I smell a rat was my reaction when reading the front page lead story of Thursday February 20, 2014 newspapers. The leader of the UP party MP Theo Heyliger threatened to once again plunge St Maarten in political turmoil by pulling his support from Government, which he controls. Mind you, not in the interest of St Maarten people but mainly in the interest of the Curacao born and residing central bank president and a few curacao dominated central bank board members. UP leader, Theo Heyliger is threatening to make the ultimate political sacrifice in the interest of those well to do, high flying exclusive clubs members from Curacao.
What irks me the most, is that we (St. Maarten) has never and will never see and hear a curacao politician stand up for St. Maarten and its people the way up leader MP Theo Heyliger is standing up for the country curacao.
Suspicious (to say the least) is his silence regarding the mass termination and abuse of the RBC workers whom are being exploited and taken advantage of. But that all seems to sit well with the UP party supported government. The lack of representation by this government in the interest of the St. Maarten people but in particular the UP leader MP Theo Heyliger leaves much to be desired. Where is the people's Government when it comes to defending the RBC workers? Why is Government not standing up against the blatant abuse of power by RBC? I am disgusted that this UP led Government continues to lend support to RBC by granting them cooperation for persons to land on this island with a work permit in their hand and a secured job at RBC, knowing that the task of this work permit holding RBC immigrant, is to rid the company of born St Maarteners, and born to be here Naturalized employees and other law abiding legalized employees whom have made St Maarten their home and RBC the success that it is today.
How can any self-respecting Government allow someone to land on this island with a work permit in their hand, knowing that person's task is to destroy the security, stability and well fair of the St Maarten people at RBC? Something smells to the high heavens. Something is wrong with this picture. How come the UP leader Mr. Theo Heyliger is aware of the central bank director's plight, despite the fact that the director resides all the way in Willemstad, But MP Heyliger is oblivious to the plight of the RBC mother, daughter, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, while these folks live right here in St. Maarten? How come the leader of the UP MP Theo Heyliger, isn't standing up and saying to government, "I will pull my support from the coalition if government doesn't represent the RBC workers". These people have children to feed, mortgages and all kinds of loans to pay back, bills to pay, GEBE light and water, school fees and the list goes on and on.
The people are not amused at your treats and they are certainly not impressed. As a matter of fact a large portion of the population placed the UP leader threat in the "class representation" category. The now retrenched RBC mothers and fathers cannot and does not eat and drink caviar with the UP leader and his party. The worker of RBC cannot play around with bonds to finance the expansion of the hospital, neither can they float a bond to finance the garbage incinerator, so as far as the UP leader MP Theo Heyliger is concerned, the RBC workers can go to hell in a hand basket. They will not receive proper representation from this sitting UP lead government. This to me equals "class representation".
I refuse to support a call by the UP leader MP Theo Heyliger, to throw St Maarten in political termite for Fourth time, because of the Curacao central bank president and a Curacao dominated central bank board members. But I publicly support a vote of none confident in this UP lead Government for the following:
Government refuses to represent the RBC mother daughters and father.
Government refuses to call RBC to order
Government refused to represent the dismissed "Simpson Bay resort workers.
Government refused to inform the people of St Maarten that they would raise prices across the board in order to finance the cause way.
Government refused to inform the people of St Maarten that they would increase the SZV premiums by 100 %.
Based on the above, I call for a public vote of none confidence in this UP led coalition government.
MP Louie Laveist
National Alliance
