Dear Editor,
As a senior retired citizen I spent my whole Monday in the legislative hall of Parliament looking and listening to our Parliamentarians doing their things. The newly-sworn-in Prime Minister and the newly-sworn-in Minister of Finance were representing the newly-sworn-in Government, sitting on for me the left side of the aisle. A little over two weeks ago they sat on the right side of the aisle in that same legislative hall of Parliament, as then opposition to the Government.
Left in the front row on the right were seated two young enthusiastic and energetic young ladies just sworn in as Members of Parliament. A beautiful sight that filled my heart with pride and joy. It was touching to see the both Ministers taking pictures of the two young ladies across the aisle from them and it had a very homely cuddliness.
The meeting as usual started out late again, because the game of signing off the presence list was as usual played again. The new Prime Minister delivered her opening speech proudly and heads up, “look at me, I’m now the Prime Minister.” She briefly passed the word to the new Minister of Finance who was a little shy in the beginning, having a little problem with fitting into the shoes he now wears, but also a little “look at me, I’m now your Minister of Finance.”
During this whole “ceremony” I distinguished this humming bee of a Member of Parliament floating around the legislative hall, leaning on the shoulders of the “friendly” Members of Parliament, the shoulders of the Ministers, humming his sound in their ears like giving them instructions how to play their role in Parliament. Again a humming and not biting bee, which makes him lovable.
The new kid on the block, of whom is said that he works hard in Parliament, who does his homework in Parliament and as such is highly respected by his colleagues in Parliament. He uplifts this Parliament, but my truth is he barely manages to achieve anything for the people of St. Maarten in Parliament. He reminded me of a character, “juffrouw Ooievaar” in an old Dutch TV show for children “De Fabeltjeskrant” (“Fables paper”), who would go around all the animals in the forest instructing, correcting and chastising them.
It really amused me, just as much as it amused my neighbor to my left in the public tribune who just a little more than two weeks ago vacated the office of Minister of Finance. I was overwhelmed by the feeling of looking at a play of the “Commedia dell arte”. Being a person who loves the theatre you will understand that I enjoyed the play being performed before me.
I saw the pain when the young lady, new Member of Parliament, was delivering a well-prepared and deeply-meant speech and the rest, even the Government side of the aisle, were showing little or no interest at all in her speech. She at one moment timidly held her breath, staring around the legislative hall with seemingly pain in her heart, asking for attention to her speech and then, undisturbed, proudly continued delivering her speech. I solemnly believe that this young lady deserved a better treatment from Parliament.
And then it struck me hard to notice that I this day would be going to listen to all other Parliamentarians talking about themselves, grandstanding with “let it be stated that I am against this; not under my watch; the other government never wanted to release any information (grunting of teeth to my left), but this government as soon they got in released all information (more teeth grunting on my left); I never opposed the repairing of the airport seated on the other side of the aisle; etc, etc.” And of course, the motion that could have been passed a month ago in Parliament after some so called “adaptions” was passed in Parliament after this whole “poppenkast”.
Yes, it struck me and in my head it was pounding “our St. Maarten deserves a better people representation in Parliament, our St. Maarten needs to be taken seriously and considered in depth by Parliament.”
Thank God we will on January 9, 2020, be having new elections and this time the electorate can vote a completely new Parliament in of a just mixture of youth, middle age and experience with fundamental knowledge of the role of Parliament in our society.
So, vote the old actors out and vote in committed new Parliamentarians. I am counting on the electorate as I always count on them, because this time it’s time.
Go out there and vote massively for that new Parliament who will more consider the people and less themselves. Vote vote vote!
Edwin Gumbs
