(Curaçao Chronicle)
I am a dissident, but the outcome of the elections of last year has proven that there are thousands of dissidents with me, mainly among the voters of the PS party, which I do not belong to. Whiteman, the then Prime Minister of Curaçao, pitched a fastball by way of an election stunt. But it backfired! More than half his voters have turned their backs on him, as became apparent from the outcome of the election.
In his perpetual wisdom, Whiteman has decided - for us, about us, on behalf of us, but without us - that the salvation of the economy of Curaçao lies in an MOU with China, in which he has offered China on a silver platter the control and exploitation of our two most important natural resources, our two deep-sea ports.
Under the pretext of the infamous tunnel vision, i.e. the modernization of Isla refinery, which China is prepared to finance, Whiteman, without any advance broad-based public debate, signed an MOU in which he offered the entire direction of our future economic development platter to a foreign entity in a most rash and thoughtless manner. Not only will China get control over our two deep-sea ports, no, our entire energy chain will also be taken over by China.
China is prepared to invest US $10 billion (or so they say) in our economy, and in the view of most of our “ruling politicians,” we should be very grateful for this. The fact that Curoil, CPA and Aqualectra will be pushed out of the market and will lose their right of existence, is something they conveniently fail to mention.
Where modernization of the refinery alone is concerned, China is prepared to invest 3 to 5 billion USD. The fact that after modernization, 90% of the brand-new refinery will be computer operated, with a required staff of no more than 400, is also something they conveniently fail to mention. Perhaps our politicians can explain to me where lies the rationality of an investment of US $ 3 billion that will unavoidably result in such a loss of jobs, while all political parties so strongly advocate creation of employment.
With the offer to modernize Isla, China has thrown out small-fish bait to catch a really big fish, because the unwavering demand of this investment is that the oil terminal at Bullenbaai is inextricably included in the deal of Isla refinery. However, inextricably connected with the oil terminal and also inextricably connected with Isla are the huge water parcels bordering on the oil terminal and Isla. As such, with the oil terminal and Isla, China also gets control and exploitation of our two deep-sea ports.
What our politicians also conveniently fail to mention is that there is a fully-worked-out plan ready for large scale industrial development of the back country adjacent to the oil terminal at Bullenbaai, where a variety of industrial establishments will be provided with a variety of investors (locally and internationally), which could create tens of thousands of jobs with a risk-spread because of such intended diversification, since Curaçao will then not be dependent on one big foreign investor.
What our politicians also conveniently fail to mention is that this large-scale development of the back country at Bullenbaai will be doomed if Curaçao does not maintain control and operation of the deep-sea port at Bullenbaai itself, because without the deep-sea port to facilitate the development, the latter will be like a still-born child.
One spicy detail, which has also been conveniently left unmentioned by our politicians, is the fact that the large-scale development plan was explained to the Council of Ministers in a Power Point presentation on May 7th of last year, and at which occasion all the ministers had nodded in approval, full of praise for the large-scale development plan under our own control. Nevertheless, the Council of Ministers has deemed it useful, necessary and desirable (please see the National Resolution signed by them) by way of an election stunt during last year’s election campaign, to pull this MOU with the Chinese out of his hat.
And beware she who dares to have a different opinion and propagate this opinion.
Well, the undersigned has had the audacity to disclose her opinion as referred to hereinabove to the public, and therefore she “does no longer fit on the team”. Well, so be it! I am a dissident and I shall remain a dissident. However, the outcome of the elections has proven that with me, there are many thousands of fellow dissidents. What does he mean by the “will of the people”?
Marguérite Nahar (LL.M.)
Kaya Alonso de Ojeda 57
Saliña Harbour View
Tel.: 461-8020/667-1430
Dear Editor,
St. Maarten’s justice system is improving very well thanks to all local Justice Ministers, and we have confidence we will get justice done if the Transport Minister will get the buses to run in Middle Region again.
The willingness to the take the Transport Minister to Court still stands, but because she just took office the decision came to give her a chance.
Government must stop turning a blind eye and a deaf ear towards the people of Middle Region; don’t block progress towards Middle Region.
Legalize the “Gypsies” or get them off the street day and night. Middle Region people are travelling on gypsies and 90 per cent of the gypsy vehicles are old. It’s costing Middle Region people US $10.00 to $14.00 per day for only one passenger. It’s not easy; it’s hard!
By 2018, Middle Region should have a proper community centre, post office, gas station, a fire station, offices to pay utilities bills, ATM machines, and low income houses to better serve all the businesses in Dawn Beach and Oyster Pond.
