Philipsburg: --- The National Alliance slate with its five members and the support of island councilman Louie Laveist will be taking over government so says party leader William Marlin at a press conference with his other island council members yesterday at Parliament Building. Several long standing members of the party made sure they came out to hear for themselves what Marlin had to say to the media. For some of them it was the first time they are being updated on the current development on the island. Marlin said the island is in constitutional crisis since there has been no government in office these past days. Marlin said the Government of St. Maarten has collapsed which placed the island in a constitutional limbo for the second week. "Members of the Democratic Party have reportedly cleared their office of large number of bags and boxes of documents. Had the DP had a government they would not have cleared their offices and putting it in bags."
"This territory is without a legitimate government. The Democratic Party executive council has thrown this country into deepening crisis and have manifestly incapable of solving the crisis they created." Marlin said that the vacuum that now exists should not be allowed to continue since the island cannot afford the DP failed government who continues to ignore the political and economical crisis the island is now facing. This situation would place the island under higher supervision as was the case before also with a DP disastrous government.
Should higher supervision be allowed would reduce the power of the executive council as mere puppets, the National Alliance leader explained. Marlin said with such developments facing St. Maarten is too heartening for anyone to even think of. "St. Maarten and its politicians would then become the laughing stock of the Netherlands Antilles, The Hague and the wider Caribbean region. Adding to this St. Maarten is unlikely to graduate to country status within the Kingdom under a DP government. The transition to country status which is scheduled for 2010 would also be cancelled as was the case last year. The Hague is likely to take such decision due to the familiar questions about good governance, integrity and ineptitude surrounding the DP administration. Marlin said that every St. Maartener dream of country within the Kingdom will be in jeopardy, something one cannot, and must not allow to happen.
Marlin said based on circumstances the National Alliance can enjoy the majority in the island council. Which means the National Alliance is now in a legitimate constitutional position to form the government of St. Maarten. He said his intention is to bring this reality to the Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards on Monday. Doing so would be in the long term interest for the people of St. Maarten. He said he hopes this would be immediately being constituted so that they can bring about solutions to the many problems which the Democratic Party government is incapable of solving.
Marlin said that given the political and economical crisis that is facing St. Maarten his team is willing to cross political lines in moving the country forward. He said he met with commissioner Louie Laveist after he made his declaration on supporting the National Alliance and Laveist he said made clear he was not looking for administrative positions knowing what he is facing. However, the councilman has given the National Alliance 100% of his support to form a new government. Laveist has declared himself an independent member of the island council and this would allow him to vote for whomever he chooses.
Marlin also said many will ask if it is not risky for him to form a government with someone who is accused of forgery. However, there is no formal charge laid against the commissioner. He said he maybe accused of saying one is innocent until proven guilty because this situation would benefit his party but the case he said is not the same as Maria Buncamper Molanus who committed a blatant conflict of interest.
Marlin also said the Minister of Justice David Dick was a suspect at one time and he was cleared of all charges. ‘Basically Laveist is not a member of the National Alliance and since he is willing to give his support to the National Alliance so a new government can be formed it will be accepted. "I believe that it is good practice to ask the commissioner to resign from the island council but to ask him to resign from the island council is far fetched." He said that he welcomed the support from all the island council members since they do not intend to sit back and leave the island in a ciaos. Marlin said it would be better for them to cross the channel in a leaky boat rather than a sinking ship. He felt trying to cross on a leaky boat would be better for St. Maarten.
Marlin said he is also having excessive discussions with commissioner Theo Heyliger who is also interested in being part of the National Alliance government. But so far Heyliger did not sign the governing accord. "I am not telling you that I have a governing accord signed as yet but that will come soon." The discussions are still ongoing but just in case Heyliger changes his mind his party would go over to plan B." He said the more members they get would be in the best interest of the island.
The National Alliance leader said he already discussed this situation with the Lt. Governor on at least two occasions but on Monday he would be laying out the facts on paper and have it delivered to the Lt. Governor. In that request he said he would request an island council meeting to deal with the process.
National Government
Asked if his party is considering the option of having a national government, Marlin quickly said what is taking place today is not the same as a campaign managers namely Michael Ferrier had approached him with the idea and for the sake of St. Maarten he decided that he would go along. Marlin said that his faction did not make any type of demands in breaking up the government.
"After drafting a governing according and sending it to the party leader we received an email saying that saying we can forget the idea since the DP would stand to loose one of their commissioners something that was not in the best interest of the party. He said he was making a bug sacrifice as political party but felt that this situation could not continue.
Marlin said that he never disclosed this information which he said played out behind closed doors. He said he often said that commissioners are willing to go to heaven but they are not willing to die. Meaning these commissioners want to remain in a DP government and yet able to be part of another government. Marlin said he feels that if a commissioner is not happy with the DP government their option is to leave and go to heaven with another government.
Status Change
"For those persons who may have questions about the status change I want to remind you that William Marlin and the National Alliance team has always been on team St. Maarten." He said his party's belief is that attaining country status is bigger than any one politician or political party. He agreed that there are things that they did not fully agree with and would have liked to see done differently but felt they were all involved in negotiation.
Marlin said for years they were given a bunch of excuses as to why the island could not become a country within the Kingdom. Furthermore when the Dutch had agreed to let this happens the objective was to get an agreement. He said he want the people to know that the people that are on the team will remain since there has been one team put in place.
He said that he attended all the RTC meetings. He also reminded the media he never bad talked the island leader simply because he never intended to derail the process even though enough was not done locally.