Philipsburg: --- Commissioner of ROB, GEBE, and Environmental Affairs Theo Heyliger has pulled his support from the current National Alliance/ Heyliger and Laviest executive council. SMN News learnt that Heyliger met with some of his supporters over the weekend where he informed them he intended to leave government to form his own party for the upcoming country election.On Monday afternoon after the island council meeting was adjourned Heyliger began cleaning out his office. Even though the commissioner has taken those steps he is yet to officially notify the chairman of the island council Franklyn Richards. SMN News understands that Heyliger told the chairman of the island council on Monday afternoon that he would submit his letter of resignation during the course of this week.
SMN News has been reliably informed that the Governor and chairman of the island council was fully aware on Monday morning that Heyliger was about to pull his support from government and he is just waiting for Heyliger to follow the regular administrative procedures.
SMN News understands that Heyliger claims to have issues with the current executive council because they have voted on removing the management of ROB based on the SOAB report. The source said the commissioner has refused to prepare an advice for the executive council for the contractors who won the garbage collection bid.
It is understood that four of the existing garbage collectors submitted their bid for the collection of garbage but Clean St. Maarten has lost the bid. It is alleged that the owner of Clean St. Maarten is close friends with the commissioner and he is angry at the outcome of the bidding.
The source said that Heyliger was purposely delaying the process to see if he could manipulate the system to further include Clean St. Maarten in garbage collection.
In an email to SMN News when this story was published Heyliger said the advice for the contract for the garbage collection would be submitted to the executive council within the next two or three weeks. The commissioner further said that the executive council has decided to extend the current contracts to up to June 2010.
Another concern they said Heyliger has is about the 1% turn over tax increase the National Alliance has proposed. While Heyliger was heard saying he would not support such he is yet to make known his opinion on the increase of turn over tax, neither has he given a suggestion as to how government should balance the 2010 budget.
SMN News further learnt from well placed sources that Heyliger has been trying his best to convince independent island council member Louie Laviest to throw down the government, but Laveist has refused to do so.
The source said they had the opportunity to read some of the text messages Heyliger sent to Laveist hoping to convince him to destabilize government. However, Laveist would not confirm neither has he denied if the commissioner was trying to convince him to take away his support from the current government and to join him in his dream party. Reacting on this statement Heyliger said he never sent any text messages to Laveist neither has he spoken to the embattled island council member about pulling his support from the National Alliance.
Some political pundits said that Heyliger has to create a problem with the National Alliance so that he can begin his political campaign. They said the Democratic Party does not have a seat in Parliament and their members are busy resigning and as such Heyliger has to end his marriage with the current government to gain credibility. "How can a man be in a house with his wife and call her a bitch?" Heyliger will be running against the National Alliance in country election so to campaign against them and be in the same house with them would not be good says the political strategist.
While several persons had doubts that Heyliger would leave the current executive council since he did everything to stay in government. One politician said Heyliger would not give up the harbor neither would he bring an end to his road projects. "Its all about who would control the harbor and Theo would not give that up said another pundit.
In the email the commissioner said he wants to see what SMN News would write when he is not part of the decision making. Asked if that is a confirmation that he intends to pull his support from the current executive council and if is the reason he cleaned out his office on Monday, the commissioner said he would not comment on that.
It should be also noted that even though Heyliger has formed the current government with the National Alliance and Independent member of the island council Louie Laveist a governing accord is yet to be signed by him and the leader of the National Alliance.
