the gaming industry.
All of those plans and draft laws have been “missing in action,†said Marlin. “What did the people of St. Maarten get? Nothing†in the past Parliamentary year.
It was “shameful†that government has failed to answer questions when asked and government-owned companies not being transparent.
Poor excuse
DP fraction leader MP Sarah Wescot-Williams called on fellow MPs to work with her to bring electoral reform that remove the blurring of lines between ministers and MPs.
She reminded MPs that their role is “to scrutinize†government and that they still have a tremendous amount of work to do. A number of integrity reports, she added, have pointed out that Parliament is not carrying out its oversight function.
The draft laws to amend the Civil Code to end the abuse of short-term labour contracts and enact protection for timeshare buyers/owners are still pending, Wescot-Williams said. If government does not assist with the legislative process, it can become “cumbersome.â€
The MP chided the coalition for presenting a governing programme to Parliament that is “a poor excuse for a programme†as it lacks structure and a financial chapter among others failings.
Like Marlin, Wescot-Williams also called government out on its tardiness in answering questions from Parliament or, in some cases, its complete disregard of questions.
Raging bull and matadors
Independent Member of Parliament Cornelius de Weever said St. Maarten’s “rich diversity†makes the country great, but is the root of many of its challenges. He reminded the public that MPs work for them and not the other way around. It is the job of MPs to ensure “people are not only surviving, but thriving.â€
De Weever called on all MPs to “serve everyone†as a “united Parliament†with the welfare of the people being paramount. The focus should be on creating employment and securing the future of the country.
He asked his fellow MPs to work on solutions for the country that’s in favour of St. Maarten and not party. To the private sector, he issued a call for everyone to “pay their fair share†as government cannot execute works without funds.
De Weever said the past Parliamentary years has brought to the surface that among the 15 MPs there is “one raging bull†and that the coalition members are “matadors.â€
The majority in Parliament has been trying “to sustain†the country while the minority has been at work “trying to erode it,†De Weever said.
Achievements
Independent MP Leona Marlin-Romeo praised Parliament Chairman Dr. Lloyd Richardson and the secretariat for the work they carried out in the just ended legislative year. Listed among the accomplishments are the upgrade of Parliament’s website and the completion of the secretariat function book.
Marlin-Romeo also pointed out the work of the committees she works on, in particular, that of the Petitions Committee. That committee has worked in the past year to establish its work method and has structured the way in which petitions will be handled.
“It has been a busy year for me,†the MP said as she highlighted some of the changes she has been championing such as the push to get Parliament to get moving on the establishment of a small claims court and for the introduction of a law to make it mandatory for all babies to have a neonatal heel prick.
Aside from the fraction leaders and Parliament Chairman Dr. Lloyd Richardson, present for the meeting were MPs George Pantophlet (NA), Tamara Leonard, Johan Leonard and Maurice Lake (UP).
Absent with notice from the year closure meeting were MPs Silveria Jacobs (NA), Frans Richardson (United St. Maarten Party) and Theo Heyliger (UP). Absent without notice were MPs Silvio Matser (UP) and Christophe Emmanuel (NA).
