People are fed up and wants to know what the UPP was Ready to do.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The four members of parliament from the National Alliance faction told reporters during a press briefing on Wednesday that they would like to know what the United Peoples Party was ready for when they campaigned in 2014 Parliamentary elections and won seven of the 15 parliamentary seats. Leader of the National Alliance William Marlin said it's very much unfortunate that the party that claimed they were ready cannot even produce a governing program or have a full cabinet in place to run the affairs of the people. "Both the people of St. Maarten and the National Alliance wants to know what the UPP was ready for, were they ready to govern the country and bring about the changes necessary in health care, social assistance, education, and improve the run-down infrastructure? As the National Alliance analyze the political situation, it's clear that those on the UP slate were only ready for themselves. They were ready to cut more deals and conduct their own private business, while using the infrastructure of government as their personal business enterprise to carry out their own agenda. Right now the people of St. Maarten are hopeless, they are tired of what they are getting, and they are also tired of what they are hearing and what they are not hearing from government."
Marlin said on the part of Government there is a tremendous silence and when Ministers are called to Parliament they are not ready to provide the answers and information Parliament requested. "The Ministers constantly would say they did not get the information, or they simply cannot provide the information that they were asked to submit to Parliament." Marlin said when they consulted with some of the Government owned companies they are told they are still waiting on government to approve certain things for them. Marlin said that one would think that after the formation process took place a complete cabinet would have been installed and a governing program would have been made available to the people and to parliament.
Deputy Leader of the National Alliance Silveria Jacobs in her remarks said the most burning issue at this present moment is the lack of a governing program. MP Jacobs said three weeks after the August 29th elections the first coalition was able to put a governing program in place which was based on strategic objectives that were linked to each Ministry.
She said that the current coalition is in office for almost one hundred days and to date there is no governing program which would allow parliament to hold a sensible debate. She said while the current coalition is in government for about three months the people went to the polls over five months now and they are still waiting to see progress, and to hear from their government. MP Jacobs said all the people are hearing about are the 'pet' projects of the UP Members and their coalition partners. She said on Wednesday morning she was listening to MP Frans Richardson who was on a radio program who said that he participated in the 2014 parliamentary elections because he wanted to get the opportunity to govern his country and he could not do so from the opposition benches. "When I listened to the MP I see there are people with their own objectives and I don't see a unified approach as to how this coalition would run the country, this is indeed a grave concern for the people of this country." MP Jacobs said she believes that government must go to Parliament and inform both the people and parliament what their goals are and what they aim to achieve within the next four years or at least this Parliamentary year. She said they want to know what is government's priority because the first coalition had that clearly outlined in their governing program as well as to how they had intended to secure the finances to execute their vision.
Furthermore, MP Jacobs said that it is almost impossible for one Minister to hold the Education, Health and Labor portfolios for so long since both of them are very heavy portfolios. MP Jacobs said they asked about the state of education on St. Maarten and they were promised to them, she said that since 2011 this was promised and to date it is not delivered. She said the current situation is an insult to the people of St. Maarten and it's time for the government to start acting responsively because they were elected to represent all the people of St. Maarten.
MP Christopher Emmanuel said that it is clear that the current coalition does not have any leadership. "There is one individual "Theo Heyliger" that has been controlling government." Emmanuel said that was blatant in the Parliamentary meeting held on Tuesday to discuss the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation. He said it is impossible that the Prime Minister would tell Parliament that he could not get information from a foundation for the past three months to submit to Parliament. He questioned the type of leadership St. Maarten has. He said Marcel Gumbs is the Prime Minister that holds the Housing portfolio yet he is saying he cannot obtain the information Parliament requested. "This is the person heading the Council of Ministers and is responsible for housing yet he says he cannot obtain information. That shows that something is wrong with leadership in St. Maarten." Emmanuel said it's been three weeks now the National Alliance submitted a request to the chair of Parliament requesting an urgent meeting of Parliament to further discuss Checkmate Security and the St. Maarten Harbor Group of Companies and to date the chair of parliament has not scheduled the meeting. He said he listed a number of questions regarding the contract because it is not normal for a government owned company to amend a valid contract and increase its fees for that company by $2M. Emmanuel said that the strategy from the current coalition is to keep the matter quiet and soon enough people will forget. He made clear that will not happen because the National Alliance will continue to hammer issue until they get the answers they need. He said the people of St. Maarten has a right to know what is taking place in their country. Emmanuel said that there are number of issues affecting St. Maarten especially when it comes to government owned companies and the services they are offering to its people. "This country is being controlled by one individual and that person is Theo Heyliger who campaigned that the UP was ready, one thing I can say is that the National Alliance is ready to govern this country and to move it forward. People can laugh as much as they want but one must know that St. Maarten is facing a crisis because the country is lacking leadership. The current coalition is busy cutting deals in Santo Domingo with Rainforest Adventures and they are not addressing the issues affecting the people. It is unfortunate that the individual that is holding the country hostage is no longer a visionary, and I really believe in any other democratic country that would be called dictatorship."
MP George Pantophlet said that he too listened to MP Richardson who was on the radio trying to dance his way out of why he supported the current coalition. MP Pantophlet said that the people of St. Maarten are suffering while politicians are pursuing their personal agendas. He said it's clear to everyone that only one set of people benefitting from the economy. MP Pantophlet said after he spoke about the high fuel costs for months if not years it decreased somewhat but in less than one month the same fuel clause begin increasing rapidly. MP Pantophlet said he submitted a letter to the Minister of Economic Affairs asking some specific questions and so far he did not get a response from the Minister. MP Pantophlet said when one look at the high cost of living including gasoline and other merchandize it is clear that those that are benefitting at the mercy of the people will not change their modus oprandi. The MP said that there is $20.00 on the GEBE bill which they said will not be removed. He said they know exactly who is benefitting from these monies.
MP Pantophlet said the National Alliance intends to call the Minister of Finance to Parliament for him to explain to the people of St. Maarten why he has someone on the job who openly admitted that he cannot handle the job he is given. MP Pantophlet said very soon the workers at inspectorate of taxes (audit department) will take industrial actions because they cannot get along with the head of the department who made clear that he cannot handle his job. Due to this the workers and the current head are at loggerheads because he is making policies that are in conflict with the LLMA.
The Member of Parliament said that when the former government was in office an MOU was signed with SOAB for internal controls but as soon as the government changed that MOU was abandoned, basically they dismantled the department and the person who was working there was sent back to her former function. Pantophlet said that during one of the central committee meetings they were told that two financial controllers left and to date the positions are not filled. These are some things the Minister of Finance will have to explain to parliament very soon.
Another issue MP Pantophlet raised is the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SMCDF). He said that 70 year woman who held a booth for 19 years was denied one this year,. He said the person was not given a warning, but she was told that she could not get a booth because of hygienic reasons, yet they did not put anything in writing. MP Pantophelt further stated that the SMCDF will soon have to open their books to Parliament.
Leader of the National Alliance William Marlin further explained that he understood that government signed a long lease with Rainforest Adventure for part of Emilio Wilson Estate. He said he did not see the long lease, but he is curious to know the price of the long lease that was signed especially knowing how much government paid for the estate that was supposed to be the people's patrimony. Marlin said he is also looking forward to hear what the acting Minister of VROMI will say about that when he is called to Parliament especially knowing that government wanted to buy the VORST Estate for $495 per square meter.
