Dear Editor,
So Emmanuel gave out land on the ring road. So what! I will say it again, so what! Didn’t Claret Connor give out 10,000 square meters of land on the ring road to Chamber of Commerce when he was leaving office, although there was a motion from parliament instructing him not to do it? I don’t recall any motion as such being levied against Emmanuel. So until his last day in office, being January 15, 2018, he was authorized to issue land!
It has been said that Emil Lee provided the information to the media. Is it because he is angry that locals received a piece of land? Is it because it was not the moneybag-holding foreigners that they rather empower on this island? So I ask the United Democrats the following questions:
1. How many locals have you issued water rights to in the Simpson Bay Lagoon over the years?
2. Who gave out large stretches of beachfront to Italians, Iranians etc.?
3. Who sold Spanish Fort in Pointe Blanche to who some have called an international criminal?
4. Who sold out Fort Amsterdam to foreign investors?
5. Who revoked the works for the building of a basketball court in Great Bay so that it can be issued to an Italian?
6. Who gave away the land that Lee Roadside Grill was occupying to a foreigner?
7, Who gave the entire stretch of Simpson Bay beach to a foreigner?
Shall I go on?
So you found it fit to release the names of LOCAL young business persons to the entire world to get at Emmanuel. You have shown clearly that you do not have the interest of locals at heart. Locals should not receive anything in their own country. They should not get an opportunity. They should not own or benefit from the hard work their ancestors have done.
You, however, Emil Lee can come to St. Maarten and own a hotel. You can prosper off a country that you know nothing about. You can benefit from the hard work our ancestors have put into this country, but our own cannot according to you. You can speak your nice grammar and dress nicely and pass judgement on our people.
Tell the people of St. Maarten what role your company Atlas Construction Company will play in the construction of the new Hospital that you have been working on forever. Tell the people how you have cost the country 1 million in settlement costs.
I have had enough! I have had enough of the Democratic Party, the UP Party and definitely the United Democratic Party. I will not stand for my people to be treated like they do not matter in this country.
I say to Christophe Emmanuel BRAVO! BRAVO! and BRAVO! again. You have worked for this country. You are one of us. You have taken a serious stand to empower our own. I salute you for this. And I would like to tell every single St. Maartener who has received a parcel of land from you or has received work from you, to stand with their head high. This is OUR country and we must be able to prosper!
I say FINALLY there has come a politician who is willing to stand in the fire for his own!
I stand with you Mr. Emmanuel!
Name withheld on Author’s request
Editor’s note: For the record, The Daily Herald did not get information for the story referred to from Minister Lee. Neither did we choose to print the names of would-be recipients.
Terrorism at we doorstep
Lawd what ah mess
with all these political arrests.
Them investigating
Them interragating
And them arresting
North, east and west
And the politicians them
can't find no time fo rest.
For they embarrassing them ,
Right in front of their children
cauz For we there is just no
concedering
For we are all guilty
and can't be proven innocently
and we family
Are not treated decently
For no one is safe
in this place
For if they arrest SUE
This morning
In the evenning
Tez fo you
they coming
So if yuh smell ah beard
ah burn
Most probably tis yuh Neigbor own
So make sure you soak yours zown
For wha burn nooze
Does make eye run water
For whether yuh live in French
Quarter
Or south of the boarder
they have marching ORDERS
Te cross the boarders
And instead of giving we AID
Tez terrorising
They terrorising we TAIL.
Raymond Helligar aka “Big Ray”
Two opinion kings unite:
Bannis and Simmons
Dear Editor,
Please allow me some space in your newspaper to address Russell A. Simmons.
Simmons, when someone is a parliamentarian or Minister, when something goes wrong or right they should expect to be blamed or get praises. The government that just gone in cannot be blamed for the fire on the dump; the former government, which NA party had the VROMI portfolio is totally responsible. If no one is brought to justice and not found guilty for the fire and smoke that invaded the capital of St. Maarten the former government is responsible.
l don't have a problem with Christophe just that truth is truth. When I had the movement for the CKC Credit Union clients to get back their money, l contacted him to be the spokesman for the meetings.
l do not agree with you when you said you want young ones elected and like you don’t want the old politicians there. Don’t you know we need both the young and old elected? The old is always the one to train the younger ones.
