PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel on Sunday said that at some point in time the people of St. Maarten have to see how dangerous MP Rolando Brison is to the country, considering the ease with which he uses people and their circumstances to hold on to power and the underhanded twisting of an issue to influence outcomes in his favour. “People are collateral damage to him,” MP Emmanuel said.
MP Emmanuel was reacting to Brison’s press release issued on Sunday afternoon in which he (Brison) said the constitution of St. Maarten can never be sidelined, referring to the request of suspended MP Claudius Buncamper to have the Advisory Council issue an advice on two legal questions relating to Article 50, paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Constitution in relation to his suspension from Parliament. The request was unanimously approved by Parliament. MP Emmanuel was not present due to illness but was present the previous times the meeting was postponed.
MP Emmanuel pointed out that MP Brison, as cunningly as ever, voted for the Council of Advice to render its advice on the issue as requested by MP Buncamper, but in the process attempted to “muddy the water” in an effort to keep Buncamper out of Parliament.
“Let me explain to the everyday person how it works. MP Brison is the architect of a new coalition that nobody seems to know about and one which some members of the current coalition do not want to sign on to. The power base of this new coalition is deputizing MP Chanel Brownbill and MP Akeem Arrindell. If the Council of Advice renders an advice that could open the way for MP Buncamper’s return, this would not be a viable development for MP Brison as that could eventually remove deputizing MP Brownbill out of Parliament. So what does MP Brison do?”
“He proceeds to stand on the constitution like a potato crate and preach that it cannot be deviated from when he knows full well the Parliament of St. Maarten can amend the relevant articles constitution if it so chooses. He willfully is trying to muddy the waters for the Council of Advice. Saying it on the floor of Parliament wasn’t enough, he ensured the Council heard him by issuing a press release. This is his attempt to keep deputizing MP Brownbill in Parliament and MP Buncamper out,” MP Emmanuel explained.
The MP further contended that MP Brison’s citing of the case of Mr. Stanley Johnson of Saba who took a case to the UN Commission on civil and political rights. “The case of Mr. Johnson and that request of MP Buncamper are different in every regard. But what MP Brison wants you to believe is that because that same UN Commission is referred to in the complaint of MP Buncamper, then that automatically means it will rule the same way (dismiss the case) despite the different arguments and realities that could be presented if it got that far,” MP Emmanuel said.
This, he added, is deliberate double-speak in an attempt to sway the Council of Advice, while falsely claiming that he sympathizes with MP Buncamper. “The Council of Advice didn’t need for MP Brison to put such a statement out there as some sort of wicked reminder. They are very competent in what they do. MP Buncamper has the right to make such a request and a right, like every citizen, to question or challenge an article in the constitution. To pour gloom on such a request, creates the impression that nobody should be questioning anything and if you do, don’t expect much as if every case is the same. In feeding his narcissism and panic over retaining power, he again could not help but to remind us that he would sacrifice anyone and use others (Brownbill and Arrindell) to get what he wants,” MP Emmanuel said.
He also described MP Brison’s latest media tour to “praise and lift up” MP Brownbill and Arrindell as “laughingly transparent”. “Even going as far to chide the USP for presenting legislation to Parliament recently, claiming they didn’t before, all to make it look to MP’s Brownbill and Arrindell that their former party didn’t care about them. It is political head-patting with the same selfish premise and undertones,” MP Emmanuel said.
MP Emmanuel stressed that no matter how hard MP Brison tries to fool, deceive, steer his colleagues and influence outcomes, a few things remains very clear: “His government is a disaster. The coalition is a disaster, GEBE is a disaster, TelEm is a disaster, PJIA is a disaster, VROMI is the ultimate disaster, how he and other Ministers treat people and their own coalition members is embarrassing, the government has no plans for the future, no direction, it is one crisis after the other and integrity is a punch line. I will repeat, he is a clear and present danger to this country,” MP Emmanuel concluded.
