PHILIPSBURG--The needs of the St. Maarten people post-Hurricane Irma outstrip and outweigh the demands of the Dutch Government for an Integrity Chamber and for more security at the borders, says United People’s (UP) party leader Member of Parliament (MP) Theo Heyliger.
“The focus should not be on the Dutch or on formulating a ‘Plan B.’ It should be on putting the St. Maarten people first. The Dutch Government has targeted politicians with their demand for an Integrity Chamber. They are attempting to protect their people with more border control. The Dutch are doing what we should be doing in St. Maarten: taking care of and protecting our people,” he said in a statement to The Daily Herald.
There exists no scenario in which St. Maarten requires no outside help, be it directly from the Dutch Government or the European Union of which the Netherlands is a powerful member, said Heyliger, pointing out that this view is also highlighted in a press statement issued by the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten.
The bank said St. Maarten alone will not be able to cover all the cost of reconstruction and that it is “imperative” that the Netherlands and international entities such as the European Union support the reconstruction of St. Maarten through financial aid and assistance.
“Help, assistance, aid; whatsoever you want to label it, fact is St. Maarten requires it. What’s the hold-up? Is this Government so hell-bent on clutching to power that the people will have to suffer a second storm? A storm of economy depravity and more hopelessness?”
Heyliger questioned where the issue really stands with the establishment of the Integrity Chamber. “At times and because of the rhetoric, I believed I was poster boy for this Chamber. But I was confident enough to vote for its establishment. What is there to be afraid of? Chamber or no, we in St. Maarten are well aware – if you are to be a target, you will be one.”
He said his support for the Chamber remains and he sees no reason for it to be delayed or allowed to hamper the release of funds for reconstruction and recovery. “If getting the revised law passed means Parliament has to debate longer, we have done it before. What cannot wait anymore is help, jobs, peace of mind and recovery for the people of St. Maarten,” he said.
Governance, he said, is putting the people above politics. “There should be no more distraction from rebuilding of our country. It is not the time for a fight with the Dutch or anyone else. If they want the Integrity Chamber, what is there to wait for?” Heyliger said.
“I have lived under a microscope, perhaps even from in the womb of my mother. I can continue to live there; I am willing to live there if it means this country gets back faster on her feet. I am one man, but I have been chosen by a people to represent them. Their needs are paramount.”
Increasing security at our borders is protection for the people living in the country, he said. “Where is the problem with this? More security means more safety and more support for our men and women in blue,” he said, adding that perhaps St. Maarten should make a request of its own for border protection to transcend physical borders by strengthening technological incursions and combating cybercrimes.