We both saw the pain and suffering of the people. You and I should be invited to all delegations from St. Maarten to The Hague. It is better UD govern 2018 to 2022. UD candidates have more experience to govern than NA. UD can always bring prosperity for both sides of the Island. Really l was expecting Silveria Jacobs to change the name and colour of her party, but she said she was busy putting things together.
If I, Cuthbert Bannis were Silveria Jacobs’ advisor, I will advise her to send the entire National Alliance board home. Why newly elected politicians love to talk against Theo, and not the needs of the people?
Eleven seats for the UD party because they are best. March 31, 2018, should be deadline for Parliamentarians and ministers to bring down their salary.
Cuthbert Bannis
The day after
Dear Editor,
Slowly also by me it sinks in that Statia does not have an elected island council and an executive council anymore. This ultimate measure, which was taken last in The Netherlands in 1951, whereby the municipality Finsterwolde was stripped of its local government, appeared to be unavoidable. The coalition, who claimed that they saw it coming long time, did not do anything to avoid it. One may wonder if this was because of a particular strategy or just simply stupidity.
A small group of supporters protested in a silent march the measure taken by The Hague on the day Knops brought the message to us. Although the former coalition members continue their rhetoric in the media and refuse to leave their offices, Statians remain rather calm and do not take to the streets. A petition to demand elections next year is the only action organized by autonomist groups Brighter Path and Pro Statia. As usual with these groups this petition is based on the wrong merits, as they claim that Holland has cancelled the elections for 2019.
The recently adopted law, however, states clearly that before December 1st the decision needs to be taken whether elections will be held next year. The answer depends largely on the progress being made to get our island back on track. This latter in its turn depends on the manner of cooperation received from us, the people of Statia. The fact that the former coalition groups are putting up their customary fight reduces in my opinion the chance of elections next year. That is a pity. I too am a strong proponent of having elections as soon as possible.
Hereby I can understand the need for prolongation of special powers of a government commissioner also after these elections for a specific period of time to guarantee continued progress in good governance, and the execution of projects needed to improve the situation for our people.
Seemingly because of lack of support locally, the leader of the former coalition is seeking support off island. Simultaneously other politicians and parties abroad deem it necessary to condemn the measure imposed on Statia. William Marlin, former prime minister of St. Maarten, wrote in the newspaper that The Hague is creating a precedent and warns that something similar may happen with St. Maarten. It is a pity that even a man in his position apparently does not know that Statia’s constitutional status is not similar to the one St. Maarten enjoys.
Statia’s island council last year decided to pass a motion whereby they put our national laws aside. I wonder if it is acceptable to Marlin if, for instance, Cole Bay or St. Peters decides that they will no longer adhere to the laws of country St. Maarten, and that his government will not intervene.
I am reading that the Curaçao political group Kousa Prome is organizing a solidarity meeting for St. Eustatius. They hold this meeting because according to them the people of Statia in 2005 and 2014 already had opted for an autonomous status. They do not even deem it necessary to have their facts straight. In the 2005 referendum Statia opted to remain in The Netherlands Antilles and this was therefore no call for autonomy. This option was made impossible by the same Curaçao that, together with the other islands opted out of the NA.
Curaçao’s main reason for this was that they saw the smaller islands as a burden and wanted to get rid of them. It is nice to know that now they in Curaçao are in solidarity with Statia, well actually with the former coalition government of Statia. Only the insiders, the people of Statia, know the detriment this coalition government has brought Statia. In 2014, as we all know, the referendum was invalid. Therefore, Statia also at that time did not opt for autonomy.
In a letter to the editor, Finies of Bonaire claims that CPA, Caribbean Progressive Alliance, condemns the overthrow of our elected government. In his letter he claims that CPA consists of Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, BVI and a number of other territories, while in fact the group mainly consists of himself, Xiomara Balentina and Jacintha Brice from Brighter Path, Joseph Lake from St. Maarten, and who else but Clyde van Putten and Charles Woodley. I leave it up to the reader to draw his conclusions about the value of this condemnation.
I noticed that there are also political parties from the islands of the former Netherlands Antilles and Aruba that are condemning the measure, and claim solidarity with the people of Statia. I noticed also that here it does not concern ruling political parties or official condemnation by the governments of these islands.
I wonder if the outpouring of solidarity is really meant for the people of Statia, or rather an attempt to promote their own cause over the back of our people. The report of the committee of wise men does not give the impression that there is broad support on our island to keep the former coalition government in power. The lack of popular protests after the measure does not give this indication either.
