The government of St. Maarten would do well to respond to Parliament’s recommendations and amendments to the national Integrity Chamber Ordinance AS SOON AS POSSIBLE and not take its time, given the timeframe of one month that was mentioned by parliament.
If the whole matter is indeed that we want to establish our “own” integrity chamber, then we should proceed, and proceed with utmost haste.
I am concerned that this delay is going to cost our country dearly. This will cost us in terms of the Kingdom government now having all reason to push through their initial intentions to force upon us an integrity chamber, established, managed and controlled by the Kingdom Government via a General Kingdom Measure.
Jump high or low, due process notwithstanding, the Kingdom Government can impose their will.
Neither the Minister(s) Plenipotentiary or the Kingdom Council of State can prevent this, if the Kingdom Government is bent on pushing this through.
Even if we are prepared and equipped to fight the imposition of a Kingdom Measure, if done against our will, the time and energy this will take, will be to the detriment of other local issues that urgently deserve the attention of government.
The current government since its installation has been primarily occupied or so it would seem with the matter of an integrity chamber, which by the way is only one aspect of integrity as a whole. We also have many legislative issues to deal with that also would advance integrity in government.
We have seen what it took, in terms of time and human resources to get where we are today and we have not scratched the surface yet of all aspects of integrity.
I, for one am prepared to deal with this matter, even if it takes meetings of Parliament during the recess, which starts on July 3rd.
I reiterate that the DP faction has been and remains a proponent of an integrity agenda for our country.
Our own integrity chamber with its checks and balances is not against the people as some claim, but rather FOR the people. So this DP faction is in favor of an integrity chamber and our criticism and amendments on the draft that is before parliament does not change this one bit. Further more, as Prime Minister I started the entire process, including making the commitment to carry out the recommendations of the several integrity reports.
I say to the general public that is being bombarded with claims that the integrity chamber (our own) is not a good thing:
“Imagine that the many allegations and claims of corruption, harassment, intimidation, favoritism that are made daily against the government and government departments and individuals can be either validated as facts and dealt with or discarded as rumors and put to rest. Would you say this is a good thing or a bad thing?”
I conclude with a call to government and parliament. ” Finish “our story” and finalize our own integrity chamber law post haste and prepare ourselves for the fall-out which will surely come.