Dear Editor,
The “Prime Minister” of “country” St. Maarten left the shores for a diplomatic encounter with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands and the Minister of Kingdom affairs. This is obviously how the editorial might read in the future but as fate has it today it’s simply factual to say an island territory considered an upstart for trying to determine its own future met with the colonial master to plead for some kind of consideration for their position.
While much was expected by some I cautioned that nothing will be achieved for it is ludicrous to expect a colonial power to respect its property whose people by extension are also considered property. It is now not the time to say I told you so but we should find common ground to a united stand for St. Martin. It is high time we put an end to the constant meddling with the under-the-caption “accept or get out our Kingdom.”
The Dutch are constantly using the islands of the former Antilles to promote their own political machismo in Holland and speak us ill internationally. No man has a right to usurp the right of people to determine their own future or lead their country in the way they envision. In the fourth decade of decolonization set by the United Nations it is unacceptable and insulting to a people that the colonist are appointing their civil servants to dictate to our elected officials.
We must persist in our argument that the so- called “slot verklaring” is not applicable as we never got or enjoyed any debt relief. We had to start from the bottom and build everything from scratch with or own measly resources. We were forced to present deficit free budgets which we did without a cent from Massa. Their sudden interest in our island is mind boggling considering that they were absent for over a century and in actuality didn’t invest here.
I hope our people and leaders will take me up on the offer to lead a demonstration whenever they try to implement their instruction. It’s our airport and port so let’s deny them landing rights we don’t want any rude and disrespectful colonists on our shores. If Mr. Marlin has the intestinal fortitude, our civil servants should still be forbidden from cooperating – we must show that we can and will remedy our own short comings.
The despicable statements of selling us on E-Bay or sending us our independence by mail and Mr. Rutte’s absurd attempt at humour daring us to give him a call must be dealt with once and for all. The right to self-determination is not of the colonists and they can’t decide when we use it or not.
Please, I beg you, let’s inform our people what’s truly happening as it concerns attempts by the colonists to take us back 300 years. Examples abound but just look at Bonaire and St. Eustatius where they don’t seem to be helping any people but their own by putting them in charge of everything. I fail to see any chance of reconciliation with their attitude of what we say goes or you go.
Nothing has ever been gained in the realm of human freedom by pleading and begging. For the sake of international recognition let’s have a referendum affording our people the opportunity to bid the colonists good bye. The time is now colonialism and Dutch dictatorship must end. The ball is now in the court of PM Marlin and Parliament. Lead and your people will follow for what has long been a just cause.
Elton Jones
Dear Editor,
A delegation of ‘Nos Ke Boneiru Bek’ (We Want Bonaire Back) left for St. Maarten last week on a mission with the objective to unify the Caribbean islands of the Dutch Kingdom to counter arrest the division of the peoples that was created on ‘10-10-10’ (October 10, 2010) and start a new era of cooperation, collaboration and support and restore the ties of friendship and cooperation toward each other’s needs in particular.
This crusade started with a meeting with Mr. Rudy Croes, vice-president of COPPAL which recently in a meeting held in Mexico affirmed that the International community will support and cooperate with the Dutch Caribbean islands, especially Bonaire and St. Eustatius with our cases of violation of International agreements and human rights, that our local leaders, government and politicians are ignoring.
‘Nos Ke Boneiru Bek’ by invitation of Independence of St. Martin Foundation, later participated in a conference concerning Kingdom relations. Mr. Lake of St. Maarten, Mr. Rudy Croes of Aruba, Mr. Clyde van Putten of St. Eustatius and James Finies of Bonaire have expounded on the present situation and the development of the constitutional status of their island.
Dr. Corbin, United Nations decolonization expert and ‘NKBB’ consultant, was the keynote speaker and he spoke on the unfinished agenda of the Caribbean on decolonization. Holland has been misleading the International community, claiming that the so called autonomous status of the Dutch Caribbean Islands from 1954 was a status of free association, but the frame work and the standards of free association were defined until 1960 and Holland still maintains an important residual power position and the Democratic Deficit in the Kingdom has not been re-evaluated to the United Nation’s level.
The cases of Bonaire and Statia have been discussed, specifically the anchoring/sealing in the Dutch Constitution of the ‘Public Entity’ status that has been rejected by both Islands, Bonaire and Statia, in their referendums and recently again the vast majority of the population did not go out to vote and maintained their position of rejection against the Dutch second chamber to continue to govern and impose laws on the Islands; it was a point of urgency and of importance for all the Islands to unite and support Bonaire and Statia against the anchoring, that the new Dutch government has on their programme to finalize.
