~ Stop misleading for popularity ~
PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Lyndon Lewis on Friday strongly criticized MP Sjamira Roseburg's approach to politics, calling it "a poor representation for those she claims to be fighting for." He condemned what he described as her self-serving style of representation, equating it to a popularity contest. "Representation cloaked in self-interest is no kind of representation at all," he asserted.
Lewis’s remarks came in response to a press article released by Roseburg, in which she implied that his recent absence from Parliament was due to negligence. "The message she was trying to send is that I was somehow failing in my duties to my people,” Minister Lewis stated.
Clarifying the circumstances, Lewis noted, “No meeting was cancelled—they were postponed, as often happens in government. I would like to remind MP Roseburg that I am not only the Minister of Justice but also the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports, a Member of Parliament, and the Vice-Chair of the same Justice Committee that she chairs.”
Minister Lewis highlighted the demands of his dual ministerial roles. “I have been working nonstop for six months, managing two of the largest ministries in government. I fell ill and have been unwell for some time but continued fulfilling my responsibilities to the best of my abilities. When I returned, numerous pending matters across both ministries required my immediate attention, approvals, and other preparations,” he explained.
Lewis also took issue with Roseburg’s insinuations, particularly given the support he has shown for her coalition despite not being part of it. “Even as an MP, I have consistently maintained a steady pace of work for the people of St. Maarten. I’ve shown support for her coalition, a coalition I am not currently part of," he stated. "For the MP to issue these insinuations is not only unfounded but also reflects poorly on her priorities, especially since she was more focused on personal matters during our last conversation than on any concerns of justice for the people."
Lewis further revealed that Roseburg had personally inquired about her outstanding invoices for legal work for the government. "She called me on Thursday wanting to see me on this issue and I told her, on speaker phone with colleagues present, the meeting due to time constraints with my schedule could not happen. And that is the reason she issued her statements, because her invoices couldn’t' be addressed in an audience with the Minister," Lewis explained.
According to the Minister, he consulted on the matter of the outstanding invoices for MP Roseburg’s work as a lawyer for government and was made aware of a constitutional issue:
Lewis explained that Article 53, paragraph 3 of the Constitution, in section 3a of the aforementioned paragraph of the Constitution, a member of Parliament may not work as a lawyer or counsel in legal actions in which the Country is involved. In section 3c of the mentioned paragraph, of the Constitution forbids the parliamentarian-lawyer/counsel from accepting a contract for work for the country (nor stand as surety for such work or participate therein either directly or indirectly).
This presents an apparent conflict of interest, particularly given her role as chair of a parliamentary committee." He added, “One of her former clients who was also an MP and chaired a committee of Parliament was convicted in part for supposedly leveraging such influence. I am required to carefully review this issue before any government payments can be made to her, which, unfortunately, seems to be her priority at the moment.”
Lewis noted that he typically avoids responding to divisive tactics, but Roseburg’s actions crossed a line. “This holier-than-thou approach while concealing personal motives is disappointing. MP Roseburg seems to thrive on creating media spectacles, announcing her expectations for meetings before they occur and pressuring others publicly. When unforeseen events like illness arise, she rushes to the media to paint a false narrative. Her 'look at me' attitude and fixation on media popularity over responsible governance should concern those she claims to represent,” Lewis concluded.
