PHILIPSBURG:— Information reaching SMN News states that the USp number 2 candidate Leona Marlin Romeo is threatening her party to go independent and join the United Peoples Party to form the next government.
According to our sources, Leona Marlin wants to appoint her campaign manager Henry Lynch as a Minister.
It is further understood that during the negotiations with the Democratic Party and the National Alliance Marlin Romeo and her party leader Frans Richardson they accepted the Ministry of TEATT and Finance because Marlin was supposed to appoint Lynch as Minister of Finance. SMN News further understood that the USp was demanding the Ministry of VROMI in the beginning of the negotiations but they conceded and accepted the Ministry of TEATT and the Ministry of Finance.
However, Leona Marlin Romeo it is alleged changed her mind after Lynch met with two well-known lawyers that are advising the UPP and one of the lawyers (a die-hard UPP supporter) who actually represents Lynch told him not to accept Finance but to demand the Ministry of VROMI because of his past criminal record. It should be noted that Henry Lynch was convicted for murder some years ago.
The source said the Attorney at Law told Lynch that he could become a Minister, even though he has a criminal record he could still pass the screening process to become a Minister because a number of years has elapsed.
According to persons working inside the Government Administration Building, early Thursday morning MP Frans Richardson and MP Romaine Laville were seen in Minister Maurice Lake’s office, it is not known why the two MPs visited Minister Lake.
SMN News tried to reach Leona Marlin Romeo several times by telephone but she did not respond to the calls. It should also be noted that Sunday night when the USp was holding a meeting at their headquarters on L.B. Scot Road, a number of persons from the UPP barged into the meeting, the source said the board of the USp asked the persons to wait outside since they were having a board meeting.
SMN News further learnt that later the leader of the USp Frans Richardson and two other members went to one of the cars that the UPP persons were waiting in and they were presented with a sheet of paper where they informed the USp what they were offering if the USp decide to jump out of the coalition they iare currently forming to form the government with the UPP.
That same night the leader of the USp contacted the leaders of the National Alliance and the Democratic Party and signed a governing accord just before 2am Monday morning. A source close to the USp said that the UPP was offering USp three Ministries but no authority over any of the Government owned companies. It is also highly rumored that the UPP offered a huge sum of monies if the USp decide to form the government with the UPP.
In an invited comment Leader of the USp Frans Richardson said the board of the USp and its leader being him is fully committed to the two agreements they signed. When asked if there is uproar in his party with Leona Marlin Romeo, Richardson did not deny the information SMN News received.
Furthermore, the three parties namely the National Alliance, the Democratic Party and the United St. Maarten Party are scheduled to meet at 5pm to continue the formation talks since Leader of the National Alliance William Marlin was designated formateur to form the next government.
Bron: Smn.com