Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the United Peoples Party (UPP) and formateur Theodore Heyliger has shuffled the deck of cards again as he tries to form the next government. Heyliger submitted some names two weeks ago to the Governor of St. Maarten for those persons to be screened to become Ministers.Two weeks ago the leader of the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot Williams told reporters that MP Cornelius de Weever submitted two names on behalf of the Democratic Party based on the agreement he signed with the leader of the UPP Theodore Heyliger. Wescot Williams announced that the two names MP de Weever submitted was Petrus Leroy De Weever who would have been appointed Minister of VSA (Health, Labour and Social Affairs) and Rita Gumbs as Minister of Education, Sports and Youth Affairs. When Wescot-Williams broke the news MP Lloyd Richardson went ballistic as he was promised the Ministry of VSA if he declared himself independent and left the National Alliance during the last governing period (2010-2014). Even during the 2014 political campaign period SMN News learnt that Heyliger told the "Doc" that their deal still stands. With this promise SMN News understands that MP Lloyd Richardson recruited Silvio Lindo who currently works as senior policy advisor at the Ministry of Justice in Curacao to take up the post as Minister of VSA since he did not want to give up his seat as an MP knowing that the coalition is not solid. According information SMN News received the "Doc" said he was going independent and the formation of another government was in the making. While the "Doc" was thinking about how to move forward with his political career and if he will really be jumping back and forth in Parliament, the UPP leader decided to shuffle the deck again in order to keep the chickens in his coop. The formateur and leader of the UPP held talks with the "Doc" and gave him what he originally promised him, which is the chairperson of parliament and the Ministry of VSA, while he gave De Weever the Ministry of Justice leaving the current Minister of Justice whose name was also submitted out in the cold.SMN News understands that the UPP leader (formateur) even approached caretaker Minister of Finance Martin Hassink and asked him to stay on as Minister of Finance and Hassink agreed to take up the position only to learn via the media that another person's name was submitted to become the Minister of Finance. However, that other person may not pass the screening because of a complaint that was filed against him by a minor.On Wednesday caretaker Minister Martin Hassink made clear that if the person whose name was submitted does not pass the screening process then he will only stay on as Minister of Finance for a period of three months as he prefers to work as an advisor to the government (the position he held prior to taking up the Ministerial post in 2013).SMN News further learnt that several persons that ran on the UPP 2014 slate are up in arms with their party leader because none of them were considered for ministerial positions. A source within the UPP told SMN News that Veronica Jansen-Webster wanted to be Minister of VROMI and her party leader basically asked her if she was crazy. "This has Jansen-Webster very upset because she worked in the Ministry of VROMI for years and also ran on the UPP slate twice while the person who got the position never once postulated herself on any political slate."SMN News further learnt that the constant bickering and stress within the UPP landed its leader Theodore Heyliger in hospital last month. While this was kept hidden, SMN News understands that Heyliger spent two days at the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) and staff of the SMMC stopped his treatment because Heyliger he did not submit his doctor card to the institution in order for SMMC to be paid.
