MP Lewis accuses Gumbs of failing the people says country deserve action, not “sassiness”

GREAT BAY--Member of Parliament Lyndon Lewis on Wednesday delivered a sharp condemnation of VROMI Minister Patrice Gumbs in Parliament, accusing the Minister of failing the people of St. Maarten through poor execution, disrespect toward the public, and a lack of visible results on critical national issues ranging from roads and garbage to car wrecks and neighborhood conditions.

Speaking during a public meeting of Parliament on concerns related to the Ministry of VROMI, Lewis said he has repeatedly raised issues publicly, on social media, and directly with the Minister, including by sending photographs of conditions on the ground. He said the time for excuses had passed.

“Enough is enough,” Lewis said, arguing that the people of St. Maarten deserve answers and action, not what he described as back and forth and “sassiness.” He then proceeded to table a motion of no confidence in Gumbs which, if passed by a majority in Parliament, would dismiss Gumbs from his post (see related story)

Lewis said residents are looking for proper execution on behalf of the people and said that, from his perspective, whatever is being done by the ministry is not being done in the way it should be. As a representative of the people, he said he was in Parliament to stand up for the country and demand accountability.

Later in the meeting, Lewis returned to the floor and broadened his criticism, saying it was clear to him that “the bare minimum” was not being executed under the current Minister’s leadership.

He pointed to what he described as serious dysfunction within the ministry, including the fact that two senior civil servants remain at home on full salary while the country continues to struggle with unresolved infrastructure and environmental problems. According to Lewis, the people of St. Maarten are paying the price for leadership failures at the top.

Lewis said Parliament, as the highest body in the land, must be respected and insisted that ministers are elected and appointed to serve the people, not to neglect their rights. He said he has received numerous calls from members of the public complaining that the Minister has been disrespectful and unresponsive, particularly when it comes to letters and concerns sent to the ministry.

He also criticized what he described as a mismatch between appearance and reality, saying there may be trips, presentations, and polished explanations, but the condition of the country tells a different story.

“Beautiful presentation, beautiful poem,” Lewis said in Parliament, but added that the island does not have beautiful and safe roads, clean neighborhoods, or properly managed car wrecks.

Lewis said he has personally visited affected areas after residents contacted him and referenced conditions in neighborhoods such as Nazareth, where he said garbage has been sitting in unhealthy conditions while small children play nearby among heavy fly infestation. He said the Minister cannot avoid responsibility for those realities because it is the Minister’s duty to ensure the ministry functions in an effective, professional, and people-centered way.

He also referenced complaints and visible problems in other parts of the island, including abandoned and damaged vehicles along public roads and garbage floating near the landfill and nearby areas. Lewis said these are not matters that should require constant public complaints before action is taken. In his view, the Minister should be proactively driving around, seeing the state of the country for himself, and acting in the interest of St. Maarten.

Lewis framed the issue as one of service and sincerity, saying political leaders should not be in office for the title, the image, or the perks, but to solve problems and improve people’s lives. He said serving the country must reach down to the social and economic realities affecting ordinary people.

He told Parliament that he had grown increasingly frustrated after waiting to hear the views of colleagues and after listening to public concerns, and said he could no longer ignore what he believes is a sustained failure of leadership at VROMI.

Lewis also took a direct tone in explaining his style of communication, saying not everyone in the country follows polished political language or technical presentations. He said he speaks plainly because he wants the people to understand what is happening and because, in his view, clear words are sometimes needed when the country is suffering.

He stressed that his criticism was not driven by personal joy or political entertainment, but by concern for the country.

“I don’t do this with joy,” Lewis said. “I do this for the country that I was born and raised in.”

His statements came during a tense meeting in which several MPs raised broad concerns about garbage collection, road repairs, district cleaning, permit delays, abandoned vehicles, landfill management, and what they described as a lack of accountability and follow-through within the Ministry of VROMI.

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