PHILIPSBURG:--- United People's (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake says it's a reality that the draft ordinance to establish a Sint Maarten national Integrity Chamber must take place by the House of Parliament, "...otherwise we will be talking integrity for another six months without anything happening for the people and moving Sint Maarten forward."
MP Lake is appealing to his fellow colleagues in the House of Parliament to get on-board and approve the Sint Maarten "home-grown" draft ordinance after certain changes are made, and if additional changes are needed, the MP said that this can be done along the way.
"We also have to realize if we don't approve our own draft ordinance to establish the integrity chamber it will open up the road for the General Measure of Kingdom Governance.
Sint Maarten is responsible for its own affairs, including good governance and the establishment of its own institutions such as its own Integrity Chamber, which came out of the country's own committee which made such a recommendation.
"As an elected representative of the people, I am a voice of the people. I am not here just to go along. Every elected representative of the people in Parliament has to understand their role to be a team player, but most important being a voice of your constituents, because they are the ones who you will go back to in order to be re-elected.
"I am in favour of our own draft ordinance with the additional changes mentioned by our MPs to strengthen our draft ordinance over any Dutch proposal. My main concerns of the draft ordinance are article 1, 5, 15, which are related to the protection of our people and putting local professionals who understand our culture and way of life.
"We need people who can stand up to protect the best interests of the people and our Constitution. Article 15 of this administrative law, has to state that our own Integrity Chamber employs a secretary general who is a local professional.
"In my view Holland is not working in good faith and have a master plan for Sint Maarten. We need to understand their strategy where they want to take full control of Justice, Finance, and now our own Integrity Chamber, therefore trampling on our Constitutional rights as a country.
"This is a witch hunt. Some of the Dutch politicians have tarnished our island image without any facts by giving us a bad name in the International world. We now have to restore our image. These insinuations are bad for investor confidence and political and economic stability of the country. This could be part of their master plan to break Sint Maarten.
"We have to pass our draft ordinance now and get back to basics and start executing projects and addressing the people's needs for the next three and a half years and beyond. Right now, we only addressing integrity issues and distracted by The Hague instead of ready to execute the people's work.
"Parliament is something new to me. I like to get things done the legal and correct way and following the right procedures. Some say I don't have patience etc., but I am a man of action. It's already April and we need to get things moving on behalf of the people. I like to get things done for the people instead of talking and questioning things when the majority of the current MPs were in government as a Commissioner, or Minister, and are well versed and aware of the issues at hand. I have some proposals that I will be presenting to my UP party and coalition partners. We need to get away from the sour grapes and belittling each other as displayed at times in the people's House. The people are getting tired and want to see action and progress.
"We got to stand our ground, as a nation, as a people. As Sint Maarten people, we need to stand up together now more than ever before, and address our issues and put policies, and legislation in place to address our own integrity issues," UP MP Hon. Maurice Lake pointed out.
MP Lake added that he supported the recommendations from the Bob Wit Integrity Report that was presented to Parliament. As part of the former Council of Ministers he stated, "I fully support that Sint Maarten investigates integrity issues and breaches found are addressed. The Integrity Chamber was a recommendation from our own Bob Wit report and not the Dutch.
"Sint Maarten has started the process to re-inforce these entities. We have a draft ordinance. The Kingdom Government is too quick to want to use the Charter to address matters, and the democratic deficit is an issue that needs to be addressed. The Dutch should put as much effort as they do with addressing their own integrity issues. Perhaps we should pass our own motion calling on the Kingdom Government to put measures in place.
"The Integrity Chamber is a mechanism to address integrity breaches. Our Integrity Chamber will protect our people and will address transparency and accountability. If the Dutch Government says no to our proposal then we know they are not working in good faith with Sint Maarten.
"As an elected representative of the people, I don't have no issue of addressing and putting a more improved structure in place to address our integrity issues. It's time we move on and start working on other important issues of the people, "MP Hon. Maurice Lake said on Wednesday.
