Marlin: Louie, Theo ‘men of no honour’
~ ‘I am not playing games,’ says Marlin ~
PHILIPSBURG--A man is only as good as his words and non-active Commissioner Louie Laveist and Democratic Party (DP) commissioner Theo Heyliger have proven in the recent government crisis that their words are not solid, says National Alliance (NA) leader William Marlin.
Addressing the press for the second time in three days, a rarity for Marlin, the party leader said he believed he had to clear the air on his announcement Saturday that the NA had majority support in the Island Council with its five members and former DP, now independent, Island Councilman Laveist.
This latest press conference also dealt with the developments that had transpired in recent days after Laveist went independent, leaving the more than 50-year-old DP without a majority in the Island Council.
DP leader Sarah Wescot-Williams held a press conference Monday to counter claims made by Marlin on Saturday and Marlin did the same on Tuesday.
Losing Louie
Dealing with Laveist withdrawing his support from and returning to the DP fold, deflating the NA hopes of forming a government, Marlin said Laveist had visited his house several times in the past days, including a visit on Saturday evening with his wife Betty. At that time, Laveist asked to sign the governing accord supporting the National Alliance bid to form a new government.
NA did not jump to join with Laveist directly after he shunned the DP because the issues to be dealt in the governing period were more important than forming a government, Marlin said.
“We wanted more than Laveist’s support and he knew that, and we also needed to discuss and agree and sign on to a governing accord which we had agreed would be translated into a governing programme of one year leading up to the change of status for St. Maarten and elections for the first parliament and government,” he said.
According to Marlin, he dissuaded Laveist from signing a governing accord because no hard copy was available at the time. It was agreed that this would be done Sunday morning with all five NA Councilmen present. Laveist, he said, had assured that he would return with DP Commissioner Theo Heyliger, who had been in negotiations with NA.
Marlin said this had been based on past statements from Laveist and later he had been assured of the necessary support to form a government.
The NA leader said that during their talks Laveist at first had only spoken about the cold treatment he had received from Wescot-Williams who had only visited him during his nine-day detention on suspicion of forgery to demand his resignation from the Island Council and as a commissioner in the Executive Council.
“We shook hands, looked each other in the eyes and he said, ‘A man’s word is a man’s word.’ Laveist claimed that he could never ever return to the DP, for the manner they treated him,” Marlin said. “If a man gives you his word, visits you in your home and can give his full pledge, that is what we stand by.”
“I truly feel sorry for Mr. Laveist and his family for what they have endured and what they have been going through, and to see a big man flip-flop and try to mislead the public as if he and I never had any agreement, that we never talked about governing, and that he was so concerned about the constitutional changes that he has no recourse but to return to the DP family,” he continued.
Laveist claimed in a press statement Monday he was once again supporting the DP and that there had been no discussions on a governing accord. Marlin called this “a blatant lie.”
He pointed out that if the DP had seven or more seats Laveist would not have been an issue to the party.
Tangling with Theo
Speaking about negotiations with Commissioner Theo Heyliger, Marlin said they had met several times and Heyliger also had given his word.
“We didn’t talk about him wanting to bury the Democratic Party forever alone. We talked about taking St. Maarten to the next level. We talked about providing a good and stable government for St. Maarten. We talked about the importance of having a government in place that can continue to build on where we have been as far as constitutional change is concerned.”
Division of portfolios was discussed with Laveist and Heyliger, Marlin disclosed. “We agreed, contrary to what many might expect, the National Alliance would appoint three commissioners and Theo Heyliger would be the fourth commissioner, and a suggestion was made by him to bring back a former Democratic Party commissioner [Franklin Meyers] as the fifth commissioner. He even floated or leaked the idea to the media and that lived a life of its own.”
Marlin said he had told Heyliger the NA would rather have someone else. A well-known local educator, University of St. Martin President Josianne Fleming-Artsen, was suggested and approached to take up the position. She agreed to the role.
Marlin distributed to the press an e-mail to him from Heyliger outlining how far-reaching discussions between the two had been. The e-mail highlighted points Heyliger wanted added to the governing accord that would come to fruition within six months of the new government.
Projects included the infrastructural programme that would be funded by the road tax, the closure of the dump and move to a more hygienic and environmentally-friendly method of waste disposal, finding a strategic partner for St. Maarten Telephone Company TelEm, increasing the budget for public housing, finalising the medium care unit and new operating room at St. Maarten Medical Center and review of the present tax system.
With just a year before the next election, a new NA government needed a quick action programme, Marlin said, adding the hope that if this had become reality, the programme would have been extended when elections were held for Country St. Maarten and NA was victorious.
When the governing accord was adjusted to suit Heyliger’s wishes, the NA leader said the Commissioner must have realised then that the NA was “dead serious” and Heyliger “went into hiding.” Heyliger then sent someone else to talk on his behalf. The emissary was dismissed by Marlin, who wanted to talk to Heyliger.
Hostage & deals
Directly after this Heyliger called. Marlin said he had told Heyliger on Saturday, “I told him, ‘Theo, listen. I am not in the business of playing games. If you are going to do this thing let us do it.’” Marlin said he had given Heyliger until after his Saturday press briefing “to show his hand” and sign the accord.
However, Heyliger was worried about Laveist being missing and that at least two members of NA were said to be in discussions with DP as his replacement, according to Marlin.
Further, he reminded Heyliger of their discussion in 2003 when Heyliger had planned to break with his party. Discussions then took place between Marlin, Heyliger and Island Councilwoman Gracita Arrindell. Subsequently, Arrindell entered talks with DP, forcing Heyliger to return to the party or lose his spot in government.
After Wescot-Williams’ announcement on Sunday and submission of the six signatures that kept her government intact, Marlin said he had told enquirers, “Now the chickens are going home to roost. We now see who were playing games. William Marlin was not playing any games.”
Marlin said he had known since Saturday evening that there was no deal with Heyliger, from the way he had spoken on the phone, and that the “virus” had spread to Laveist.
He continued: “It is common practice in the Democratic Party that they blackmail each other. They hold each other hostage. They make deals. They make promises they can’t keep and they lend their support to anything and everything in government in exchange for something.
“I don’t know and I don’t want to know what deal, arrangement or promise was made to Laveist, … but one thing I want the record to show straight: William Marlin did not lie. William Marlin did not mislead. William Marlin did not misinform.”
