French Quarter: --- It is the end of another year and as usual, media houses on St. Martin are tasked with selecting someone that stood out during the past year. Such a task is always great and also burdensome. This year as we peruse the profiles of all our public figures the only person that stood out among them is former Lt. Governor Dennis Richardson.Richardson as we all know is on St. Maarten's team negotiating the terms of country status for St. Maarten. While this is indeed a long and tedious journey we realize that to remain part of this team and to get what the people of St. Maarten voted for would take a great deal of determination. Determination to make the dreams of the people a reality, determination to stay focused and to achieve all that is needed for St. Maarten to survive under its new umbrella and most of all determination to achieve what rightfully belongs to St. Maarten and its people.
Richardson got involved with the constitutional process since the referendum in the year 2000 when he was Lt. Governor of the island territory of St. Maarten. After his term ended in 2000 as Lt. Governor, Richardson then established a consultancy firm. At that time, he was also part of the work group for constitutional affairs of St. Maarten.
When we selected Richardson we decided the only way to get a background on the process, itself was to interview Mr. Richardson. An interview he willingly gave us.
Asked when he took up the challenges of the constitutional process Richardson said he was on the work group for constitutional affairs on a part time basis after his term as Lt. Governor of St. Maarten. As Lt. Governor, he chaired the committee that established the outcome of the referendum.
As a matter of fact in 2004, he became the project director and advisor for the constitutional reform, because of this step he became a full time member of the St. Maarten team. As such, he was part of St. Maarten's negotiating team, headed by Mr. Eugene Holiday, Mrs. Joane Dovale Meit and Mr. Hiro Shigimoto, in the project group for finance. Richardson said through tough negotiations they came up with an acceptable agreement on measures relating to financial supervision and the good management of government monies in view of the Dutch offer to pay off the debts of the Netherlands Antilles and those of the island territories. Richardson was also part of the negotiations on the justice chain as well as other laws that would have to be applied when St. Maarten achieves its new status. These negotiations were carried out in the project group on the maintenance of law and order and on constitutional affairs. He is co-chairman of that project group.
Those laws include the consensus law on the police, the public prosecutor's system, the joint court of Justice, as well as the council for the maintenance of law and order that will function as an independent inspectorate of the justice chain. Richardson also participated in the negotiations on the Kingdom Charter to make the necessary adjustments to accommodate the new countries St. Maarten and Curacao as well as the BES islands.
He said that throughout all negotiations, there was always a political shadow hanging over them since the Dutch government and parliament had some stringent demands when it comes to financial supervision as well as criminal investigations on these islands. Richardson said one of the things that the Dutch wanted was more of their influence in these processes.
Asked how difficult is this task? He said that everyone would remember the negotiations that took place prior to the final declaration in The Hague. "Things could have gone anywhere during this negotiation. St. Maarten delegation could have returned home with nothing. The talks could have broken down completely."
He also spoke of the recent negotiations that were held in Curacao in June 2009 concerning the assessment on whether the island is ready to assume more responsibilities for the new status. Richardson said the way the negotiations were going it looked as if the Dutch were setting St. Maarten up to fail since we have to build the country from scratch without the necessary financial means and without the necessary authority when it comes to central government responsibilities. One of the challenges would have been to secure qualified manpower and infrastructure to execute the work that lies ahead prior to the new status, without the means to do so. However, the St. Maarten team was alert and realized that they were being set up to fail which he said was unacceptable to St. Maarten. Richardson said it was then that the leader of government William Marlin made a clear statement and informed the Dutch that St. Maarten cannot agree with the proposed assessment and draft Kingdom measure to guarantee the execution of tasks, while St. Maarten is being denied the means and the opportunity to timely build up its new government organization, Richardson said they made clear that St. Maarten knows what is needed including the amount of qualified personnel and the only thing that is lacking is the money, the manpower and the authority to do so. He said an appeal was made to both the Dutch and Central government that if they wanted to see an organizational structure actually in place and ready prior to the new status, then they needed to give St. Maarten the necessary support by providing the subsidiaries and the necessary manpower prior to the new status. Richardson said that again they were faced with a situation where they had to take a decision to either get the Dutch to understand the island's predicament or step out of the negotiations and come back home to explain the people that had they stayed and agreed with the proposals St. Maarten would have gotten its country status, but it would have been under higher supervision through no fault of its own. Richardson said it was then he came up with the idea to have a cooperation agreement on the specific institutions the Dutch want in place. The idea he said is, while St. Maarten is going to work towards building these specific institutions, a monitoring committee in which the Dutch are to participate, would supervise the process based on a plan of approach in those specific areas for a period of two years. If St. Maarten failed the Kingdom government would have the authority to provide a solution. After an initial discussion on which institutions were to be named it was agreed that the further defining of the organizations would take place in the following meeting of the Political Steering Group, scheduled for December 2009, based on proposals of a petit comite
He said after that proposal was accepted an agreement was reached and the date 10/10/10 established for the new status. That proposal he believes saved the day for St. Maarten at that time, as well as for the establishing of a date.
Denis Richardson also stood out on December 9 when the PSG meeting continued past 02:35 a.m. in which he was of the opinion that the Dutch themselves reneged on the verbal agreements and spirit of those agreements made in the meeting of June 2009 and tried to comeback on the defining of the institutions that would fall under the general Kingdom measure, thereby again opening the door for higher supervision on the country St. Maarten across a broad front of the country's responsibilities. A clear example of "backwards negotiations" (terug onderhandelen) of which they have more than once accused their Caribbean negotiating partners with disgust! Again leader of government William Marlin backed the position taken by the whole negotiating team of St. Maarten and in this way once more demonstrated that the St. Maarten's delegation has (always had) political backing, is coordinated and shares a joint vision on achieving country status for St. Maarten.
If this last bid fails there are a number of options open to St. Maarten, amongst others: arbitration by the United Nations and/or a new referendum with other options for its constitutional status.
He readily agreed that this constitutional process has consumed all of his time and that he has not been able to adequately develop his consultancy firm. Asked about that he said his main concern right now is to make sure St. Maarten is treated fairly and gets whatever she deserves, he felt being the project director is a mission, and not just another job, given to him, especially since he is convinced that St. Maarten has a bright future ahead. Richardson said the island would have some difficulties in the beginning but the island would benefit significantly in the end.
Asked if he felt if the transfer process would take place on October 10 2010? Richardson said he has his doubts on this because the consensus Kingdom laws still have to be passed in parliament and the State Secretary still has some convincing to do since those in Parliament still have concerns of their own. Furthermore, Bonaire has initiated a new referendum the results of which can cause the unnecessary complications. And last but not least the outstanding issue with St. Maarten has to be satisfactorily resolved.
On behalf of the team at SMN News, we would like to extend a hearty thank you to Mr. Richardson for being on the forefront for St. Maarten. Thank you for trying to make this new status a reality and mostly for looking out for the best interest of our island. With that, CONGRATULATIONS as you are indeed our MAN of the year 2009.
