Dear Editor,
Kenneth Cook’s remarks in the paper of Saturday, January 4, 2020, spoke volumes. My take on the whole thing is that for the last nine-plus years is that we have never had a government. No self-respecting individual with a clean and clear conscience could go out in the public year after year deceiving the people. Their behavior coincides with the definition of the word parasite, and absolutely nothing has been done to possibly avoid that trend. I must say thus that to make a manifesto is a waste of time and putting more lies on paper.
Education, wow! For years now in my way I have expressed the fact that we have had and still have a whole lot of politically-illiterate representatives. Sad to say, our Constitution permits that. I have also stated and will repeat that a person is obliged to go to school until he/she is 16 years old, but does not need an education to run the country. This also diminishes my respect for those lawmakers who for so many years have seen the negative consequences of this, but conveniently have not made an effort to amend it.
Why would they do that? Very simple. The more the political leaders can find presentable young people “cronies” without an education to put on their party lists.
The question I would expect is, “If we know this, why do we still go out and vote?” Many people are pressed to vote by the different organisations and churches as a civic duty. I too would encourage the people to go out and vote, but because those political leaders who have been there for years have proven by now that they are not for the people, so we should not vote for them, no matter where they are on the party.
There are at least 10 politicians on the various lists who will not get my vote and I would wish that the voters would get rid of the old and vote in young people because it cannot get any worse than it is. If the young people follow the laws of the land we all will do alright.
My respect for political party leaders is limited, because they have proven to be users and have no regard nor do they care whether the voters and population appreciate the fact that life-determining decisions are being made for them by illiterates and people who completely do not understand what it takes to run the country.
I see political billboards being placed all along the streets with all kinds of slogans and I say to myself, “Again the same slogans being shuffled among the candidates.” The one that made me pause was “Marlin was right”, because my reaction was “Marlin could have been right, but when he ratified our Constitution he was lacking insight.” Since then people have been saying that he sold out the country just to get the date 10-10-’10.
What I know is that it baffles me why certain what would seem to be simple decisions to be taken are limited to entities. Because of the constant toppling of governments, which our political leaders relish, nothing concrete, beside appointing cronies to positions of authority regardless of their qualification, was accomplished.
These days I have been hearing from seasoned voters that they are ready to put more young people in there because it cannot get any worse than it is now. If we put in the same leaders before the year-end they will throw down the government again.
For a while now I have been advocating “out with the old and in with the new, but with the maturity, the principle and the integrity that Claude “Chacho” Peterson has already demonstrated he makes my choice for January 9, 2020, very easy. Along with that, his party leader has also demonstrated to be a man of integrity, so my vote along with all the rest who will vote for Chacho will not be wasted.
Russell A. Simmons
The St. Maarten Christian Party learned that the Netherlands did offer to pay for the international election observers to visit St. Maarten during this week’s election but that the Government has not yet taken up the Dutch on their offer. This is worrisome, because in an article published in The Daily Herald on December 7, 2019, Prime Minister Jacobs said that she had “absolutely no problem” with elections being observed as long as St. Maarten did not have to pay. This is based on the liquidity position as country, St. Maarten would not be able to bear the cost.
PM Jacobs then indicated that if the Netherlands wanted to bear the cost she would have no problem with that. My question to the Government is: if the Netherlands is willing to pay and St. Maarten has no problem with that, why hasn’t the Government then accepted the offer made by the Netherlands? Money to pay for the election observers is not a problem. This was also not a problem now almost two years ago when the Netherlands footed the bill for the observers to monitor the 2018 election on St. Maarten.
Not responding to the offer raises questions locally but also in the international community. The first question raised in this context is: why hasn’t the Government responded?
On June 21, 2017, The Economist, a well-known magazine, wrote the following about international election observers: “Ever since the late 1990s, international observation of elections has become so widespread that refusing to admit monitors is almost an outright admission of fraud”. Therefore, if St. Maarten did not respond to the offer by the Netherlands to pay for election observers it would obviously raise questions and give the impression that St. Maarten has something to hide or is condoning certain illegal and unethical behavior during the election.
In an effort to promote transparency and accountability during the upcoming election SMCP, on December 10, 2019, requested a meeting with the Prosecutor’s Office and also with the Central Voting Bureau (CVB) to discuss a number of issues related to fair and free elections; issues such as irregularities during the 2018 election, vote-buying, the use of cell phones in the polling stations, adhering to rules around the polling stations, removal of curtains from voting booths and international election observers. The CVB thought the concerns raised by SMCP important enough to be shared with all political parties and therefore the CVB invited all political parties to the meeting.
