Dear Editor,
With elections coming so near our thoughts are all about choices. However elections is more than just choosing a politician into a seat of power, it is also about choosing who you want to be yourself, who you want to be as a human being, because ultimately it is your choice that helps decide what happens to our country and thus to ourself.
We talk about local pride and being proud of our young country. Do you want to be proud of a dirty polluted or a clean nation? The choice is yours next time you drive in your car with an empty soda can, throw it out or dispose of it properly. The choice is yours and only yours when you picnic on the beach and take your litter to a dumpster or leave it on the beach.
This is not a government responsibility, it is yours, it determines what kind of being you are.
You want to be proud of an honest or a corrupt island? A politician has the choice to be honest or corrupt, you have the choice to vote for him or not.
When raising children, it is your choice and yours only to decide to be fully involved and dedicated into your child’s proper upbringing or not, it is not the responsibility of the school, they educate your child, you raise it.
Once you decide for yourself that, yes, there is a choice with everything you do, make your choice count and use it to be a better neighbor, a better parent, a better friend, a person that makes a difference
So come election determine first what kind of person you want to be and then see if any politician fits that picture and deserves your support. If that picture is not for a better life, a better Island, an island for everyone, where everyone is treated equal and everyone gets equal opportunities. a person that accepts responsibility and stewardship, then do not give that vote.
Binkie van Es
Message of the Holy Father
“Because of the increase of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold” (Mt 24: 12)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
` Once again, the Pasch of the Lord draws near! In our preparation for Easter, God in His providence offers us each year the season of Lent as a “sacramental sign of our conversion”.[1] Lent summons us, and enables us, to come back to the Lord wholeheartedly and in every aspect of our life.
With this message, I would like again this year to help the entire Church experience this time of grace anew, with joy and in truth. I will take my cue from the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew: “Because of the increase of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold” (24:12).
These words appear in Christ’s preaching about the end of time. They were spoken in Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives, where the Lord’s passion would begin. In reply to a question of the disciples, Jesus foretells a great tribulation and describes a situation in which the community of believers might well find itself: amid great trials, false prophets would lead people astray and the love that is the core of the Gospel would grow cold in the hearts of many.
False prophets
Let us listen to the Gospel passage and try to understand the guise such false prophets can assume.
They can appear as “snake charmers”, who manipulate human emotions in order to enslave others and lead them where they would have them go. How many of God’s children are mesmerized by momentary pleasures, mistaking them for true happiness! How many men and women live entranced by the dream of wealth, which only makes them slaves to profit and petty interests! How many go through life believing that they are sufficient unto themselves, and end up entrapped by loneliness!
False prophets can also be “charlatans”, who offer easy and immediate solutions to suffering that soon prove utterly useless. How many young people are taken in by the panacea of drugs, of disposable relationships, of easy but dishonest gains! How many more are ensnared in a thoroughly “virtual” existence, in which relationships appear quick and straightforward, only to prove meaningless!
These swindlers, in peddling things that have no real value, rob people of all that is most precious: dignity, freedom and the ability to love. They appeal to our vanity, our trust in appearances, but in the end they only make fools of us. Nor should we be surprised. In order to confound the human heart, the devil, who is “a liar and the father of lies” (Jn 8:44), has always presented evil as good, falsehood as truth. That is why each of us is called to peer into our heart to see if we are falling prey to the lies of these false prophets. We must learn to look closely, beneath the surface, and to recognize what leaves a good and lasting mark on our hearts, because it comes from God and is truly for our benefit.
A cold heart
In his description of hell, Dante Alighieri pictures the devil seated on a throne of ice,[2] in frozen and loveless isolation. We might well ask ourselves how it happens that charity can turn cold within us. What are the signs that indicate that our love is beginning to cool?
St. Eustatius’ current situation
Dear Editor,
In a civil society the adherence to the rule of law, mutual respect and the perseverance of individual and collective rights are import for the development of the society. While every member of society is responsible to do their part in guarding and upholding these principles of civil society our elected and appointed leaders also share an obligation, perhaps even more so, because of their public function, to be the standard-bearers of these important principles. Besides the moral obligation to adhere to and uphold these principles our elected and appointed officials take a public oath to uphold abide by and defend the laws of the land, before assuming the public functions.
The experiences of the past years and apparent disregard by public declaration (island council motions) of the laws that govern our society has brought us to the current situation where the State Secretary via the kingdom parliament has adapted legislation that formed the basis for the current intervention which has taken place on St. Eustatius. While this is regrettable on many levels it is clear that this decision was unavoidable and is done with the intention to restore the rule of law, mutual respect in public administration and to restore and safeguard the rights of each citizen of our community.
