Dear Editor,
As much as he tries, MP and former VSA Minister Cornelius V. H. de Weever will never be able to convince anyone that the reason for his defection from the Red-White-Blue coalition in 2014, had something to do with opposition he encountered back then to "his" counterpart law.
While this is far from the truth to begin with, the MP has failed, up to this day, to show any tangible results from enforcing this policy as he claimed he and his new allies would.
The MP seemed hell bent on forcing through this policy unilaterally, which approach is doomed to fail and rather than get the private sector on board, would have created a rift which the country can ill-afford. Forcing any business to hire because "government says so," is a sure recipe for lay-offs and unemployment.
Luckily for all of us those in the know are quietly, yet effectively, approaching the matter of employment in the only manner it will really work and that is through partnership. The Democratic Party reiterates its position on this matter, namely that only through concerted efforts between labour and business will we see more of our people employed in careers of their choice, and for those who seek such mobility in the labour market, in other words new job opportunities.
In this context, the initiative by the Labour Department via their Start Here programme, coupled with their support for the SHTA job fair and business initiatives such as those of the Maho Group of Companies, is the way to go if we are serious about placing more of our people in positions throughout St. Maarten.
We applaud these initiatives and look forward to receiving the data collected showing the results of these endeavours. We encourage the government departments and organizers of these job fairs to collate their information and provide a true picture of the vacancies on one hand and the employment seekers on the other hand. Any mismatch between these two should be solid indicators for institutions such as USM and NIPA.
Finally, if our students abroad can also be brought into the loop we would have come full circle.
Democratic Party of St. Maarten
Dear Editor,
The Electoral Council has interposed in the current political turmoil, without prior consent with the Governor, for the main reason that the Governor up until this date has not signed the degree to dissolve Parliament.
I believe that all parties: the Governor, the new majority in Parliament and the voters, are taking this situation lightly.
The Electoral Council should not and cannot jump the gun by calling on the political parties to register prior to the signing of the decree to dissolve Parliament by the governor.
And the caretaker Prime Minister cannot instruct the Electoral Council to prepare for new Election.
After the Council of Ministers resigned the new Ministers and new majority in Parliament should turn things around for the simple reason that there will be conflicting situation when calling for new elections after the dissolution of Parliament, because there should be Electoral Reform, we cannot continue with the same system knowing that it will end up in ship jumping or otherwise.
In order to do things right, election within 3 months is an impossibility and therefore it will not be in conformity with the Law and as such creates a conflicting situation with the law.…..
As a result the new majority in Parliament and the new Ministers to be appointed will have no choice but to delay the process for new elections.
Bienvenido Richardson
Dear Editor,
Last week I had the honour of joining colleagues from World Wildlife Fund, the Dutch ministry of Economic Affairs and from Research Institutes and Nature Management Organizations from around the region on a research expedition to one of the most significant Marine Protected Areas in the Caribbean: Saba Bank.
Dear Editor,
Some thirty years ago I was living on Marigot Hill. My neighbour was mister Roumou, an amiable policeman, keeping order in St. Maarten. He had a few very nice daughters. One year I played Sinterklaas and Judith was one of my Zwarte Pieten. I remember that she painted her face and hands even blacker with charcoal.
Well, nowadays Judith is still playing Zwarte Piet, only with one difference – she is painting the faces of our politicians even blacker than they already are. She relentlessly criticises their incompetence and greed. Her reward … jail! Why? Because she exaggerates nonsensically. I absolutely do not understand that. Nonsensical exaggeration is an art form!
Our own politicians are masters in nonsensical exaggerations; they give themselves, without permission of the people they “serve” 10,000 per month for a part-time job. The “crime” of Judith is innocent compared to what our politicians do. Compared to our politicians, Judith is a saint.
Ship-jumping (betraying hundreds of people who voted for you) is a much bigger crime than the writing of Judith. Jail? No, we just have to keep paying 10,000 dollars per month to the one who betrayed us.
So, here is my unpaid advice to our parliamentarians and ministers; take off 20 per cent of a month’s salary for one month and use that money for a statue of Judith Roumou. Where to put it? In front of our never used empty government building.
Gerard Bijnsdorp, unpaid advisor to brave crazy girls.
Dear Editor,
Short- and sweet! Our congratulations, admiration and sincere thank you go out to all the stakeholders, who made Thursday’s, October 22 people’s massive protest against the PLU a historical and significant achievement. To paraphrase Shujah Reiph, St. Martin people are good people, including our politicians.
At the climax of growing and escalating tensions, parties managed – in the interest of St. Martin people – to find their common St. Martin identity and humanity, and to signal to the world, that St. Martiners can come together in defence of their country.
For this milestone, our thanks and respect go out to all the members of ‘Wake Up St. Martin Movement’, the president and vice-presidents of the Collectivité of St. Martin, the protestors, the talk-show hosts, MSR television crew, the St. Martin callers, who supported the peaceful blockade, the police and Gendarmes for their measured approach, and to all those not mentioned here, but who played their role as well. Collectively – in the interest of the St. Martin people - each of you have made your contribution under very tempting and difficult circumstances.
In addition, you, the Wake Up St. Martin People Movement, have done just that; awakened many out of their slumber and given us the much-needed sense of pride, hope, encouragement and empowerment to regain ‘lost territories’. You deserve a very big thank you!
Our St. Martin Grassroots People Movement looks forward to us all learning from the past. Especially that we all realize that there cannot be any St. Martin, North or South, without recognizing St. Martin’s specificity and without respecting the indivisible one-ness of native indigenous St. Martiners, our cultural identity and heritage, our traditional way of life (Read 1963, A Landmark Year by Daniella Jeffry) as the only bedrock, or foundation for sustainable development, lasting peace and tranquillity, and for great progress and prosperity for all ethnicities.
We recommend all local authorities, North and South, that henceforth, as part of all developments and projects that have a significant impact, to find a way to include competent, professional native men and women in the conception and execution phases.
In concluding, let us native, indigenous St. Martiners also admit to ourselves that too long we have been too passive and only become reactive when others act where we have failed to assume our own sense of personal and collective responsibility and to be pro-active.
The time is now! A people without a vision is doomed to perish.
Leopold James
President of the St. Martin Grassroots People Movement