As far as the topic of election observers is concerned, both the Prosecutor’s Office and the CVB expressed the importance of monitoring the election by international observers. The CVB reiterated several times that they have absolutely no problem to work with such observers. For the sake of transparency and good working relations the CVB has even invited their colleagues (at their own cost) in the rest of the Kingdom and from the neighboring islands like Anguilla and the BVI to come and observe the election in St. Maarten in an unofficial capacity.
The Prime Minister indicated in the previously mentioned news article that observers are not necessary. However, the absence of and especially the refusal to have observers, especially when they come at no cost to government, can lead one to think that St. Maarten does have something to hide.
It is known that in previous elections vote-buying was very prevalent. It is known that politicians and supporters do not uphold the rules set by the Minister of Justice for the day of election regarding conduct in the immediate vicinity of the polling stations. During Election Day in 2018 several breaches of the rules were observed and documented by SMCP. Our report was submitted and presented to the Central Voting Bureau and to the team of international observers last year.
SMCP is of the opinion that if the Government has been provided the option by the Netherlands for observers at no cost we should take them up on the offer. Considering the late hour, it may or may not be possible to get observers from the Netherlands and other international countries. If this is the case it may be still possible to contact Aruba, Curaçao and other countries in the region to see if they could still send observers at such short notice. The Government could request the Netherlands to bear these costs instead.
This year SMCP trusts that the Prosecutor’s Office will once again draw the attention of the public to the fact that electoral violations such as vote-buying are punishable by law and that voters should refrain from participating in such illegal practices. It must be noted that not only the vote-buyer but also the person who is selling his/her vote punishable by law.
SMCP remains hopeful that the Government will still do its utmost to ensure the legitimacy of the election of January 9, 2020. However, considering that St. Maarten is now on the world stage, the country should take bigger steps towards showing the international community that they can trust in our democratic process, and receiving international observers would go a long way towards doing that.
Wycliffe Smith
Leader of the St. Maarten Christian Party (SMCP)
Dear Editor,
The election campaign is in full gear, but the electorate must beware! When several candidates can dodge a question that requires a straightforward answer rather than an unrelated exposition, this behaviour is a classic distrust of one’s moral principles. And, if these same candidates cannot clarify issues that have plagued their political career, whether now or in the past, then the electorate has just fallen into their trap.
To begin, fast and smooth talkers are generally liars. When I listen to the number seven candidate on the USP slate, he may sound convincing to persons, who do not take the time to analyse his message. Or, may have ignored the behavioural pattern that defined the character of this individual. Therefore, the electorate needs to reflect on just two issues that have clouded their minds during his tenure as an MP.
First, it was this bribery charge against the former UPP leader, which was hotly debated and recently thrown out by the court. When he was asked to shed some light on the matter, this former MP danced around the issue. To this date, he has never come clean on these legal charges. So, did the ex-UPP leader bribe him, yes or no? If yes, when the charges were dismissed, why didn’t he oppose the verdict? If it is no, why file a false statement?
Second, this number seven candidate tends to display his passion for a breakfast programme for children that he initiated back in 2014. At the time, I questioned his intention, because it was also on the verge of an election. What was worrisome then and now, is that this former MP, who was making more than $10.000 a month, requested that the airport pay for this initiative.
If he cared so much about the children going to school hungry, why did he ask an entity to pay for the programme, when he had the financial resources to execute it? What is more worrying than before is that this former MP is still in a much better position than previously, but he is complaining bitterly that his programme was shelved. Why doesn’t he fund it with the bloated income he is collecting from his gaming licence?
Now more than ever, the political sphere has become the playground for politicians, who feel that the population is suffering from Alzheimer’s. It’s almost comical to see former Minister of Health Emil Lee running on a political list again, after he has failed to improve the social and labour situations on the island. What does he have to show for being in that position for four consecutive years, except for dispute after dispute?
Over and over, this ex-minister claimed that he brings honesty, transparency and integrity to the table, but declined to answer direct questions when it comes to the controversial issues that surrounded his ministry. What is not surprising, but rather strange, is his change of heart regarding the initiatives he fiercely defended and became utterly disappointed when he was thrown out of government.
How is it that a man of integrity, transparency and honesty is afraid to chance going back to the executive branch to finish what he has started, and demonstrate the qualities that he claims are lacking in government? All of a sudden, he wants to stay in Parliament. Why is that? Is it really because of the uncertainty in the political arena as he continually stressed, or does he want to change the laws that would allow him more freedom, when he returns to government?