As a part of the intervention temporary administration was installed and an announcement was made that elections would be postponed until the local government could show their ability to govern in compliance with existing legislation and in adherence to the principles of good governance. While the appointment of temporary administration is a logical result of the intervention, it is not clear how the possible postponement of elections plays a role in the restoration of the rule of law and/or the restoration and development of a government that functions in line with the previously mentioned basic principles.
The intervention was inevitable as a result of the actions of the island’s administration. However, this aspect of the intervention (possible cancellation of elections) appears to penalize the entire community of St. Eustatius for the actions of our administrators. The most important value of any democratic society is the right to vote. It seems incomprehensible that there could exist a situation in these modern times (besides a natural disaster) that results in the cancellation of free elections within a municipality of the kingdom of the Netherlands, whether this municipality is located in the European or the Caribbean part of the kingdom.
As a Dutch citizen I have always been very proud of our heritage which on St. Eustatius combines both our ethnic heritage and culture with the best of European traditions and ingenuity all in one Kingdom under one constitution which affords each citizen, of this country that we hold dear, equal rights. (Statute article 1: Allen die zich in Nederland bevinden, worden in gelijke gevallen gelijk behandeld.)
The situation that exists today can be attributed too many mistakes on all levels of government as documented in the report which primarily formed the basis for the actions leading up to the intervention. Now we must ask ourselves, where do we go from here? How do we make it better?
State Secretary Knops said in his address to the public that it is his intention to make St. Eustatius a better place to improve the public administration and work on the infrastructural backlog created over the years. As a community we certainly look forward to these much-needed improvements. We also look forward in being an active part of the process. I am convinced that on St. Eustatius achieving sustainable improvement on any level, public or private. can only be
done through the unified effort and commitment that involves everyone (federal government, local administrators, community at large).
The right to vote is a basic principle of our democratic society and key component of our individual rights as human beings. It speaks to the core of who we are and allows us to be an active part in the development and processes of our society. I am confident that there is a solution to be found thru dialog which would address this issue in order to restore the dignity to people of St. Eustatius and preserve an active role in the restoration of our community for all its citizens and all who truly have Statia at heart.
I appeal to all involved to come together and make this our priority to initiate a discussion on this important issue. A discussion devoid of politics and devoid of preconceived prejudices on both sides. Whatever the history or circumstance that has brought us to this moment we have an opportunity to use our current situation to show the rest of the kingdom and the world that we can and will rise above this circumstance and that St. Eustatius will be better off in the end. A place where the rule of law and democracy will prevail, where a people together with their government despite our cultural and political differences came together in this difficult time and worked together to rebuild the Gold Rock. Let us write this chapter of our history together.
Gerald Berkel
Historical Belt and Road Forum can be significant boost
Dear Editor,
The 2018 Belt and Road Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean, which is scheduled for Sint Maarten in July, can be a significant boost for the country, which is still reeling from the effects of hurricanes Irma and Maria in September last year.
However, given the impact of the September hurricanes, it is imperative that mechanisms be put in place to ensure the safety and security of delegates to the forum. Some 400 persons including an estimated 200 developers and business persons from China as well as a number from Latin America and the Caribbean are expected to attend the forum in St. Maarten.
One of my concerns at this stage is the availability of proper accommodation for attendees given the impact Irma has had on the hotel sector.
However, I have an idea that may very well provide the necessary accommodations for the attendees as well as for the actual hosting of the meetings.
While serving as Prime Minister, I was instrumental in negotiating for St. Maarten to be the destination to host the forum this year, when I attended the One Belt, One Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, China, in May last year. I was the only Head of State from the Caribbean to attend the forum, also attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chinese President Xi Jinping and representatives of some 80 organisations including the United Nations, World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
The Belt and Road initiative aims to increase international cooperation on the basic principles of mutual discussion, mutual construction and mutual sharing. The initiative is now in its fifth year.
The forum set for St. Maarten this year is expected to be developed and funded by the Caribbean China People Foundation and China based Beijing Sustainable Committee.
At the meeting between Dutch King Willem-Alexander and the Chinese Prime Minister which was held in China earlier this month, the Netherlands and China agreed to carry out more mutually beneficial cooperation through joint implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2018.
Similar to King Willem-Alexander pledging his support to the Belt and Road initiative during that meeting, this is also one of the things that I also pursued and championed, while I was in office.
I was honoured to be the only Head of Government from any Caribbean country to attend the Belt and Road forum in China last year. It was attended by thousands of persons from around the globe. What we negotiated and agreed upon was that the Belt and Road for Caribbean and Latin America would be held in St. Maarten. We did not know at the time that a major catastrophic hurricane would affect our plans.
If all goes well, the National Alliance will be back in office by April 2, at least that is the plan of the people of St. Maarten, and we can make sure that all is in place for the forum to be held here. One thing is certain: the forum will offer a significant boost to our country at this time.
William Marlin
Former Prime Minister of St. Maarten
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.
