~ Accuses Van Putten of wrongdoings ~

ST. EUSTATIUS--The United People's Coalition (UPC) withdrew its support from the "Coalition of Hope" because of differences of opinion with Commissioner Clyde van Putten of the Progressive Labour Party (PLP), UPC Island Councilman Reginald Zaandam said Friday in an exclusive interview with The Daily Herald.

The UPC/PLP/STEP coalition fell Wednesday, after the UPC had withdrawn its support. Zaandam said he had presented letters to Governor Gerald Berkel and the leaders of the other two coalition parties, PLP leader Van Putten and Franklin Brown (STEP), explaining the step.

Zaandam stressed it had not been his personal decision to pull the plug, but that the decision to leave the coalition had been made by the UPC party board.

He said that because his party was not represented in the Executive Council, he had to ask many questions to obtain the necessary information. This led to agitation with the other parties in the coalition.

One of the main bones of contention was the allegation that Commissioner Van Putten had misappropriated government funds to pay his ex-wife's medical bills to the total amount of US $17,800.

"Van Putten is trying to give the impression that the UPC and the DP wanted to drag his ex-wife through the mud, but that was not the idea," Zaandam said.

"In January, I went to the Governor and asked him if he could give me clarity. He explained to me that he knew of a bill of $4,500, because the woman in question had asked for government's help, because she wanted a second opinion [of a medical specialist abroad. ed.]

"I don't have a problem with that, because it concerns sickness, but what I do have a problem with is when you don't settle matters with insurance, but let government foot the bill," Zaandam said.

"What we tried to make clear to Van Putten was that as a Commissioner he should be the last to make use of government funds to help a family member, because you are abusing the coffers of the country."

Zaandam said if Van Putten had taken his responsibility as a man by not using government funding he surely would have spared his family all the stress.

Another bone of contention was the relocation of the new prison from Man-o-War to the vicinity of the Botanical Garden. According to Zaandam, the plan to relocate the new prison had been made without his party's knowledge, and had been drafted to allocate land to Van Putten's brother to raise cattle on.

"You can't move the prison to give your brother a piece of land, but Van Putten had no problem with that. According to him, his brother had the right to get that piece of land," Zaandam said.

After these incidents, the UPC engaged in talks with the DP. Van Putten had then called Zaandam and made the suggestion that he would remain a member of the Executive Council until March 2013, after which UPC could have two Commissioners for two years until the 2015 Island Council election.

Zaandam said this proposal was to be discussed during a meeting of the coalition partners on Wednesday morning. "Before the meeting, I asked clarification on a statement made by Van Putten during last week's Island Council meeting, in which Van Putten had stated that his brother was born here and entitled to a piece of the rock. I asked if this would mean that those who weren't born here would have less rights to a piece of land, upon which Van Putten responded, "Yes, and I am not going to take it back."

I am not from here [Zaandam was born in Suriname, ed.] and I took offence. How could he ask from me to go to Holland to fight with the Dutch, if we don't have equal rights in Statia?"

Zaandam said Van Putten had started pointing fingers at UPC acting party secretary Elvin Henriques and land registrar Cedrick Lijfrock for providing information about the obscure land deal.

The UPC leader said his party's delegation had then left the meeting, followed by Cedrick Lijfrock's sister, PLP Island Councilwoman Millicent Lijfrock-Marsdin.

During breakfast next door Millicent Lijfrock had come up to Zaandam. "She said, 'Do what you have to do for your party, because I also have had enough of it.' We then called a meeting in which it was decided to withdraw our support of the coalition government and join the opposition. I would rather sit in the opposition with the DP, than sit in the coalition that doesn't have the people's interest as a priority anymore."

Zaandam said that if he would have listened to the public, his party would already have overthrown government since October 2011. "But I took the responsibility to form the coalition, and I tried everything to keep the coalition," adding that the atmosphere in the coalition had started to deteriorate after the ousting of finance commissioner Glenn Schmidt.

The UPC leader said his party was now ready to join the opposition, since it was not very likely his party would join forces with the DP after previous talks had been broken off.

"If it was power we wanted, we would have worked with the DP in March last year and I would have become commissioner, but it is not about me, but about the people's business."

Zaandam pledged UPC's support to Lijfrock. "The UPC will be in opposition, but as long as the people's business is a priority, she can always knock at our door."

Reuben Merkman (DP), meanwhile, confirmed that his party was engaged in what he described as "positive" talks with Lijfrock. He said they were hopeful to conclude their talks by Sunday.