On February 7th Statia has hit rock bottom. The only direction now is upwards. The Hague needs to do their job. The national government has acknowledged its shortcomings. It needs now to put their money where their mouth is. And we need to cooperate. Instead of fighting it, we, the people, the political parties, and the interest groups, we all need to cooperate and work in the interest of our island to get it back on track a soon as possible. We cannot afford any more delays!
Koos Sneek
Negotiating a stable government after elections
Dear Editor,
One of the most used buzz words in this campaign is the word “Stability”. Even those parties that have been in power since 10-10-10, and whose members wreaked instability in parliament and in government are now advocating the S-word. With these old parties having a track record of ship jumping, changing parliaments and breaking governments, can the electorate really expect them to offer the much-needed stability and change that Sint Maarten deserves? Our country needs to be able to move forward in every sector of society, but instability has crippled Sint Maarten’s development and progress.
Instability has led to no decisions concerning our landfill or the dump. Instability is the cause for the delay in the reconstruction of Sint Maarten post Hurricane Irma. Rebooting the economy and the further development of the country are dependent on a stable government.
Unfortunately, the existing political parties have not been able to offer stability. We have had every possible combination of coalitions, but these have all been short-lived. Putting the older parties in parliament again would be an act of insanity, which, according to world-renowned scientist Albert Einstein, is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. Voting for the same old parties and the same old politicians will once again bring the same old result: namely, instability in government. There is, however, an alternative political party. The SMCP is a new and viable party that does not have a political history of ship jumpers, government-breaking and instability.
Realizing the importance of stability in government, SMCP will make this its number one priority when elected. In the event the voters give SMCP a majority, 8 seats or more, then you can be assured that SMCP will bring the needed stability in parliament and government. But should SMCP get elected as a minority party, then we will allow the larger parties to form a coalition. Let it be known that SMCP has no problem functioning as an opposition party, because a good functioning opposition in parliament is also extremely important.
If SMCP is called to be a coalition partner, then conditions will be set which SMCP believes will help to guarantee a strong parliament and a stable government. In the first place, SMCP will not be pressured into signing a coalition agreement hours after the election results are made known. Secondly, SMCP will insist that the governor follows existing protocols already in place, such as appointing an Informateur and a Formateur. The Governor should charge the Informateur to explore the possibility of a national parliamentary coalition in which the MPs from all elected political parties are represented.
If the MPs agree to a national parliamentary coalition, then the next step for the Governor would be to appoint a Formateur, who will consult with all the elected parties and their MPs to prepare a national governing program. In addition, these MPs will select the Prime Minister from amongst themselves, and together they will select qualified, capable and experienced ministers, ideally not from their political lists, to execute the national governing program.
In the event the Informateur does not succeed in forming a national parliamentary coalition then he/she will try to achieve a consensus from among the elected political parties that have the best chance of forming a durable parliamentary coalition. The Informateur would look, for example, at the history, philosophy, principles, internal working procedures and protocols of the various parties. This would enable him/her to observe compatibilities between parties, as well as explore any non-negotiable issues parties may have. Discussions concerning the formation of a coalition
should take place in a neutral place, like e.g. the Parliament Building, and all the elected MPs must be consulted.
After the Informateur submits his/her report, the Governor in turn will appoint a Formateur who will work with the coalition parties to prepare the governing program, select the Prime Minister and choose qualified, capable and experienced ministers, ideally not from the political lists, who also can withstand any screening. Ministers are selected jointly by the MPs to reduce the risk of a particular faction or a particular MP laying claim to a minister and saying “that’s my Minister”. SMCP will also ensure that the selected Ministers are aware of the governing program and what is required of them prior to their taking office. SMCP will insist that the governing program is presented to parliament and debated in order to give the people insight into what the government plans to do during the upcoming governing period.
To ensure stability in parliament all of SMCP’s candidates have signed a pledge, included in our Manifesto, not to defect during this parliamentary term. The stability offered by SMCP will result in a strong and steady government, which will enable Sint Maarten to move forward again. Stability will enable government to take decisions to get the reconstruction going, the economy growing and the dump dwindling. Sint Maarten, vote for stability! Vote SMCP!
Wycliffe Smith
Leader of the Sint Maarten Christian Party
