Philipsburg:--- Since the establishment of the coalition government after the September 17th elections members of the media have been experiencing difficulties getting the various Ministers on the floor of the Government press conference on Wednesdays. Most of these Ministers are not even reachable by phone or email. Reporters that have pertinent questions to the various portfolios are forced to run their stories without proper explanations from the government apparatus. The only person who makes it her duty to attend the weekly press briefing is the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams who on a number of occasions has to find answers to questions that does not belong in her portfolio. When the Prime Minister is not on island, the weekly press briefing is cancelled at short notice.There are a few times the Deputy Prime Minister Theo Heyliger showed up at the weekly press briefing. Since taking office as Deputy Prime Minister he must have attended the weekly press conference on four occasions. Each time taking a swipe at some company or person. We have tried on several occasions to get real answers from the Deputy Prime Minister regarding GEBE while we need the Deputy Prime Minister and UP party leader to tell us how he intends to fix the Pelican affair and what measures if any will be used against his Member of Parliament Jules James, but the UP leader refuses to attend these meetings.
When asked by SMN News if the Prime Minister discussed this matter in her cabinet, she said she has never done so because each Minister is responsible for their Ministry and they have the right to choose the way they do their public relations. " I don't know if Wednesdays are not feasible for them but I schedule my meetings in such a way that I can be here," Wescot Williams said.
