United People’s Party faction leader demands GEBE relief, a true cost-of-living assessment and policies that encourage students to return home
PHILIPSBURG:--- United People’s Party faction leader MP Omar Ottley has called on Parliament to clearly define Sint Maarten’s long-term constitutional and economic direction, declaring that the population must be educated about its options and should not be afraid of a referendum.
Ottley delivered the message during the closing meeting of the 2025-2026 parliamentary year on Monday, September 7.
Speaking on behalf of himself and fellow United People’s Party MP Francisco Lacroes, Ottley said Parliament must determine precisely what it is working toward instead of allowing the country to remain trapped in a never-ending political cycle.
“What are we working towards? A better Sint Maarten—but what is the goal? Is it independence? Self-reliance?” Ottley asked.
“We need to educate our people not to be afraid of a referendum. Educate our people not to be afraid to appreciate ourselves.”
Ottley did not declare that independence should be the outcome of such a referendum. Instead, he argued that the population must be properly informed and confident enough to discuss Sint Maarten’s constitutional future without fear.
“Only We Can Save We”
Ottley returned to the declaration he made in 2020: “Only we can save we.”
He said the statement was never intended to be merely a political slogan, but a warning that Sint Maarten must take responsibility for its own future.
“No one is coming to save us,” Ottley declared. “No one will save us but ourselves.”
The UPP faction leader said Sint Maarten has repeatedly demonstrated its resilience, pointing to the passage of 31 years since Hurricane Luis and nine years since Hurricane Irma.
“Still we stand, and still we rise,” he said.
However, Ottley cautioned that resilience should not be used as an excuse to accept poor services, economic hardship, or the continued failure to develop a clear national direction.
“The people deserve the best from us,” he told Parliament. “We are only here on the merit of the people.”
GEBE Relief Remains Central Fight
Ottley identified GEBE as one of his faction’s main concerns and pledged to keep pressuring the utility company and the Government until residents experience meaningful relief.
“I will continue to hammer on it until the people of Sint Maarten can see and feel relief,” Ottley said.
His statement comes as households and businesses continue to struggle with high electricity bills and uncertainty surrounding fuel costs, billing, disconnection policies and the overall management of the government-owned utility company.
Ottley made clear that announcements and promises will not satisfy the UPP faction. The results must show up in the monthly bills residents pay.
Minimum-Wage Increases are not Enough
As a former Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, Ottley said he understands the relationship between minimum wage, consumer-price indexation and the country’s rising living expenses.
He argued that increasing wages by the same percentage as inflation does not necessarily improve a worker’s standard of living.
“If I am suffering at this moment and indexation goes up two per cent, and my salary goes up two per cent, I am still suffering,” Ottley explained.
According to the MP, Sint Maarten needs a proper cost-of-living assessment to determine how much residents actually require to meet basic expenses.
The UPP faction has championed such an assessment, he said, because wage decisions should be based on the real cost of food, housing, electricity, transportation and other necessities—not solely on annual indexation.
“The only way out is to determine the cost of living,” Ottley stated.
Policies Needed to Bring Students Home
Ottley also questioned whether Sint Maarten is doing enough to prepare the next generation to assume leadership and build careers at home.
“We are the generation, but who is up next?” he asked. “What are we doing to prepare the next generation to be in this seat when we are gone?”
He called for legislation and policies that encourage students studying abroad to return to Sint Maarten.
Ottley said salaries must also be brought to appropriate levels if the country expects qualified young professionals to return and contribute to its development.
Without competitive wages, employment opportunities and a clear development strategy, the island risks educating young people abroad only to lose their skills permanently to other countries.
Five Draft Laws Submitted
Ottley said the United People’s Party faction submitted five pieces of draft legislation during the parliamentary year, along with multiple motions and amendments intended to benefit residents.
He also highlighted an amendment MP Lacroes presented during the 2026 budget debate, saying it passed unanimously.
Ottley praised Lacroes for advocating for the St. Peters district, particularly on garbage collection, while also working with representatives across party lines.
The UPP leader credited the faction’s staff for transforming its proposals into motions, amendments and draft legislation.
He said the faction intends to continue pushing for additional assistance and resources to improve Parliament’s legislative productivity.
Stop Attacking Local Leadership
Ottley also criticized what he described as a tendency in Sint Maarten to undermine its own people while placing greater confidence in outsiders.
“We have a bad habit in this country that if it looks like me and talks like me, we tend to beat it down,” Ottley said.
He argued that residents should value local leadership and recognize that people who put themselves before the electorate accept public scrutiny and responsibility.
Ottley acknowledged that political parties will not always agree because they represent different ideologies and perspectives. Nevertheless, he rejected the belief that parliamentarians do not care about Sint Maarten.
“I refuse to believe that anyone sitting here does not have love for Sint Maarten,” he said.
The MP argued that politicians who offer themselves as candidates do more than criticize from behind a social-media account. They place their names, reputations and resources before the voting public.
UPP Promises to Remain Steadfast
Ottley said a constituent stopped him and Lacroes while they were traveling to Parliament. According to Ottley, the person told them that despite the criticism directed at the faction, they still had support because “you come from we.”
For Ottley, that statement captured the UPP faction’s responsibility to remain connected to the population.
“No matter how many stones may be thrown at us, or how much they may go against us, we have a bigger purpose,” he said.
“We understand our purpose is the people of Sint Maarten, and we will stand steadfast and fight for the people of Sint Maarten.”
Ottley closed the parliamentary year with a message extending beyond ordinary party politics. Sint Maarten, he argued, must decide where it wants to go, determine the true cost of living, create a future for its young people and stop waiting for an outside force to solve its problems.
The UPP faction's message was direct: Sint Maarten’s future will ultimately have to be built and defended by its own people.