ST. PETERS--Member of Parliament (MP) Maurice Lake, formerly of United People’s (UP) party, said of his move to go independent that it was time to take a stand somewhere “to raise the bar and stop making decisions in the best interest of politics and self. Instead, we need to start making firm decisions in the best interest of our people and St. Maarten.”
Lake said he had been “very patient for nine months” and had communicated to UP leader MP Theo Heyliger and ministers via e-mails “without much feedback and results for the people. …
“I have the e-mails, letters, witnesses and newspaper clippings to show how long I have waited patiently for them to start helping the people by setting priorities within our Governing Programme, for the Ministers to start executing the work instead of waiting just before elections to start the projects they promised to the people.”
He said the only reason he had taken so long to break with UP was due to the intervention of party deputy leader Franklin Meyers, “because the leader was missing in action for a long period of time. Imagine, I was on my own and they didn’t know me, but only now they want to talk and start planning and working for the people with signing off some projects and quick wins behind the scene fast within the last two weeks to fool the people.”
Lake said UP had been asking him “behind the scene to pull back my support and join back the team and get any ministry in return. I never ask for nothing other than to help the people and set priorities within our Governing Programme.
“It’s very sad to hear from the UP leader [Theo Heyliger – Ed.] twisting his tongue about the reasons this MP is asking a job here and there for persons, or fix this problem or do illegal questionable things for them. Just for the record, I have never asked the UP leader or any minister to do illegal, questionable things for me. I always tell him to continue to create jobs, legally, for the small man, especially for the boys in the different districts as I did when I was Minister,” said Lake.
His “main reasons” for no longer supporting the UP-led government were the “lack of leadership,” “long delay” in the appointment of Council of Ministers, failure to execute the Governing Programme, delay in the expansion of St. Maarten Medical Center, lack of employment, no major projects, lack of improved services for the senior citizens, setting priorities in education, delay in recognising University of St. Martin and “delay in payments for the boys with the two-year trench cleaning programme.”
Some of Lake’s other complaints about UP are the lack of movement in marketing activities for the country and no economic activities or entrepreneurship programmes.
“I can go on and on based on our Governing Programme under the theme ‘We Ready and serving the people.’ Maybe the leader can tell the people what has been done in the past nine months,” he said.
“I can tell you what we have done behind the scene for self-interest by giving up power for a stable government: draft MOU for waste-to-energy plant; complete business agreement between SZV and the Harbour Group of Companies and Zebec; give away Emilio Wilson Estate for nothing to RainForest; give away the Vorst property; give away the Economic Park to the Chamber of Commerce; getting rid of Ms. Regina Labega for political reasons; and the list goes on and on.”
Lies
Lake said Heyliger, “who is very active behind the scenes,” lies when he “tells the public he doesn’t tell the Prime Minister and other Ministers what to do.”
He recalled that UP was “the first always to respect the Governor’s decision and let our appointed Ministers do the honourable thing and resign their position as soon as possible [in 2012 – Ed.]. Now there is a passed motion in Parliament … where he was present and didn’t say a word.”
Lake asked “if we have gotten away from those principles and values now and just let our Prime Minister continue to embarrass himself in public and to the outside world.”
He said he had known Heyliger for 25 years as a friend and had worked as his advisor for 15 years. “So, if there is anyone who knows him, is Maurice Lake. I find it strange that he is saying today that power, position and ministry and others manipulate me to break Government for self-interest. I was brought up with principles and values where power, position and money never got to my head.
“I have three Master’s degrees and work hard for my family for everything I got in life, and never asked Theo Heyliger for nothing in life. The main reason I got into politics is not only about party loyalty, but to serve the general interest of the people and address the issues affecting the people with a plan of action to move St. Maarten forward,” he said.
He called for honesty and transparency “with the people’s business and stop confusing the people and taking bits and pieces of the constitution articles to twist them to our likening and interpretation.”
New thinking
Lake said he had changed his thinking after going to the anti-corruption conference in Curaçao on the invitation of Ombudsman Nilda Arduin.
“I realized our need to take a stand and raise the bar, and put checks and balances in place within Government and Government-owned companies. … It was an eye-opener to me to take a stand and raise the bar within my party in Government and Parliament in the general interest of the people. This stand will definitely change the way we do politics in the future and work toward electoral reform.”
He said the country could look forward to “some major changes on boards and better investment plans of Government-owned companies and foundations.” A review of the articles of incorporation of foundations and Government-owned companies will be executed by the new National Alliance (NA)-led coalition that he supports, according to Lake.
If the Social and Health Insurance SZV can lend US $10 million for a settlement between St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies and developer Zebec, it can “invest and upgrade” its services to the people, he said.
“The first tasks we need to do are balance the budget, electoral reform, start the expansion plan of our hospital, complete the new Government Building, recognition and expansion plan for the university, build affordable housing with bidding for our people, and other major projects, and quick win work to create jobs to move St. Maarten forward,” said Lake.
The country needs to “get back to basics” with stability for the economy, improving marketing and protecting the tourism industry and creating jobs, he said.
“We will get ‘back to basics’ by bringing stability back and set priorities and quick wins in the best interest of the people. My career-changing decision was solely based on my principles and values,” said Lake.
