~The Resilience of the St. Maarten People is what is rebuilding the country and not the Dutch funds--- MP Meyers.~
PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of Parliament schooled finance Minister Perry Geerlings on Thursday when he appeared in the Parliament of St. Maarten regarding his trip to the Netherlands where he met with Members of the Second Chamber to basically complain.
MP’s Christopher Emmanuel, Silveria Jacobs, and Rolando Brison called out the Minister. However, MP Franklin Meyers made it clear that it is not the Euros 550M for the recovery fund that the Dutch said was made available for the recovery of St. Maarten is used to bring back St. Maarten thus far. Meyers said while the Dutch kept saying they gave St. Maarten Euros 550M so far only 120M Euros have been sent to St. Maarten and so far only about 40M has been used on projects which are still not known.
Meyers said that St. Maarten is on a rebound from the devastation of hurricane Irma and Maria and the credit must not be given to the Dutch Government but instead it must be given be to the resilience of the St. Maarten people. Meyers further informed the Minister of Finance that the Government and people of St. Maarten are not beggars and that must not be portrayed. He said several former Ministers and former Prime Minister William Marlin also extended a hand of good faith to work as equal partners with the Dutch Government. He further informed Geerlings that he knows him Personally, Professionally and Politically and his main concern is what he did during his trip to the Netherlands. Meyers further asked the Minister to inform the Parliament of St. Maarten on what he has achieved during his trip and meetings with members of the Second Chamber.
MP Luc Mercelina also informed Geerlings that Ministers from St. Maarten does not have to meet with the Second Chamber as it is only the Kingdom Council of Ministers that have to give accountability to the Second Chamber.
MP Rolando Brison called on the Minister to stick to policies when presenting budgets and budget amendments as those are the only legal tools and not his dreams and aspirations. Brison made clear that some of the responses given by Geerlings are the oxymoron since he accused the media of partly false reports but yet he could not identify what was incorrect about the reports. Brison also reminded the Minister about his threats towards his person when the Minister was in Parliament a few months ago.
MP William Marlin also informed Parliament that during his time in office as Prime Minister the Dutch Civil Servants tried to get him to attend meetings and he sent them to his Secretary General. He said because of his stance those meetings were canceled because his government did not accommodate those requests from the Dutch Civil Servants. He told Geerlings that the Ministers on St. Maarten are accountable to the Parliament of St. Maarten.
Marlin also addressed the fact that meetings requested by the Opposition such as an Urgent Meeting of Parliament are not being honored within the legal timeframe based on the rules of order. Marlin said that St. Maarten is doing itself a disfavor with their new attitude.
Marlin made clear that the Government of St. Maarten got trapped by the Dutch Government when they supported them shortly after hurricane Irma. Marlin said that the Dutch Government wants to make St. Maarten a colony. He also told Geerlings that it is a very sad thing that Geerlings went to the Netherlands and acted like Judas when he distanced himself from the statements made by Leader of Government and MP Theodore Heyliger who said the Dutch Government are using “Gestapo” tactics to torment and go after elected officials of St. Maarten. Marlin made clear that Geerlings lied to the Parliament of St. Maarten when he said that he has vivid memories of the after effects of the second world war. Marlin said he is older than the Minister and the Minister was not even born yet during or shortly after the second world war. Marlin lambasted Geerlings on his crocodile tears and excuses given to the Parliament of St. Maarten instead of accepting responsibilities for his statements and apologize.
Central Committee of Parliament
