PHILIPSBURG:--- The OSPP has read with great interest the article from the leadership of the Democratic Party of St. Maarten to invite external observers to observe our upcoming 2014 election. "This call came as a total surprise to the nation from our Honorable Prime Minister Mrs. Sarah Wescot-Williams as she has not provided any form of proof of fraudulent acts from the last election in 2010 or any prior election", says Lenny Priest Leader of the OSPP.
We have heard of "vote buying" in previous elections and that measures are being taken to control that. But above and beyond that we are not aware of any other serious infringements in our electoral systems that may tilt the election in the direction of any one of the political parties. We have therefore sent a letter to the honorable Prime Minister, Mrs. Wescot-Williams asking her to bare it all to the nation. Let us know what you know and if you truly have some facts of fraudulent acts that have taken place in the past and may occur again in the upcoming election. And if you want all the politicians, members of parliament and the general public to support your call then reveal what you know to the people. Anything short of that, we will call your request for external observers a bluff and that you were only looking for political mileage at the expense of the people, a very serious development.
We would then hold you accountable for all damages that you have caused to the good name of St. Maarten as it pertains to holding elections. We are the envy of the region and would not allow you to make such a statement without facts.
As a nation we already have to endure all the bad publicity regarding alleged corruption and other wrong doings within our government. We are going through various integrity investigations and if that is not enough to have to deal with alleged fraudulent electoral acts because of your call for external observers for our election.
We have also asked our honorable Prime Minister if she has discussed this plan to bring in external observers with her coalition partner the United People Party and what is their take on it.
"This is the first time that the OSPP will be contesting an election", says Lenny Priest "and we would hate to believe that our first election will be clouded with various types of allegations of fraud". The nation has the right to know of any plans to sabotage our 2014 elections or of any actual election fraud that took place in the past that may have tilted the election in the hands of one of the political parties that have contested the election in the past. A change must come and now is the time for the change.
OSPP Press Release