PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — In light of the upcoming elections, the Integrity Chamber provided integrity sessions to political parties as part of its public awareness campaign. Invitations were sent to all active political parties that are known to be contesting the upcoming elections. The sessions took place in June and July of 2023 with candidates and board members of the Democratic Party (DP), Party for Progress (PFP), National Alliance (NA), and United St Maarten Party (USP). A similar session took place in January 2023 with the Unified Resilient Sint Maarten Movement (URSM).
The sessions provided information on the Integrity Chamber and its tasks, the importance of integrity for the party and the individual, tips on how integrity can be promoted and maintained within the party, and the benefits of integrity within the electoral process.
As potential leaders, political candidates will be faced with decisions that affect the quality of the lives of the people of Sint Maarten. The integrity sessions therefore stimulated discussions on how decisions can be taken in a manner that safeguards the integrity of the individual, the government, and the country.
The participants were challenged with various scenarios in which integrity risks could occur, such as with gifts and donations, the use of government resources, and relationships that may constitute a conflict of interest. A lively discussion took place whereby participants were able to express their views and the measures that have already been taken to mitigate various integrity issues, while also gaining new insights into possible risks and ideas on how they could be prevented.
Member of the Integrity Chamber Rafael Boasman was elated to see the enthusiasm with which the political parties welcomed the invitation for an integrity session. “The level of engagement from these potential leaders gave me hope for a brighter future.”, stated Boasman.
The Integrity Chamber expressed its thanks to the political parties that participated for accepting the invitation and making the effort to foster integrity within their parties and looks forward to continually supporting the community with similar endeavors.
