PHILIPSBURG–St. Maarten Anti-Poverty Platform representative Raymond Jessurun said on Thursday that the results of the February 26 snap parliamentary election show that the electorate did not support the actions of the Democratic Party (DP) and United St. Maarten Party (US Party) Member of Parliament (MP) Chanel Brownbill “jumping ship” and breaking the former governing coalition.
Jessurun said also that voters punished the new United Democrats (UD), a coming-together of DP and United People’s (UP) party, at the polls by not giving them a majority to form the new government. Jessurun, who held a press conference on several issues on Thursday along with other Platform representatives, said this was the Platform’s analysis of the election results.
“Our analysis of the results shows that the people did not agree with the ship-jumping of Brownbill who, together the DP and the UP, had the so-called new majority in government. If the people had agreed with the ship-jumping, then the UD list would have gotten eight seats or more for a majority,” Jessurun said.
“They have seven seats, which is not a majority. It just makes them the largest minority. People say that UD won the election, but this is not the case – UD is just the largest minority.
“The conclusion of the Platform is that the [former – Ed.] National Alliance [-led] Government was not punished for dissolving Parliament and calling for elections so that the people can give their opinion. NA was not punished, they increased in numbers and maintained their five seats, US kept their two seats, since their third seat was a restzetel [residual seat – Ed.] and US’ third seat that Brownbill stole from the US, this time the electorate said it will go to the SMCP [(St. Maarten Christian Party – Ed.].”
Jessurun said the Platform believes SMCP received its first seat based on its statements that the party stands on integrity, accountability and transparency.
The Platform wants all MPs to commit to working for the people and addressing pressing issues such as the reduction of poverty.
The Platform will be sending a letter to Governor Eugene Holiday urging him to convey the Platform’s request to the two recently-appointed informateurs to identify during their assignment parties that are willing to cooperate to work on the eradication of poverty in the country. Jessurun said only one party – SMCP – had committed to address this issue.
“For us, it is important that this issue is addressed. It should be addressed as a high priority,” Jessurun maintained.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/74223-anti-poverty-platform-voters-did-not-agree-with-ship-jumping
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