A bridge is urgently needed at the border in Oyster Pond, and it is too dark from the Oyster Pond Border through Princess Heights; please put 20 more lights.
Many thanks to Princess Heights for the containers you all painted, and we are calling on Government again and again to put some asphalt on the hill at Dawn Beach. We cannot walk down or climb it when it rains. Middle Region people and tourist use this road daily driving or for exercise.
Cuthbert Bannis
Dear Editor,
This has been getting on my nerves for the last 8 months or so, being surrounded by people who try to convince themselves (and me) that their being different is a handicap compared to people they deem “normal”. Now please explain here what ‘normal’ is. What is the norm for normality, do tell me what the insane notion that entails such a thing as “normal” must consist.
Curiously looking into the dictionary, (Merriam-Webster, btw my fave) one of the definitions of “normal”(if you can state or describe exactly the nature of this word, so fleeting in its obscure essence as such) mentions a “normal individual” as a person of an average development and intelligence. Wow, hold it there! I for one certainly do not strive for that particularly dismal objective! To be of an average in any which way or for that bland goal simply to obtain the nirvana of “normal”….. You have got to be kidding me!
OK, my “normals” are actually facts, for instance the fact that the original kilogram is kept under guard in Sèvre, France, as a norm of a standard kilogram. Even so, to my disappointment, there is no more such thing since the original artefact has dwindled in its environmental demise to minus 50 milligrams less the original kilogram. Sadly, even facts cannot be measured to normalcy. Bad example, maybe not.
So here we go with the self-pitying mantra, “I always felt different”, well duh, maybe because there is no one like you ever and will never be. No wonder you are different! Even identical twins are different. So does that mentioning of their feeling “different”, enables the free fall for all actions on their behalf not perceived “normal”? By whom? The so-called averagely boring “normal” persons? I wonder.
Embrace your uniqueness and comparing is an obsolete void into nothingness. Normal is different since there is no such normal to everyone else’s different.
M.I.A. Roos
Dear Editor,
On July 1st, Parliament went on a four-week recess and will resume on Monday, July 31st. In December/January upcoming, Parliament will also take a two-week recess. I hope that our MPs are aware of the fact that a parliamentary recess is not a holiday, and that they can be called back to work during their recess.
The website of the Dutch Second Chamber or Parliament describes its recess as follows: “During the recess periods, the Second Chamber does not convene. Members of the Chamber can study various files and documents, and prepare themselves for the next session of meetings. Often, they also use the recess period for working visits, field trips and meetings with their constituents throughout the country”.
Note that these are all activities that Dutch MPs are unable to do when parliament is in session, because they are then too busy with meetings of Parliament, Central Committee meetings, Permanent and Ad Hoc Committee meetings. The Dutch Parliament has five recesses during a parliamentary year, which coincide, more or less, with the school vacations. Therefore, many Dutch MPs also take their holidays during the periods of parliamentary recess. However, should any business occur, on which Parliament would need to meet urgently, then parliamentarians know that they are required to break their recess and return to The Hague to attend to the people’s business.
In the days of the Netherlands Antilles, I can understand the Antillean Parliament taking over the Dutch parliamentary recess schedule, because Antillean MPs at the time hailed from six different Island Territories, three of which were located some 565 miles from the seat of Parliament on Curaçao. However, I do not understand the reasoning why fifteen MPs, all living within a radius of a few miles from the House of Parliament, who every other week are given reading and study time and if necessary can interact on a daily basis with their constituents, still get a six-week recess every year. This is clearly a Dutch/Antillean tradition that our Parliament in Sint Maarten has adopted without taking our local context into consideration.
As far as vacation is concerned, the holidays of parliamentarians are regulated by the ordinance covering the vacation of the ministers and the minister plenipotentiary. As a result, a parliamentarian is entitled to six weeks of vacation per year, which apparently is equivalent to their six weeks of recess during the year. The Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the National Ordinance on the remuneration of persons holding political authority (AB 2010, GT no. 9) explains in Article 6 that Members of Parliament “have no holidays, as Parliament has recess periods”. In other words, recess is not a holiday. This would then mean that, separate from the recess periods, MPs would not be able to take holidays, neither would they be entitled to the 6% annual vacation allowance which is now being paid out to them.
During election campaigns, sitting parliamentarians and would-be parliamentarians are very visible as well as vocal in the media on all kinds of issues related to the people and to the community. Beautiful manifestos are disseminated and many promises are made. You also can find these parliamentarians aggressively active in the community, trying to get the people to vote for them. But during the period between elections our parliamentarians seem to forget, maybe even ignore, the people who voted them into office.
