DP leader Sarah Wescot-Williams has put her party’s participation in the governing coalition on the line over the issue of reconstruction aid from the Netherlands (see related story). While the Marlin Cabinet would still be supported by a minimal majority of eight in the 15-seat Parliament should DP pull out, this latest development shows that the matter of financial assistance and the requirements for such is pressing, to say the least.
Wescot-Williams argued that under these dire circumstances the Dutch side simply cannot afford to close the door to help from the Kingdom Government. Regardless of what people, particularly local politicians, think of the pre-conditions set, this is the current reality on the ground.
The good news coming from The Hague is that new State Secretary of Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops wants to move forward with funds for the rebuilding of St. Maarten. However, he is sticking to the demands of former Minister Ronald Plasterk.
As stated before, sometimes it is necessary to accept certain things with which one may not agree, because the alternative is even worse. Being caught between a rock and a hard place or choosing the lesser of two evils come to mind.
At this moment, with thousands already home- and/or jobless on the island and more soon to follow, saying “no” to the assistance offered is not an option, despite the strings attached. A battle against what is being imposed can always be fought later, once relief from the looming severe social crisis has been provided and the tourism economy gets back on track.
Until then, the perhaps-bitter pill must be swallowed for the immediate sake of the population. Desperate times require extraordinary measures.