The electorate must analyse why he dismantled that piece of legislation that was presented a couple years ago to benefit the workers. And, for an individual who is advocating for locals to profit more from the labour market, why did he sign so many work permits for nationals from the Asian community? Furthermore, why did he approve a three-year permit, instead of yearly? There would have been better control and more generated revenues.
As the saying goes, “Not all that glitters is gold.” These unethical politicians will tell you anything just to get your votes. A politician who is honest, transparent and has integrity, doesn’t need to toot his or her horn; the people will be the judge. Likewise, if there are issues that cast doubt on a politician’s character, that’s a clue that has revealed his or her true nature.
Joslyn Morton
Dear Editor,
Many voters will be challenged to cast their vote in a manner that they are sure that they have selected the candidate most likely to advance their interests in the upcoming elections. This is because they will be unable to predict what the available options are likely to achieve.
There is some evidence based on the past that will give some indication as to what they should be looking for to achieve their goals and I hope to summarize as follows.
Most important is that they realize that they are really voting for a party and within this party they have individual options, but it is the party and its leadership that will ultimately decide what the position of the party might be and the executed policy. A nice guy on the with a high number in a party and apparently great intentions is not going to be as relevant as ones on the top of the list. An organized party with candidates with a common vision is an essential criterion if any political vision is to be achieved.
There has been much written that St. Maarten politics has been dominated by an older elite and that young candidates are needed to break out of the rut that the country is in. But the evidence has been that young candidates have also suffered from a lack of integrity as much as older or have turned out to not be productive as legislators. Being young certainly has advantages but it has not been the magic factor in St. Maarten in the last decade.
Deep knowledge of public administration is an essential. Law or public administration degrees are hugely advantageous. Education in finance or public policy would work. Candidates with huge plans and no content on how the huge plans could be achieved within our complex governmental structure are the perfect solution to repeating the poor governance we have seen.
Many candidates claim that they will “fight” for the electorate and the common man. History has shown that “bawling “ more loudly than others has not produced much in the way of results and in fact some “bawlers” have been particularly unproductive and counterproductive. It is not a “fight”, it is about effective representation.
But what are the characteristics that are likely to produce the best legislators? I would argue that a personality that can resist the heady pressures of the political elite is one of the most crucial characteristics that should be targeted. I recall the late Vance James whose life goals and moral compass were so strongly in place that there was no chance he would be dragged into the compromising situations that others fell prey to and he did not. Are there more Vance James replicas on the candidates list ? If yes, choose one of them.
And finally there is the choice of a candidate who has privately promised the voter something in return for voting for him. That rationale undermines the entire democratic process and truly undermines the voters’ long term interests not only because the candidate lacks integrity but because it throws the entire political system into a turmoil as we have seen recently, which in turn affects all of our interests. Those candidates should be avoided at all costs.
Robbie Ferron
Dear Editor,
I have been asking myself two questions. Should I vote on January 9? If I vote who should I vote for? Before I vote for a candidate, the first thing I look for is a copy of each political parties manifesto. Sadly, only one political party released its manifesto in a timely manner. Even the Electoral Council urged political parties to release their manifestos in time.
When I read manifestoes, I examine if some or most of the promises made in the manifestoes by political parties are kept. What I have been looking for from political parties for nearly two decades are plans detailing how the economy of St. Maarten can be diversified to stop St. Maarten’s reliance on the tourist industry.
This election cycle I have not heard how the problem of subsidy cuts will be addressed by a new government. I have not heard any party making a commitment to stop GEBE from charging schools commercial rates for electricity and water. Schools are not businesses.
Where I live on Zebra Drive Cay Hill a pothole has emerged in the road and for four months the government of St. Maarten has forgotten to trim the overgrown grass on both sides of the road. There are many roads that have potholes and overgrown grass throughout this nation. Many streets still experience sewage water seeping onto many roads. I have not heard a comprehensive plan how these problems can be tackled and eliminated.
Many of my friends and I have not seen a political candidate at our doorsteps trying to convince us to vote for him or her. If I vote, I am not going to do so because a candidate is my family or friend. Instead, if a candidate attempts to ask me to vote for him or her, I will look at the person’s educational background.
Furthermore, I will ask questions like how he or she plans to address St. Maarten’s various problems in extensive detail. I want to know the what, when why and how. If any candidate wants to convince me and others who are still undecided, he or she can contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. I willing be listen and question. In my opinion a vote is something candidates should work really hard for with their ideas and plans.
Kenneth Cook
