Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
PHILIPSBURG--The "immediate resignation" of United People's (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Silvio Matser has been called for by the National Alliance (NA) Board.
The call, issued Tuesday, comes a week after the Court of First Instance sentenced the first-term MP to 24 months, 18 of which were suspended, on three years' probation and 240 hours of community service, for tax evasion. Matser can appeal the sentence.
The opposition party wants Matser to do "the honourable thing" by relinquishing his seat "to the people."
Matser continuing in Parliament "will only block the efforts" by Parliament on "any discussion of tax reform."
"It would be yet another gross injustice and ill representation of the people of St. Maarten to have a convicted Member of Parliament continue to retain his seat in light of such a sentence," said the NA Board. In the last Parliament, convicted MP Louie Laveist served a full term with NA parliamentarians. Laveist was allowed to serve because his case took place prior to the attainment of country status on 10-10-10.
If Matser complies with the NA Board's request, his seat will go to the next highest vote-getter on the UP slate – former Minister Maria Buncamper-Molanus, who is also in court facing criminal charges.
Should Buncamper-Molanus take up the Parliament seat vacated by Matser, the NA Board believes this will lead to the future of Parliament remaining "questionable." The Board questioned in its release whether Buncamper-Molanus would decline the seat "to preserve the integrity of the highest body."
The "confidence" of the country's people in their elected officials "must be regained and maintained." That confidence will help to strengthen and sustain the country's economy, and social and cultural fabric for future generations, said the NA Board.
UP has "failed to show their readiness to govern this country" with its convicted MP and failure to appoint a full Cabinet of seven ministers. "Is this how they were 'Ready?'" the NA board said referring to UP's slogan – "We Ready" – used for the August 29, 2014, Parliamentary Elections.
Within three weeks after the 2014 elections, NA, the Democratic Party ((DP)) and United St. Maarten Party had formed a coalition and created a governing programme. "This was a true example of 'readiness' to govern and to do so with the highest level of integrity," said the Board.
That "red, white and blue" coalition fell apart before it could present its governing programme when then (DP), now independent parliamentarian Cornelius de Weever broke ranks and joined with UP. Later, now former US Party, independent MP Leona Marlin-Romeo left her party and signed on to the UP/De Weever coalition along with (DP) leader MP Sarah Wescot-Williams.
Wescot-Williams left the UP-led coalition in November after party issues with De Weever.