In the Netherlands, during the parliamentary recess, members of the Second Chamber also use the time to reconnect with their constituents. As our parliamentarians on Sint Maarten are directly elected by the people, they should make time to remain in touch with the people as well, hear their concerns, be their voice, ensure that legislation is initiated or drafted that benefits the people and the community.
In this context, I want to commend MP George Pantophlet, who, during this parliamentary recess, has taken some time to speak out in the media on the issue of the short-term contract. There are many more issues in the community on which the people would like to hear the views of our parliamentarians.
Do members of parliament have an opinion on the situation taking place at NIPA, where the education of the students seems to be in jeopardy? What about the views of parliamentarians on the Pearl of China and the Chinese tunnel? What do our Parliamentarians think about the Asset Recovery Team and the latest agreement that our Prime Minister made with the Dutch concerning the Integrity Chamber, whereby our Parliament has also been compromised as far as the date is concerned.
In 2015, Parliament was very upset with the then Prime Minister, the Honourable Marcel Gumbs and the Minister of Justice, the Honourable Dennis Richardson, for signing an accord with the Dutch without first consulting with the parliament. Two years later “l’histoire se répète” but thus far we have heard nothing from our parliamentarians concerning this matter.
Since our parliamentarians are so busy during the rest of the year, it would be good if, during their parliamentary recess periods, they can be more visible, more vocal and more interactive with their constituents.
Wycliffe Smith
Leader of the Sint Maarten Christian Party
Dear Editor,
During our nightmarish week last week, with our Nursing Instructor resigning, police coming to the school, having to do exams under stressful conditions and same instructor being pinned with false complaints, only to then have the parent come forward and call the Social Worker, the minister and the board members liars because she never filed a complaint against our instructor.
Our instructor was told she couldn’t correct our exams, so we went to the inspectorate to find out why, because she was the only one teaching us the material. Suddenly the school issued a statement that our teacher can correct the exams, but we were still confused about the other exams we still had to do, so we went to the inspectorate a second time.
It was immediately observed by the inspectorate staff members that it made no sense going there, because of the stupid questions they asked, like: “Did your teacher influence you to come here like board member Annuska Friday-Illis said in the newspaper? Of course not! We are all adults with minds of our own, and yes, we love our teacher and we support her 110%, but we cannot be controlled to do anything we don’t want to do.
Annuska Illis-Friday has never once spoken to our class and rarely ever greets us with a ‘good morning’, just like board member Aventurin. No manners. So how can Annuska know about our emotions or if they are being played on? She probably was ordered to say that, and they are the ones that have no mind of their own, and do what Aventurin tells them to do. Only one board member greets us, the tall redskin one.
The inspectorate (Saskia) was wrong for asking such a question and their attitude towards us was very standoffish, as if they were already convinced by the Board or the Minister. Saskia seemed more upset than us, that we came there. Who else were we supposed to go to? We even asked our teacher to meet us there to get answers.
There was a news article a few weeks ago, stating that after our protest last month, the inspectorate met with students at NIPA and said everything was handled and over. News Flash: That was a boldfaced lie and no one from inspectorate met with none of the students that protested because it was our class; we have 24 students, and not one student had any meeting with them. That was a secret cover- up operation, where Mr. Garfield set up his two nieces and their friend to meet them, and I guess state everything was okay.
All of this is wrong; the inspectorate is obviously corrupt and has orders to hide and cover up for the Minister and the school. Our teacher spoke to the inspectorate and shared the issues with them last month, and from then she was being targeted by the board, Our teacher is brave and fearless.
It is a sad day in any country when students are not free to speak up without being victimized, and the ones that are put in place to protect us are in the pockets of the people above them. Now, we have students that may not graduate because she stood up. Suddenly a new teacher, who is the Minister’s daughter, is trying to fail her thesis.
This is wrong on so many levels and it’s sad. She worked 3 long years off and ironically in the week before exams, this teacher suddenly finds that her project is not good? Go figure! We are calling on the Prime Minister to act on these issues at NIPA. Please help us! Some of us are attending NIPA for a second and even third time; each time we had to stop or leave because of the past issues when they had no teachers and other problems. When we were going to quit last year because we heard they had no teacher, Miss Farrah showed up and saved us.
When we were frustrated because we couldn’t afford the books, Miss Farrah got 28 books donated to us from a company “Boolchands.”
When we had no material for skills lab and her request was taking too long to be processed, she took her own money and bought the materials. It is only as of lately with the board drama, the board seems to be spending money for the things we needed long ago.
Please Prime Minister, please intervene; we don’t have any more years to waste.
Student
Name withheld at author's request.
