MPs Accused Prime Minister Gumbs and Deputy Prime Minister Richardson trying to run both Government and Parliament.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Several Members from the Parliament of St. Maarten that are supporting the current UPP/De Weever/LMR/USP coalition government assured SMN News that they will not approve the national ordinance that Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson signed off on Saturday with Minister of Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk. The MPs most of whom are not on St. Maarten said that it appears to them that the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Marcel Gumbs and Deputy Prime Minister Dennis Richardson believes that they have dual power to run both the Parliament and Government of St. Maarten even though both of them were appointed to their post and not elected by the people of St. Maarten. The MPs said that Minister Richardson has signed an agreement that will infringe on the rights of every person living on St. Maarten, besides that they said that Minister Richardson was supposed to work on the draft integrity document he presented to Parliament and return to Parliament for further debate. However, the Minister of Justice did not get back to Parliament even though they requested information as to when the Minister of Justice will return to Parliament with the amended draft document St. Maarten prepared to install an integrity chamber. The Members of Parliament that spoke to SMN News said they will not allow any dictatorship to take place under their watch. "Instead of consulting with the Parliament of St. Maarten the Minister of Justice flew to the Netherlands and gave the Dutch exactly what they wanted. We want both Minister Richardson and Prime Minister Gumbs to know that they should start packing their traps because they will not dictate for the Parliament of St. Maarten. The MPs said that they will ensure the local police officers and all those working in the justice system gets the same salaries, housing and other benefits that all the incoming Dutch law enforcement officers such and the RST and Royal Marecechausee's that are on St. Maarten gets. They said the incoming Dutch law enforcement officers will not get to live in gated communities and residential areas as they are accustomed to. The MPs made clear that if those coming to beef up the justice chain thinks they will live in royalty on St. Maarten they should prepare to live among the locals in low income housing.
The MPs said they are not against any integrity chamber for St. Maarten because it is need. They said in the past politicians did what they wanted to enrich themselves while the poor and middle class people are still suffering. "It cannot be so that St. Maarten prepares a draft document to install an integrity chamber and then turn around and give all power to the Dutch. One of the concerns of the MPs is that everyone on St. Maarten can be subjected to an investigation without their knowledge simply by relation or affiliation with people. Our job is to protect the rights and privacy of the people but here a Minister of Justice that ridiculed the Dutch in Parliament went along with the Dutch because they allegedly promised him something." There are ongoing talks since last week that Member of Parliament Frans Richardson will remove Minister Richardson from his post and replace him with Ruben Thompson the current director of the Justice Ministry. SMN News understands that MP Richardson and his board members met with UPP leader Theodore Heyliger last Thursday to discuss the removal of Minister Richardson. However, when MP Richardson was contacted late Thursday afternoon he said that when he return to St. Maarten he will be dealing with that issue. MP Richardson did not say whether or not he will or will not remove Minister Richardson immediately or if he will further discuss the matter with his coalition partners. However, the signing of the agreement on the integrity chamber with the Dutch without the approval of St. Maarten's Parliament is not a 'pill' the MPs on St. Maarten will swallow especially since Minister Richardson chose to supersede the Parliament of St. Maarten and gave the Parliament of St. Maarten a deadline to approve the national ordinance he signed. Member of Parliament William Marlin in an interview with SMN News on Tuesday said that the Parliament of St. Maarten already lost confidence in the Government of St. Maarten and it's time they pack up and go home.
On another note a member of the UPP board said that they are at loss because the Prime Minister of St. Maarten refused to meet with them to discuss key issues affecting St. Maarten and that the Prime Minister informed them that the only person he meets with and take orders from is the leader of the UPP Theodore Heyliger.
Click here to view signed Integrity Agreement
