PM: Loyalty and personal likeability cannot outweigh professional standards, and accountability in public office

GREAT BAY--Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina has said that the controversy surrounding the former Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, VSA Richinel Brug, should be judged on accountability, professionalism and ministerial responsibility, not on whether the former minister is personally likable.

Prime Minister Mercelina said public discussion around the matter had become clouded by emotion, allegations and political narratives. He said that while he understood that many people may personally like the former minister, personal character alone cannot be the standard by which a minister’s performance is judged.

“We are not electing people because they are good people,” Mercelina said in substance, explaining that ministers must also meet criteria related to knowledge, accountability, professional conduct and the ability to properly manage a ministry.

The Prime Minister said the issue was not about attacking someone’s personality, but about the responsibilities that come with holding office. He said the public must understand that being a good person and being a good minister are not the same thing.

Mercelina said he did not agree with everything the former minister had done and suggested that if all the facts were publicly known, some people might view the matter differently. However, he said he would not go into all details on radio because of ongoing investigative processes and because doing so could be seen as personally exposing the former minister.

The Prime Minister also said he supported the involvement of the Integrity Chamber. According to Mercelina, he told those involved to allow the matter to be investigated. He indicated that he wanted the process to proceed, saying the issue should be examined properly rather than decided only by public claims, emotional reactions or political statements.

According to Mercelina, the matter involved concerns that had been communicated over a period of approximately one year to Brug. He referred to meetings, written communication and minutes, saying that warnings and explanations had been given before the issue reached the point of public controversy.

He said the situation was not sudden and that there had been efforts to explain concerns to the former minister and provide information about what was taking place. Mercelina said these communications formed part of the record.

The Prime Minister also referred to Article 54 of the national ordinance governing the organization of government. He said the provision prohibits civil servants from conducting business with government, directly or indirectly. He explained the principle by saying that a civil cannot use a relative or another person as a front to conduct business with government.

Mercelina did not name specific persons however, he said that if such situations occur within a ministry, they create serious problems for the minister responsible. He warned that ministers must be careful about the relationships and associations they maintain while in office. He said personal loyalty and friendship cannot be allowed to outweigh professionalism and the standards required of a minister.

Article 54 prohibits a civil servant from accepting, guaranteeing or having a direct or indirect interest in works, supplies or services paid for by government. He used the provision to explain the broader principle that public officials must avoid direct or indirect conflicts of interest involving government business.

“I spoke with the former Minister. I told him you are a young man, you are a career politician. You have 20, 25, 30 years to go. Be careful who you associate yourself with, and be careful that you don’t get hypnotized by these types of relationships," the PM said.

The Prime Minister said the chair a minister occupies comes with expectations. He said a minister must choose between acting according to professionalism and the rules of office, or allowing loyalty and personal relationships to influence decision-making.

"At the end of the day, it is either you are going to choose professionalism, what is expected from the chair that you are sitting on, or you are going to choose loyalty based on friendship. Each of them has a price. You can have friendships, I understand that, I have no problem with that. But be careful that you don’t get carried away by the formula of loyalty, because that is going to contradict the code that you have to adhere to as a minister of a country," the PM said.

Mercelina said that, in his view, the former minister’s situation reflected the danger of allowing loyalty to outweigh professionalism. He said ministers must understand that every choice carries consequences.

The Prime Minister also pushed back against claims that the matter was simply based on rumors or emotional outbursts. He said there were communications and records dating back about a year and that the matter had been discussed at different levels before it escalated.

Mercelina said URSM’s handling of the matter also showed that the party stood for accountability, even when the situation involved one of its own ministers. He said it was significant that a party would bring a motion involving its own minister, arguing that this demonstrated that the issue was not merely about political convenience.

Mercelina also addressed claims about the role of the URSM board, saying the board was involved in the normal post-election political process, but rejecting the suggestion that it was running the country or controlling government decisions.

He further argued that if the URSM board had truly been controlling government, the former VSA Minister would have been removed much earlier. According to Mercelina, concerns about the minister had been raised through advice, meetings, written communication and minutes for about a year before the matter reached its public stage.

He also addressed internal disagreement within URSM, saying that in a democratic party, members have the right to form their own opinions and vote according to their judgment. He said he respected those differences, even where he disagreed with the conclusion reached by others.

Mercelina said he believes some people defended the former minister because of personal loyalty and because they viewed him as a good person. However, he repeated that the public must look beyond personal sentiment when judging the conduct and responsibility of a minister.

The Prime Minister said the broader issue is whether government officials are prepared to follow rules, respect accountability and uphold the standards required by public office. He said St. Maarten cannot continue expecting better governance while repeating the same behaviors that have created problems in the past.

Mercelina said that if the country wants change, political actors must begin by changing their own conduct. He said favoritism, loyalty-based decision-making and disregard for professional standards cannot remain the norm if St. Maarten expects better governance.

He said the matter should be understood as part of a larger effort to strengthen integrity in government and restore public trust in politics.

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