Dear Editor,
It’s always good to know where you stand.
St.Maarten right now should know where we stand regarding its relationship with the Dutch.
It’s becoming clear that because we are in a position of beggars that we don’t have much to say.
I’m referring to the situation with the letter send to the UN.
Apparently sending the letter to the UN has touched a nerve.
And because we need financial and structural assistance and the only place to get it is by the Dutch government; we can no longer state our opinions about how we feel.
Mr. Knops and by extension the Dutch Government has laid down their demand to pull back a letter that was written by a group of Dutch citizens who feel that they are not being treated as equal by other Dutch citizens in the Kingdom
What’s the problem with the letter?
The fact that these concerned Dutch citizens don’t feel Dutch or that it was sent to the UN?
Let me start over. You are withholding money you promised to send to help a partner in need because those that were elected to look out for the wellbeing of their people are concerned that the conditions that you are demanding to them seem colonial.
That’s what they were elected to do!
Again, what’s the problem?
If you are doing nothing wrong, if your actions are pure and you only want to help, what’s the problem?
I thought MPs were supposed to vote and legislate according to their conscience and not according to party lines.
Yet here you are demanding in writing that not only the whole of St.Maarten parliament but also the executive branch express the same sentiment and/or opinion.
What happened to the trias politica, whereby the justice, the legislative and the executive branches of government are separate and don’t interfere with the other?
Here you are telling the executive branch to tell the legislative branch what to do.
Our parliament is functioning just fine, you had those that were pro and those that were against, not a rubber stamp.
I’m surprised that one of the most liberal countries in the world, or portrays itself as such, is taking this attitude.
You can’t be wrong and strong. Even your own Council of State pointed out that you were infringing on the autonomy of the country.
Might is not right!
A disappointed Dutch citizen
Name withheld at author’s request.
