I usually do not read blogs as I feel that anonymous journalist are not due my time. However, my Mom is an avid reader of the blog and upon her request I read a few and noticed a certain trend. The trend being that persons out there (probably 3 or 4 making multiple post under different names) are claiming that William Marlin and the other 3 Ministers are power hungry for not resigning right away. Hearing this I thought back and wondered if these people really know what power hungry means.
Let's start with Mr. Heyliger, you almost never hear how power hungry this gentleman is. In a recent article Theo claimed that William was holding on to power even though he lost his majority. This made me laugh because I can remember Theo openly campaigning against Sarah even though they were in the very same party as she and him publicly attacked each other fighting for the leadership of the party.
Theo even went as far as breaking with the DP on not one but two occasions in order to maintain his seat as a Commissioner only to run back home or in the second case to form the UP. Both these occasions were not about the people but to maintain his power. As in the second case, he left office to campaign for the 2010 elections months before the election.
Theo is also accused of trying to buy support on several occasions in the past, though none have ever been proven. Recently, MP Laville accused him trying to bribe him with first $250,000 and then he raised the price to $350,000. The Bada Bing tape was also allegedly created in order to blackmail Patrick Illidge into breaking the Government. I wonder why the bloggers ignore these facts and are blind to his hunger of power.
The Prime Minister also has a similar history, first she publicly fought with her candidate on her list and she has continuously made decisions with the sole purpose of maintaining her power. She even sacrificed Maria Buncamper in order to stay in power.
First the PM refused to execute a legal vote to dissolve parliament and call new elections. The PM also refused to allow the Constitutional Court to mediate a broad based solution with all three parties. Even the church got involved calling all 3 leaders together but not even that worked. So even the most biased observer must admit that this is about power and not about the people as they so want to us to believe.
Recently, a letter from the Governor was published clearly indicating that the actions taken by the Council of Ministers were correct and within their right, yet she totally ignored the letter in an attempt to remain Prime Minister. Now if this isn't power hungry I don't know what is.
In the last election, her party got just over 2000 votes most of them her personal votes. A party that used to claim as much as 6000 votes a few elections ago, yet for some strange reason she was appointed Prime Minister. That Government lost its majority in Parliament and she maintained her request to remain Prime Minister which was granted. Now again her Government has fallen and yet again it is said she will remain Prime Minister, again no doubt a request from the DP.
In all the years I have followed politics I have never heard of William Marlin as much as asking a DP or UP member to cross the aisle, no mention of offering them money, bribing them or sacrificing his party member to remain or gain power. Yet on the blogs, you see many comments about his lust for power.
Again this week, William tendered his resignation in the best interest of St. Maarten but not one media house carried the story as positive. The NA leader in the past has also lost the majority and has always walked away, even sometimes being criticized for not fighting harder. Now as he has decided to dissolve a Parliament which anyone who is paying attention can see is not functioning, he and the others are accused of holding on to power.
Seeing the above facts (check them if you think I lie), you must admit that if anyone is power hungry it is most definitely not William Marlin but more likely Theo Heyliger and Sarah Wescot William. I challenge anyone to come to a different conclusion.
Kendall Dupersoy
