
ST. MAARTEN – By Michael Ferrier – The Party For Progress (Ed PFP) which I have supported since their launch in 2019, has retained its previously held 2 seats in parliament and joined forces with the 3 other 2 seat parties URSM, DP and NOW.
Congratulations. THAT was almost the easiest part. The PEOPLE have spoken. More than the majority of voters have said:
1) to the NA/UP coalition: Just stability in government for 4 years, is not enough to give you a mandate for a 2nd 4 year-term. You have neglected to put the people first and allowed the decay of Product St. Maarten. Anguilla, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, the BVI, Barbuda, Barbados, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, and others have caught up, or surpassed us!
2) to the URSM/DP/PFP/N.O.W.: we will give you four formerly-opposition parties 2 seats each and expect you to show maturity and govern in the interest of ALL the people for the next 4 years.
Keep each other in check, communicate, communicate, communicate. Talk to each other on coalition level each and every week; communicate with the public at least once a month; give the Ministers you appoint your collective coalition-partner-agreement and call them into Parliament to question them publicly when anyone strays from your Governing Accord.
Do not be afraid of asking your own Ministers HARD questions and expect solid, no BS/evasive answers. If a Minister starts to go “ROGUE”, get rid of him/her quickly as a block, and move on. You have no time to waste. Remain transparent and open to constructive criticism.
And then this: Personally, I condemn in the strongest fashion the person who has today, January 14, 2024, put out a voice note inciting especially young people to pick up arms and shoot politicians, police officers and others, if things don’t go right for all the people in the next 2 years.
It is one thing to bring up valid grievances, it is another to threaten anarchie and violence. The producer of that voice note HIMSELF is a menace to our society AND EVERYONE, Black, Brown, Yellow, White, rich, poor, Christian, Muslim, Hindu or Jew, should speak up and condemn his rant put up on Social Media. I just did.
Michael J. Ferrier
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