PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Leader of the United People (UP) party MP Roland Brison on Sunday released his party’s platform document which re-iterates the UP’s commitment to improving the quality of life for the people of St. Maarten. He said should the people place their confidence in the green party on January 9, an UP government will operate under the core principles of open government, integrity, improved accountability, transparency, sustainable development, social inclusion, equality and the upholding of the constitution of St. Maarten.
“In order for the party to effectively execute the following platform, the foundation upon which the party is built must be established and maintained. This should be one of service, communication, inclusion, and love of country,” Brison said.
The MP added that not every single issue could be mentioned in the party’s platform, but every key issue is somehow related to the next and receives attention in the platform document. The document does focus on issues that the UP has been campaigning on this snap election, including provision of affordable homes, the Head Start Tax Law for returning students, the Mullet Bay inquiry, property rent control, cost of living, finance, the hospital, the airport, tourism, poverty alleviation, and consumer banking protection, the environment LGBTQ relations and more.
The UP is also planning a Justice Audit which could be realized in the form of a Parliamentary Inquiry. A Justice Audit is a rigorous data collection, analysis and visualization process for criminal justice policy makers and other stakeholders advancing justice and the rule of law. It presents an empirical account of resources, processes, and practices. The party feels that conducting a Justice Audit can be of immense value to countries undergoing societal transformation, or are otherwise committed to making measurable improvements to how criminal justice is delivered.
Also included in the party platform document is a section called “The Road To Independence”. It states that the party stands ready to move down the road to independence, putting an end to the confusion about ‘autonomy in a kingdom’ where there is a major democratic deficiency.
“As a party we are well aware of all of the issues that St. Maarten face. There are some issues that make the headlines every day while there are others that go unreported but are just as important. Should the people give us a mandate to govern, we know that all of these issues are important and we also know that from one day to the next things happen that re-organises your priorities. Just think about hurricane Irma and how everything changed after that,” Brison said.
“What we have to ensure is that we have the right people in place to do the work across party lines and for our people. Once your people benefits and their quality of life improves, you would have fulfilled your obligation to them and for generations to come. We are a party of doers. I am a person who likes to talk about the ‘how’ and who have shown that I am not afraid to reach across the aisle to get things done and challenge/change whatever requires such. This platform is a glimpse into our plans and approaches but we stand ready, able and willing to lead in every aspect,” Brison concluded.
