DP Will Re-Appoint Buncamper Molanus
--- Sarah to handle TELEM Portfolio

Leader of Government Sarah Wescot Williams

Philipsburg: --- Leader of the Democratic Party and the Island Government of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams maintains that they will re-appoint Maria Buncamper Molanus to her position as commissioner. The announcement was made at the executive press briefing yesterday. The Democratic Party will be requesting an island council meeting which might take place between the 1st to 3rd September Wescot Williams said that in the discussions they have decided that she Wescot Williams will handle the TELEM  Holding for the time being. Wescot Williams said that she has decided to handle TELEM Holding because there were a number of internal camps which was creating some confusion. “Right now there is some tranquility since the interim manager was put in place and we want to maintain that tranquility”.

“The faction of the Democratic Party will be maintaining Mrs. Buncamper Molanus as a commissioner, this means that she has to be re-appointed during an Island Council meeting since she herself submitted an official resignation to the Island Council some weeks ago” Wescot Williams said.

The Island leader said the reason they have this delay is because several of their members are off island and she do not think that the opposition would assist the DP to form a quorum.

On June 18 the National Alliance filed a motion of non confidence against Buncamper Molanus when she requested a donation from the TELEM Group for her foundation Sky is the Limit. Sky is the Limit is the foundation that finances Buncamper Molanus political career.

In other news related to Buncamper Molanus regarding a check she returned to the Harbour Holding Companies, the island leader admitted she was aware of the matter. She explained that the commissioner was not a signatory to the check as published in one of the island dailies.

Commissioner Maria Buncamper-Molanus responded yesterday in press release saying that the National Allianse sustained an offensive attack on her character and credibility, disguised in the principles of good governance and transparency.  The Commissioner was responding directly to the National Alliance faction and its letter to the Lt. Governor requesting information about a donation to the Sky Is The Limit Foundation from the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies.

The Commissioner stated that she has been pro-active with this latest round of baseless implications and questions by the National  Alliance, and has submitted all relevant documents to party leader Sarah Wescott-Williams and Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards. She proceeded to break down the timeline of events as follows:

1. A request was submitted to the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies to sponsor the “From Us To U” Calypso Show for Carnival 2007. The show is organized by the Sky is the Limit Foundation.
2. The request was approved and the cheque was issued to the St. Maarten Carnival development Foundation (SCDF) in the amount of US $16,000 to cover the contracted cost of the St. Maarten Festival Village which was US $16,000.
3. Upon presenting the cheque to the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) the Sky Is The Limit Foundation was informed by the SCDF that a contract does not exist between the SCDF and the Harbour and therefore the cheque could not be accepted due to tax implications.
4. The Harbour Group of Companies was then requested by the Sky is the Limit Foundation to re-issue the check TO the Sky Is the Limit Foundation.
5. The Group of Companies agreed to do this under the condition The Sky Is The Limit send a copy of the check with which payment was made to SCFD. In other words a copy of the Sky of the limit check to SCDF for the same amount as the Harbor’s check to the Sky is the Limit. This was done.
6. There was no endorsement of any cheque by the Commissioner. The Commissioner’s signature is not on a cheque as questioned by the National Alliance.

The Commissioner added that this is a clear attempt by the National Alliance faction to pro-long a public discourse about her credibility is nothing but your basic example of a smear campaign. However in their zeal to oust her from office, she said, the opposition is venturing on to dangerous grounds by implicating the Harbour Group of Companies in what could be construed as wrong-doings. The Harbour Group of Companies operates internationally with international connections and business relationships. This sort of overzealous attack could put the Harbour Group of Companies in a light it should not be in.