Vinaora Nivo Slider 3.xVinaora Nivo Slider 3.x
Vinaora Nivo Slider 3.x

Pride Foundation responds to statements about the Ring-road made during Saturday’s debate.

Philipsburg:--- During the political debate held on Saturday September 4th, a candidate of a particular party (at that time one of the members of the audience) posed a question on the necessity of the much discussed ring-road project to his running-mate who was functioning as one of the evening's debaters/ panelists.

In a somewhat confusing response, which ended with a claim that the establishment of a waste treatment facility would increase the size and water-carrying capacity of the pond, the panelist questioned chose to defend the Ring-Road project by mentioning that an Environmental Impact Assessment was carried out. Nothing was said about the Cultural and Natural value of the Pond.

St. Maarten Pride Foundation would like to point out the following; The drafting of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study does not in any way validate or insure the necessity and environmental sustainability of, in this case, the ring road project. This particular EIA is furthermore rather questionable as Government appointed Lievense Consulting Engineers to carry-out the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Ring road. Lievense is however involved in many of Government's infrastructural projects and was actually involved in compiling the plans for the ring road itself.

The Foundation reviewed the abovementioned EIA and is of the opinion that the research and analysis conducted for the document is of poor quality, incomplete at best and does not meet commonly used Dutch or international standards/ formats for Environmental Impact Assessments. This EIA was drafted after the relevant Commissioner and Engineers completed plans to construct the Ring- road project resulting in a report which does little more than attempt to rationalize the Ring- Road project and reads as if it is intended to pacify environmentalists.

St. Maarten Pride therefore questions the objectivity of this Environmental Impact Assessment and has repeatedly insisted on the production of a new EIA to be carried out by qualified and entirely independent consultants.

The brief exchange about the ring-road project during Saturday's debate which was obviously staged/ scripted, considering that the candidate questioned opted to read her response from paper, was in St. Maarten Pride Foundation's opinion a poor attempt at justifying the controversial Ring-road project by misinforming the public. The spectacle was a far cry from the leadership, change and progress St. Maarten's politicians have repeatedly promised the public, and leaves the Foundation to wonder whether candidates are allowed to form their own opinions or are just meant to fill their party's lists and ascribe to the scripts, wishes and opinions of their party's leadership.

Vinaora Nivo Slider 3.xVinaora Nivo Slider 3.x

RADIO FROM VOICEOFTHECARIBBEAN.NET

Vinaora Nivo Slider 3.x
Vinaora Nivo Slider 3.xVinaora Nivo Slider 3.x
Vinaora Nivo Slider 3.x
Vinaora Nivo Slider 3.x
Vinaora Nivo Slider 3.x
Vinaora Nivo Slider 3.x