PHILIPSBURG--The Democratic Party (DP), which will sit in the opposition benches when the new Parliament sits as of October 31, says the incoming United People’s (UP) party/National Alliance (NA) coalition has “to clear the air on a number of issues, if they desire to start their political relationship on a footing of credibility.”
DP cited in a press statement several “critical” issues on which the two parties have taken “hard and sometimes diametrically opposing positions” long before the campaign began.”
NA leader Prime Minister William Marlin and UP leader Member of Parliament (MP) Theo Heyliger cannot get away with the excuse that their past stance “was part of the political and campaign rhetoric,” said DP leader MP Sarah Wescot-Williams.
Those critical issues NA and UP have to give their stance on are independence, establishment of an integrity chamber, the controversial Pearl of China project, inclusion of different ethnicities in Parliament, financial disclosure, full-time position of MPs, electoral reform to stamp out ship-jumping, and the new hospital project.
Also on DP’s radar are the parties’ stances on tax reform, labour reform, transparency in government-owned companies, rescind the obscure solid waste memorandum of understanding (MOU), new school bus policy, new screening law for ministers, Port St. Maarten’s monopolistic position for the local waters, and government’s arm’s length from its companies.
The publication of the UP/NA governing accord and governing programme are awaited by DP. “After all, none of them are new to this. However, their past records of presenting governing programs are not encouraging,” said Wescot-Williams.
As incoming opposition, DP “will observe with a magnifying glass the actions of this government.”