Xiomara Baletina and Jacinta Brice of the Brighter Path Foundation and Clyde van Putten and Charles Woodley of the Progressive Labour Party of St. Eustatius and Joseph Lake of the Independence for St. Martin Foundation and James Finies of Nos Ke Boneiru Bek at the end of the conference resolved to make a formal step of unification between the Islands and form the ‘Caribbean Progressive Alliance,’ where other organizations of all the other Islands may affiliate to form a cooperation and a collaboration between the Caribbean Islands to stand together to defend and achieve the rights and desires of their people.
The objectives outlined by the founders for the different Islands are: Re-inscription of Bonaire and St. Eustatius on the United Nations list of Non-self-governing-territories; Achieve an evaluation of self-government for Bonaire and St. Eustatius; Allow the people of Bonaire and St. Eustatius to exercise their right of self-determination as stated in resolution 1514 and 1541 of the United Nations; Support and cooperate with St. Maarten (South) with their aspirations for independence.
Within the framework for support and solidarity and primarily our direct action to stop the anchoring/sealing of Bonaire and St. Eustatius in the Dutch Constitution against the wishes of the people, ‘NKBB’ has held various fruitful meetings with the Prime Minister of St. Maarten; Mr. Marlin was presented Bonaire’s case in booklet form exposing the atrocities committed by Holland since 10-10-10, and St. Maarten Consumers Coalition, Mrs. Elshot-Aventurin of the Windward Island Chamber of Labour Unions, Mr. Bute of the United NGO Federation, Mr. Jesurun of the St. Maarten Seniors and Pensioners Association, the Anti-Poverty platform and also various interviews at SOS Radio and PJD2 Radio and other means of communication.
James Finies
President Nos Ke Boneiru Bek Foundation
Dear Editor,
The United People’s Coalition (UPC) with much amazement read the Press Release with the caption “Statia to Present Autonomy White Paper in The Hague” in The Daily Herald of March 29, 2017, and that this concept document called the WP is already dispersed as an attachment in a letter to Minister Plasterk.
Taking the request of the Constitutional Committee of nearly 2 weeks ago into consideration to comment on the concept WP, we, the UPC applauded this manner of inclusion and took up the challenge to do so.
Although, there was no time frame given, our thoughts were at that time that the procedural trajectory would have been, after this round of consultation, that the then revised document would first be presented to the public e.g. in a Town Hall meeting before the Commissioner of Constitutional Affairs presented the final draft of this important document for deliberation to the Island Council. People’s inclusion again and again, after all it is their destiny.
Contrary to normal accepted procedural rules of which inclusion and transparency are part thereof, the document is already presented to The Hague. The UPC had hoped that after our comments in our article titled DéjàVu that at least this current PLP-ruling coalition would have understood that Statia is not their banana republic and that they would have followed normal acceptable procedures.
Furthermore, it is incomprehensible that a document of this magnitude is rushed without proper consultation with the people, and hurriedly submitted to The Hague. We are just wondering what is so blinding to this government to have the ignorance and believe that they have the just formula for the constitutional future of Statia.
What one cannot comprehend is their failure to understand that what is submitted will be the point of departure when constitutional talks commence and changes prior to the upcoming constitutional meeting will not be accepted by the The Hague.
The audacity to pretend to know it all and hold fast to the perception that they can make this cardinal and life-altering decision on behalf of the people without consulting the people, is ludicrous and borderline lunacy. This constitutional matter is not the decision of the few folks, believing that they have the right to decide unilaterally on the destiny of this nation.
In closing the UPC informs the public that in no way or form, the UPC is in support of this document as presented to The Hague and therefore, is distancing itself from this dictatorial behaviour, for the simple fact that we will not allow these rocking horses to shove through anything down our throat for acceptance and approval without the full involvement of Statia’s people.
Reginald C. Zaandam
Leader of United People’s Coalition
Dear Editor,
PM Marlin travelled to Holland Tuesday for meetings with Minister Plasterk and others, seeking an acceptable resolution to the integrity chamber debacle. In a truly sovereign state this would have been a bilateral meeting where both parties would try to meet each other halfway and ultimately produce a joint result to an old unnecessary and bad law. But as has been clear forever even before 10-10-10, the Dutchman is hell bent on having everything his way, or else there is and never were negotiations because it always ended up you do as we want or an instruction or higher supervision.
