Two weeks ago, we booked a holiday to Curaçao at Corendon from July 6. Air travel, car and a nice house at Livingstone Resort in Jan Thiel. How we had looked forward to this. Until today when we received an email that Livingstone is not open at all. I find it very misleading that there was no warning when booking that certain hotels may not be available due to the coronavirus.
Corendon rebooks us to another hotel, which happens to be the Corendon Mangrove Beach Resort, of their own. Here they do not have a house or apartment, so we cannot get the same facilities as we had booked. Moreover, this hotel is not located in Jan Thiel, or in any other cozy place, but in a remote location, so we always have to go by car when we want to go somewhere. That this is an all-inclusive hotel is irrelevant to us. We do not like that at all. We like to eat somewhere different every day or to cook differently ourselves.
If we want to go to a hotel or apartment other than this one, we must choose something from Corendon’s website and pay the additional cost. For something equivalent to what we initially booked, that comes to over 800 euros extra! And a trip to Curaçao during the holiday period is not that cheap.
Another option is to cancel the trip free of charge and accept a voucher. But we certainly do not want that. We just want the vacation we booked and what we were looking forward to.
Especially in these times when the travel industry is struggling, we did not expect information about the possibility of a closed hotel to be withheld. Then we would have given extra thought to whether we should book at the moment.
Can they do it this way? What are our rights?
Marsha Koteris,
The Netherlands
Dear Editor,
It is so easy to spot someone who is genuine in nature, and it is such a joy to uncover this rare character. It does not matter if the island is calm or experiencing a calamity, this unsung hero makes it her duty to reach out to any and everybody.
The magnitude of her intention is immeasurable. Nurtured with love and compassion, instinctively she lets the world sees her heart, by seizing every opportunity to display her true personality. Bonded by her passion and vision, one can detect that her values are connected to her mission.
Only someone who is kind to her inner self can experience such deep feeling of care and is willing to share with whoever seeks the support to be comforted. Over the years, this selfless act underlines the execution of her mission, as she continues to strive on the determination and hope to reduce drug addiction.
In the initial stage of the pandemic, she was the first person (to my knowledge) to come on air to advertise the services that are provided by the institution that she directs. This means that the welfare of the people dominates her mind, and like a caring mom, she pursues every possibility to preserve a healthy society.
So, today I take this moment to salute the Interim Director of the Mental Health Foundation Ms. Eileen Healy – a true campaigner, whose soul yearns for a new facility that would greatly improve the needs of the entire community.
Joslyn Morton
Mr. Editor,
I listened with great interest to the radio interview given by former member of Parliament, Mr. Theo Heyliger, on Monday, 22 June 2020. Firstly, it is excellent to see Mr. Heyliger in good health after his diagnosis in 2019 and I wish him continued recovery and health.
This is the second interview given by the former MP in a week, and while it was unclear what the overall purpose of the media blitz was, after the first interview, and subsequent press releases by the party he once led, I think the people can see the story being shopped around.
Revisionist History has been done by key groups throughout history: those who win wars, those who become dictators and, the largest and most controlling group, those who colonize (France, the Netherlands, England, etc). Colonization, and the resulting trans-Atlantic slave trade, has allowed the mentioned countries to tweak global history to their favour. They have erased or twisted facts that did not suit their story and we still feel the effects of their revision today.
Mr. Heyliger tries to quote this revisionist history by claiming that the Netherlands is attempting to “destroy” Sint Maarten through the justice system, by arresting and prosecuting politicians and other prominent individuals in the community. He cautions that the “hierarchy of the country” is being targeted and will be removed, and that this is how the country will be taken over. He warns the new “millennial” politicians that there is history behind ‘a lot of what goes on’ and that we cannot come in and “bulldoze the place to the ground.” This is a neat way of saying that change, so desperately needed, cannot come as long as the so-called “hierarchy of the country” exists. It would seem that Mr. Heyliger is creating his own version of history, something that he and several of his former colleagues have done since before 10-10-10. He uses this Revised Version of History to explain the state the country is in; I believe that the actual version is much more insightful, not to mention accurate.
