PHILIPSBURG: --- SMN News has learnt that one of the candidates that were proposed to take up one of the vacant Ministerial post has failed the screening. According to information SMN News received it states that former policy advisor and Labor Mediator Raphael Boasman failed the screening process to become a Minister. However, SMN News was unable to fully confirm whether or not the information that is highly rumored on the island is factual.
Boasman retired from his post at the department of labor in June 2015. Boasman had told SMN News that he was going to invest his time in his own business and if government needs him they will have to pay him well as a consultant. Shortly, after Boasman retired he applied for a business license which was granted the day after SMN News published that he was proposed candidate to that will fill the Minister of Labor position. Prior to the announcement that Boasman was a candidate to become the Minister of Labor and Health he had already secured two large contracts from the Dutch government to work as labor mediator for the BES Islands. If the information on the screening that SMN News received is correct, then one has to see if the Dutch Government will apply the same measure of integrity they expect from St. Maarten when it comes to having persons work for them. Another question raised by several persons is the criteria that is set for persons that wants to serve their country as a Minister and who sets these criteria. Most importantly does candidates who received a negative report ever gets to see these reports and are they given the opportunity to defend themselves, and to even try to preserve or protect their image.
Efforts made to reach Boasman by telephone on Sunday and Monday proved futile as he did not respond to the phone calls made to him.
