Dear Editor,
Rarely have I witnessed a company so severely mistreated by its own shareholders as is the case with GEBE. We all recognize our current situation, and it’s tempting – especially for some – to blame the current management for mishandling matters.
However, this decline didn’t start recently; it has been a decades-long drama. While I won’t pretend to understand all the technical challenges, one thing is clear: no other electricity company in the former Netherlands Antilles or Aruba has made such poor decisions at the shareholder level.
During my intermittent tenure as a consultant with the company, I’ve seen competent management boards dismissed, supposedly in the name of good governance, while utterly inept managers and directors were appointed, dismissed, and sometimes reappointed. How can we manage one of the island’s most critical companies with such flip-flopping decisions? While GEBE was never beloved, it was at least respected and, to some extent, stable.
Too much political interference has brought GEBE to its current state. Decisions were often driven by personal or political agendas rather than objective, professional considerations. Aqualectra in Curaçao, WEB Aruba, WEB Bonaire, STUCO on Statia, or Saba Electric Company SEC – none face the issues plaguing GEBE. Why is that?
Isn’t it high time to entrust a competent, forward-thinking body with a broad mandate to define the company’s path? If this company isn’t “too important to fail,” then which one on the island is?
Sometimes having the government as a shareholder is a blessing. In this case, it has proven a terrible curse. One of the really sad parts is that GEBE has many excellent, well-qualified employees. They too deserve better management at the top and, especially, on a shareholder level.
Harald Linkels
Organizational psychologist
Dear Editor,
During this week’s parliament meeting, instead of offering concrete solutions to resolve this nation’s energy crisis, many members of parliament blamed past governments for the current problem. Although blaming others has been a natural instinct among humans since the creation of the Garden of Eden, I am not interested in listening to members of parliament doing it.
Why no member of parliament offered the name of another company that can send container generators in less than three months to St. Maarten? One member of parliament identified last week an island that can be contacted for these types of generators. This is a time all members of parliament need to work together to bring relief to the consumers as quickly as possible.
What will happen to this country if a major hurricane strikes St. Maarten in the midst of this crisis? What if all members of parliament conduct themselves in the same fashion?
This is a crisis that will reveal which members of parliament truly care about the needs of the St. Maarten populace. Additionally, this crisis will uncover which members of parliament are true and visionary leaders. This is no time for politics. It’s a time for statesmanship and unity. If all members of parliament work together the crisis will be addressed.
Many of my friends have expressed to me that they doubt all members of parliament understand the gravity of this situation. Some of them told me that most of the members of parliament have homes outfitted with generators. Thus, how can they truly comprehend the cries of the citizens? This is what some of my friends keep enquiring about.
Unlike many members of parliament, many citizens cannot afford generators. Does the government have a plan to assist very vulnerable and impoverished families with generators? The cost of many of these generators exceeds the minimum wage.
If this crisis persists for months certainly it will adversely impact the economy, crime and education. Imagine students being unable to do homework and study due to longer power outages.
In closing, together we will rise from this crisis or many of us will fall together.
Kenneth Cook
Gentlemen:
For those contemplating registering a new political party to participate in the upcoming elections the Electoral Council needs to urgently provide clarity on the following matters:
What is the deadline for new parties to register?
LB 24/406 of May 27, 2024 is silent on this matter. It does state, however, that postulation date is July 2, 2024. According to Article 16:2 of the Landsverordening registratie en financien politieke partijen the deadline for new parties to register is six weeks before postulation, which was, May 20, 2024. This makes it impossible for the Electoral Council to register new parties as the deadline has already expired. We have been informed that the government website mentions June 17, as the deadline for new parties to register, but we know this cannot be lawful as this is only 2 weeks before postulation.
Is the Electoral Council going to follow this suggestion (June 17, 2024) or follow the law?
There is no LB in which this decision is established. If true, would the Electoral Council and new parties seeking to register be lawfully bound by an informal announcement? Should this decision not be made known by placement in the Landscourant in order to have force of law?
Which deadline is the Electoral Council going to honor, and why?
This matter is all the more perplexing because the LB under consideration states: “dat de regering hierbij rekening heeft gehouden met de mogelijkheid voor politieke partijen om zich te registreren en om de bepalingen zoals voorgeschreven in de Kiesverordening na te leven.”
If Government wants to comply with the law, as it states, would it not be contradicting itself if it attempts to unlawfully shorten the period mentioned above, by four weeks?
Fortunately, instead of just pointing out the problem, we have come up with a solution, the Pro Soualiga Formula, which allows all the required legal steps to be taken within 90 days without violating a single law. We are prepared to sit with you to discuss this important matter.
There can never be any justification for violating the constitution, especially if there is a solution readily at hand. Both Ministers and Parliamentarians have taken an oath to uphold and defend the constitution. That oath is presently being, in our opinion, lightheartedly violated, because there is a solution readily at hand.
Renate Brison
Secretary
Pro Soualiga Foundation
Dear Editor,
Quick snap elections are very dangerous. First of all, the electorate is tired and confused, leading to unclear decision-making in a period where there is no hope.
Dear Editor,
From late last year to the present, we have seen political drama in action. When events like these continue to happen, we as people must check ourselves.
We continue to choose people who stand for nothing and view politics as a steppingstone for their financial success.
I assure you this will continue. After all, we the electorate demand nothing of political candidates and continue to vote because they are told to exercise their so-called democratic rights. The justice minister should investigate if any financial transaction had taken place between the suspected politicians for instigating the fall of the St. Maarten government.
Most or all parties have no political ideology and the individuals in the political parties have weak characters that allow themselves to be used and abused.
The leader of any political party is an example of what to expect from that party. The people who he or she allows in the political party tell you if his or her judgment is bad or good.
The character of a good leader is not only in education, but also in the manner the leader speaks to people, addresses people, and how they respond to people when they meet resistance and when others disagree with them.
If the leader of any political party wants attention to be always on him or her, move away from a person as such.
If the leader of any political party thinks only, he or she should and must make all the decisions you know to avoid people as such.
The electorate must vet the political candidates before voting for them. The challenge with the St. Maarten electorate is that they do not understand the problem in St. Maarten politics and why.
You cannot fix a problem if you do not identify it. And the problem is the electorate of St. Maarten. Your bad choices create the consequences that exist in St. Maarten.
The electorate of St. Maarten does not hold and demand accountability from political candidates.
The electorate of St. Maarten must find out what is important for St. Maarten. If you do not define what is good, how can you choose?
We continue to get wolves in sheep's clothing because we do not define who is a wolf from who is a sheep.
Every candidate should be asked about their stance on various issues, then you know what to expect and what kind of character they have.
But in St. Maarten, the media are afraid to ask those questions. A question that should be asked is, "Do you think a man is (basically) good and if he or she says yes, ask why?
Ask all candidates to tell you their moral values and why they believe they are fit to serve the electorate of St. Maarten.
Is having a decent lifestyle important to be a leader and does it matter? Is the character and lifestyle of a leader a good living example for the future generation? Does believing in God matter to be a good leader?
Most countries in this world are in turmoil not because leaders do not have education. It is because the leaders in this world have evil objectives. The top 1 percent in this world are rich and highly educated, but the problem is that their character is to control, dominate and deceive. The most dangerous people are evil educated people. A fool cannot hurt you, but an intelligent person with evil intentions is the person who will hurt you. That is why character and lifestyle matter.
Conclusion: Choices have consequences! Choose wisely!
The patriot Miguel Arrindell