Heyliger spent the interview lamenting the state of our education, healthcare and social welfare systems, but he lays blame for the state of these sectors squarely at the feet of the Netherlands. This is where the new history begins. While now, with a conviction-under-appeal, it has become incredibly transparent what is going on, it’s pretty masterful how slips of truth mixed with a healthy dose of delusions of grandeur have been spun to sound like a systematic takeover by anyone other than organized criminals.
Heyliger states that the Grand Plan is to turn us into the European Dutch person that he seems to so vehemently dislike (when not engaging them to bring construction companies to the island, that is). He rejects this notion but makes strange statements to support his rejection. He states, among other things, that we are not a people that “saves all our money,” saying that Holland complains that we drive cars and live in houses that are too big, and that our salaries are too high, and that we “cannot change.” He blames this last fact on the technical assistance received by Dutch technocrats, stating that we had to pay “high salaries” to them and so we had to match salaries to our locals. As we outlined in our livestream about our motion to cut 15%, the salaries of St. Maarten politicians before 10-10-10 were never high. They have been set by the architects of our constitutional status: the last Island Council of St. Maarten. Is the former MP saying that the people of St. Maarten cannot change? Is it really a goal that we remain a people who lack financial literacy and who do not save our money for rainy days or retirement? Is that not encouraging the continuation of poverty and paycheck-to-paycheck living that plagues many in our society? This is not the situation for Heyliger; the Estate continues to pay well, so what need is there to save for those with guaranteed income? I prefer the facts: region-wide, efforts have been made to encourage a more fiscally responsible population by promoting planning for retirement, savings, investments, and smarter spending.
Continuing the interview, it’s no surprise to hear a complete lack of knowledge, whether by truth or by design, of geo-politics, displayed by the former MP. He continues the same false statements we hear on the floor of Parliament, where the claim is that the Netherlands gave condition-free money to Dominica after Hurricane Maria and that money is now being used to build homes. This is a bold-faced lie; a simple bit of research shows that Prime Minister Skerrit, in his own words, has constructed and repaired homes, schools and bridges with money earned from the Citizenship by Investment Programme that is so popular with the Chinese, Russian and Taiwanese billionaires Mr. Heyliger wants to court so much. I’ll share the research with him, no strings attached, to ensure that he nor anyone associated with him make this false statement again. At this point, it’s cringe-worthy to hear it.
Heyliger continues that, when we’re independent, “he” can say he wants Americans coming in with no issue, or he can say he wants Dominicans or anybody (Italians, maybe?) to come in without any issues. This is in contradiction to the government his former party supports, as Honorable Minister Anna Richardson is currently attempting to resolve our immigration issues. Is the former MP saying that we should continue an open-door policy for all who wish to come to St. Maarten, thus continuing the burden on our infrastructure and our systems?
Enough of the megalomania and back to our failing systems. Throughout the interview, Heyliger fails to discuss his own role and indeed, the country’s successive governments’ roles, in bringing us to our current state. How did Heyliger spend his time in Parliament and Government? Did he address the same education system he expresses such worry about in the interview, and urge businesses to buy bonds from the Central Bank to build a school for special needs children and teens? No…but he made that effort for the construction of the Causeway, even going so far as to chastise GEBE and PJIA for not participating in that project. Parents of special needs children must either struggle through or, if they can afford it, leave the island to find help elsewhere. Because the message remains the same: the only way to ‘develop’ St. Maarten is to build physical structures. Heyliger’s focus has never been on developing the people of this country and that is perhaps the saddest part, because that mentality has trickled down throughout his former party. The level of ‘out of touch’ is so thick, it can be tasted.
On the floor of Parliament, we questioned the “urgent need” for the completion of the decolonization process. We were told that it is a priority, like everything else right now. But that’s just the issue: if everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. This is the confusion that has allowed false information to guide the way our country has operated before and since 10-10-10.
One thing we do agree with Mr. Heyliger on: the process to bring us to Country St. Maarten was indeed rushed. We’re just very confused as to why he seems to be saying that the road to bring us to independence should also be hurried through. And so the challenge question to the people is this: Who does this rushed process serve? Here’s a hint: not you.
Melissa D. Gumbs
Party for Progress
Party Leader
Dear Editor,
First I would like to say thanks for giving me the opportunity too clear the air concerning the shelters project, after reading The Daily Herald on Saturday, June 20, 2020, where it was mentioned there was a tender via NRPB [National Recovery Program Bureau – Ed.] for 4 shelters to be repaired, and Windward Roads was awarded to repair these shelters.
