PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of the Democratic Party announced loud and clear on Tuesday at a press conference that they have not signed any pre-election agreement with the United Peoples Party. The DP leader Sarah Wescot Williams distanced herself and her party from the banner that is being circulated via the social media. "I believe the poster that was sent out by the National Alliance shows that the UPP and the DP have something planned."
Wescot Williams further cautioned politicians and the leaders of political parties that are intimidating civil servants telling them that if they support certain parties they will see what will happen with their jobs. She said this is wrong and every citizen even government workers have the right to support whichever political party they want and so far the UPP has been threatening workers and other people. This she said must stop. "I know its political season and people will say all sorts of things but intimidating civil servants is not the way to go." Wescot Williams said that the same day the poster of Jacinto Mock was defaced some 50 flags were taken down. She said these actions her party condemns because at some point the carnival will be over.
Wescot Williams also agreed that all is not well in the Council of Ministers and that the current coalition is having problems. She said the Democratic Party and the Government of St. Maarten sent a letter to the chairlady of Parliament asking her to schedule the continuation of the Central Committee meeting for the budget amendments. "Besides the purchase of the Vorst Estate, government also has other commitments like the purchase of Emilio Wilson Estate that they have to abide by. Members of Parliament have an obligation to the country and if it's the purchase of the Vorst Estate they are trying to avoid by not calling the meeting to approve the budget amendments then they are not doing any good to the country."
Wescot Williams said the Government of St. Maarten was taken to court by the Vorst family and the judgment is expected this Thursday. "Depending on the outcome of the court government will see how it intends to proceed."
As for the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC), Minister Cornelius de Weever announced that he received a letter from SMMC indicating to him that the medical institution does not have their 2012/2013 financial statements ready as yet. He said it's amazing that these statements will be ready after August 29th, 2014. Minister De Weever said he received information that SMMC has lost over 20 workers because of things they say or write on their Facebook page. Furthermore, the hospital is currently short of staff. The Minister said he dispatched an email to the board of SMMC inviting them to meeting because there are lots of discrepancies. Furthermore he said if government or any other institution financed the expansion and the 5 million guilders they are seeking for urgent repairs they have to bring forward their financial statements. "There are many issues taking place at SMMC that I am aware of, I can tell you of one case where a staff member was laid off after 30 years of service for posting something on Facebook. This very management team is out there leaking information to politicians and other people yet they fire workers that gave several years of service to the institution. I know of another case where Aruba requested technical assistance from SMMC and they were flatly denied. I find this worrisome because St. Maarten sends patients to Aruba all the time and if Aruba was short of staff in the operating room and they needed assistance from St. Maarten it should have been given to them. I understand that SMMC could have made arrangements to assist Aruba but it was not done."
He said the Inspectorate is currently looking into the situation to see what can be done. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams described the SMMC affair as a "political hot potato." Another issue Minister de Weever said he wants the people to know that the SER rejected the proposal submitted by the National Alliance to amend the civil code with regards to the short term contracts. Minister de Weever said he personally asked Parliament to give him some time because he wanted to address the issue of short term contracts. De Weever said he applauded the effort by made by the National Alliance but several things had to be changed and it's now done and approved by the Council of Ministers. However, this legislation will not make it to Parliament before August 29th but when it does in October he is quite sure the Democratic Party will have representation in Parliament to ensure that the civil code is amended.
Wescot William said her party made statements on government owned companies. One she said was in reference to GEBE where they warned that they hope the promised relief GEBE said seniors and elderly will get will not be for a short period. This relief she said was promised in July and it never happened, now the company said it will be in August. Wescot Williams said she is hoping that the relief will not be just for the elections and then cut off.
The other statement she said her party made was in reference to the Harbor Group of Companies whom she said is engaging in politics. "The management of Harbor held a meeting with Member of Parliament Theodore Heyliger who is also a leader of a political party while the Minister, and other MPs were left out."
SMN News asked Wescot Williams if she is ruling out forming a government with the UPP after the elections in case a coalition government has to be formed. Wescot Williams said she is not ruling out any political party but her party will not sign agreements with any political party prior to the elections. "Right now we are asking the voters to give the DP the mandate but if it turns out that a coalition has to be formed that will be after election day and not before."
