PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (the "SHTA"), the largest private business representative on the island, stresses the urgency in having the Electoral Council (the "EC") becoming functional as soon as possible. With the 2014 elections around the corner it is imperative that the EC is able to carry out the tasks that it has been entrusted with i.e. facilitating the registration of political parties wishing to participate in the elections, financial supervision of party campaign funds etc. Even though the 'Landsverordering Registratie en Financien Politieke Partijen' (the "National Ordinance") prescribes an EC, to date, the long awaited appointments of EC members have not been made.
It is commendable of Parliament to have passed a motion on regulating campaign paraphernalia and combating vote buying, in cash or in barter, via the drafting of legislation, but without an EC the recent call from Parliament requesting Government to prepare the accompanying legislation may be pointless. In accordance with the National Ordinance the EC is an entity which operates independently of Parliament and Government. A political party wishing to take part in the next election will have to submit a written request to be registered to the EC. They will only be registered if they comply with the requirements as set forth by the National Ordinance. Amongst other things registered political parties are required to submit an annual report outlining the organizational makeup of their parties, the amount of contributing members, the financial outline of contribution fees accumulated each year and the annual activities. In addition they have to submit a detailed financial report, which show amongst others an overview of the income and expenses. The EC ensures that these reports are available to the public for inspection.
As was suggested by the SHTA in their April article, individuals that are campaigning should be required to make public certain information as it pertains to the election process, including sources and amounts of campaign donations in cash, services and in kind. Candidates should make public their business interests and either take positions that don't have conflicts of interest or dissociate from those investment prior to taking office. Candidates should declare after the election how the money was spent. When elected, these officials should be focused on developing criteria, transparency, policy, legislation and oversight.
The people of St. Maarten should be able to hold their elected representatives to the highest ethical and moral standards. Qualifications and experience are to be properly evaluated when selecting the best man, or woman, for the job. With regard to any future elections, the SHTA considers electoral reform an absolute must to safeguard the democratic rights of the people of St. Maarten when choosing a government to represent them. One whose goals are solely focused on the best interests of the country as a whole, and not just in the short run but also in the long run.
Not having a fully functional EC in place can hamper the electoral process and result in a repeat of forgone years when the oversight of the political parties was minimal. This creates a discrepancy in the intention to elect the right people for the right purpose instead of for financial reasons. The EC is yet another essential tool in ensuring that democracy and the chosen government adheres to the corporate good governance, accountability and transparency. These traits lead to consistency which paves the way for true sustainable development.
The SHTA is dedicated to bringing quality to all aspects of life on St. Maarten by promoting sustainable economic development for its members in cooperation with the social partners and the creation of a fair marketplace. For more information please contact our offices at 542-0108 or visit our website at www.shta.com.
