The Democratic Party held its first membership meeting since its new Board took office on July 11th. Since that time, it has been made known that there will be elections for the Antillean Parliament in January 2010, an election that the Party has already made known it will contest.
The members needed to be updated on this as well as on the status of affairs as far as constitutional matters are concerned.
The party’s position with respect to the financial-economic issues facing Sint Maarten was also highlighted, as the party leadership is convinced that it is only by putting our heads together can we come up with measures and strategies to brace St. Maarten for the fall-out of this world wide financial and economic crisis. While there are some encouraging signs on the horizon, for several reasons we need to take stock of economic, fiscal and financial policies and present a blend that will show that government understands how it is all interlinked. Clearly in several areas, not only building permits, it is evident that by speeding up the processes within government, individuals and businesses can be greatly helped.
The price for electricity remains a concern for all consumers on St. Maarten and for many, it’s impossible to meet this monthly obligation. It is no solace to hear that St. Maarten does not fare badly when compared to other islands. Government can not continue to maintain a hands-off approach towards GEBE! This is a government-owned company we are speaking of. This is a company that has a monopoly is our community.
Many pensioners on St. Maarten who today have no medical insurance were relieved to hear of plans by the Central government to provide medical coverage for the elderly through the SVB. However this decision has not yet been implemented on Sint Maarten, while seemingly it has been on Curacao. The Party will be pressing for this information to be disseminated on St. Maarten and to ensure that what is introduced by SVB for the elderly on Curacao is also available to our seniors.
The Party also updated the membership on the successful membership drive for the party’s Youth Wing and the projects undertaken by the Chapter of Professional Young Persons (CPYP). New members of the Youth Wing will be installed next week.
And finally, there will be " D.P. Meet and Greet" in Sucker Garden on Friday, October 2, 2009. Details to be announced.