Confident Construction BV was awarded 13 shelters through NRPB and the contract was signed between NRPB and CCBV on August 7, 2019. The period to complete these 13 Shelters was 2 months, when the bill of quantities was incomplete on the side of NRPB, in which a new BOQ quotation was submitted by CCBV.
During the period of 2 months the project was delayed by the NRPB insurance consultant. He refused to accept the insurance policy the local insurance company provided. There were several discussions between the consultant and the local insurance, and at one point the consultant disappeared for two weeks and delayed communications and the project extremely. Without having the insurance in place, the World Bank would not approve for the contractor to commerce the works. This went on until the insurance that CCBV paid for at the time expired.
The first week of December 2019, CCBV decided to carry on works at 3 shelters, which includes 3 of the shelters that WWR now has been awarded.
On February 20, 2020, NRPB called an urgent meeting with CCBV, when CCBV nor the internal attorney of NRPB knew nothing about. During this meeting NRPB senior program manger in the presence of the director informed CCBV that the company breached the contract based on documentation, which was totally not the case, because CCBV had submitted all documents and even if CCBV was late to submit documents, CCBV would inform the supervising company ICE. In accordance to the contract CCBV hasn’t breached the contract, it’s because of emotions and misinformation from ICE, NRPB terminated (opzegging) the contract with CCBV and called it breach of contract, when NRPB has no legal ground to stand on!
Furthermore, CCBV had a contract with NRPB to repair 14 private homes of which 2 homes still need two weeks to be completed, which is extra work and was stipulated in the contract. Because of the Corona lockdown CCBV was forced to stop works with the intention to continue after the Corona situation is over, but NRPB refused for CCBV to continue, even though NRPB external supervising company advised NRPB to grant CCBV permission to continue the works for two weeks and complete the final touches of the two last homes. Besides, NRPB still owes CCBV monies for works that were executed and refused to pay the company up until today.
The bid of July 29, 2019, CCBV submitted the best price with all documentation for 150 homes repair project, but the contract was awarded to another company who didn’t complete its documentation.
It’s sad to say that NRPB has an agenda and prefers to award projects to WWR, LICCOM, BETON instead of local contractors who can do the job or even better. In my opinion the director of NRPB is not functioning and should pack bags and leave and should be replaced with someone who can handle the people of St. Maarten business.
Roberto I. Arrindell
Managing Director of CCBV
Dear Editor,
The laws of St. Maarten protect human rights. They, for example, guarantee the rights of due process and forbid cruel and unusual punishments. Over the course of the last 10 years, the governments of St. Maarten have not been able to guarantee the human rights of prisoners.
Various reports by the law enforcement council and progress committee show that there has been no improvement at all, despite various plans. So, one may conclude that all the plans have not yet resulted into action.
In the political arena, it appears that there is only attention for the deplorable situation of detainees once prominent politicians are involved. The rest of the time, there does not seem to be any political concern about the ongoing violations of human rights.
Kingdom laws are also law of the land. There is a particular section in a Kingdom law that states that the Kingdom must safeguard the human rights once a country is structurally not able to uphold those rights. The activation of the so-called “guarantee function” implies limiting the autonomy of the country. The guarantee function may not last forever. The law makes clear that it only lasts for the period of time that the country is not able to carry its responsibility.
For me as Dean of the Bar Association it is evident that at this moment in time, St. Maarten is not able to guarantee the human rights of prisoners. As last week’s court case made clear, a solution cannot be reached without the assistance of the Kingdom.
For that reason, via an attorney, I have sent a letter to the Kingdom Council of Ministers to no longer close their eyes for the deplorable situation of Pointe Blanche and have requested to take proper measures, whether that would be in cooperation with the government of St. Maarten or not.
The motion of Van Dam (see Daily Herald 22 June 2020) also shows that the rest of the Kingdom no longer closes its eyes for the fact that St. Maarten has a lot of trouble protecting human rights.
In closing, I would like to remark that it is my sincere hope that the situation improves quickly. And for those that feel that it concerns a particular infringement on autonomy, I would like to say that it still is up to the independent judge whether or not prison time is imposed.
Geert Hatzmann,
Dean of the Bar of Lawyers of St. Maarten