When we do agree on the formation of any supervisory body, it is always one member for the Dutch government, one for the Kingdom government, and one for St. Maarten. So in effect two seats for the Netherlands as there can democratically be no Kingdom government without a Kingdom parliament. They can’t be allowed to do as if they represent us, while we don’t participate in their election, and even if we wanted to would have to have lived in the Netherlands for at least ten years.
The PM is on the right path; we do have enough checks and balances to deal with our challenges. Moreover, the judicial system is functioning quite well as can be deduced from the many reports on incarcerations and investigations. All cabinets since 10-10-10 are culpable and should unite to stand up once and for all for St. Maarten.
Be it the DP-led government, the UP-led government, or the NA-led government, all have sat by and accepted a “Slot Verklaring” that was etched to promised debt relief that never came, but the Dutch guarded their right to impose on our country, not to mention the unending negative utterances and press out of the Netherlands.
I am appealing to our elected officials to unite and mobilize your people. We can’t continue to allow a hostile foreign power to dictate to us, while not contributing a dime to our budget and our development. Parliament should call a plenary session to also inform the colonial master that we no longer will honour the “Slot Verklaring”, as they failed cunningly to meet their obligation to us.
It is the strangest construction I have ever seen or read about, where a country raises its own revenues with its own economy and culture, but is forced to accept instructions on priorities, and what is important for the country from outsiders who in most cases don’t know where St. Maarten is located. I am appealing to St. Maarteners from all walks of life to shut this country down, if they insist on an instruction, or implementing the super civil servant as Quarter Master. It is time we stop making appeasement of the Dutch our main concern and do what we see as in the best interest of St. Maarten.
If you take a look at what they are doing in Bonaire and Statia, you would agree we can’t afford this take- over which side-lines locals for European Dutch. I am pleading and begging St. Maarteners to hit the streets in support of PM Marlin and shut this country down if they insist on having their way. Our civil servants should also refuse to cooperate with the Dutch, who declared us all incompetent and corrupt. It’s time to take a stand to protect your country and represent our people against all enemies.
Elton Jones
Dear Editor,
Following a meeting of our Parliament on the future of our new hospital and a settlement reached between our Government, SMMC, SZV and Vamed I believe it to be a good and timely intervention. If we recall the amount of lawsuits Government had against them and the win-lose ratio we know we didn’t stand a ghost of a chance in winning this one either. And, at the end of the day besides blaming the civil servant for whatever went wrong we continue to bog down the next generation insurmountable fiscal abyss.
To hold up the process and progress of the project will undoubtedly result in cost overruns based on inflation and added mobilization and what is referred to as unforeseen charges. So cutting our losses at a given juncture makes good sense. What Parliament didn’t delve into is besides the medical specialist that we would need and hope to attract is the amount of additional nurses we would need and why we are not using this period to start training our young men and women for this.
This is to avoid the inexcusable situation of being told later we don’t have what SMMC needs so we have to import foreign labour. It’s truly not rocket science. I further fail to see any real innovative or creative plans in the new Government Program to insure delivery on the many campaign promises. I believe that it is in this day in age for anyone holding four to five portfolios to give all of them the same attention and, furthermore, setting priorities simply means some will fall by the wayside.
It would make good sense since we have agreed though ill-advised not to appoint junior ministers to share the workload it might be a good idea for the minister to have an expert in the field advising on the various portfolios to ensure we don’t continue every four years with promise after promise that is never kept because of insufficient funding pre-set priorities or ignorance of the intricacies of the portfolio.
Not knowing is no shame but failure to seek the expertise in the community shows a lack of leadership also it doesn’t mean recycling old party supporters who are not competent in the subject matter or making super humans out of some people who have contributed little to nothing by making them directors and board members of more than one company or department.
This is definitely and untenable situation and a different approach is needed to dislodge our mind from an old political modus operandi. Our people have a right to expect more because they are the ones who are called upon to tighten their belts when there is a financial or budgetary crunch and they can’t, for the love of God, understand why things are not being done that seem elementary because we allow the European master to set the goals on whets important for us.
The way forward doesn’t lie in our great speeches or our many trips and meetings abroad – the difference lies right here. When all those unemployed, underemployed poor and needy in society can see and feel some kind of relief we are on the road to true and humane government for all. It simply means the captain (PM) must adjust his course and tighten the main sails.
After all we have suffered enough while all others in this society know nothing of unemployment and thanks to Minister Lee we now know that large properties are importing nationals from Peru and Mexico and others to work illegally for less, while our people continue to cry out for jobs. Captain, it is up to you less you be demoted or fired and that my friend will be up to the people going forward.
Elton Jones
