~Does Freedom of Expression still exist in the Kingdom, or do the people have to be on their knees in order for the Kingdom to take its responsibility seriously? ~
PHILIPSBURG: --- The Government of St. Maarten confirmed in a press release late Friday evening that the Dutch Government has placed more conditions as expected on Friday morning when they met in the Kingdom Council of Ministers to discuss St. Maarten’s position prior to them releasing the 3rd tranche in liquidity support.
Basically, the Minister of Plenipotentiary Rene Violenius read a statement sent to him by the Council of Ministers and instead of the RMR accepting how the government of St. Maarten feels after months of negotiations, they are now demanding that the Jacobs cabinet submits in writing a clear declaration distancing itself from the Pro Soualiga Foundation and its intention to go before the United Nations to continue the decolonization process and to also distance itself from the comments made by Members of Parliament especially those that support the Jacobs government.
First and foremost, the State Secretary Raymond Knops is busy with his political campaign and as usual, wants to use his accomplishments such as the forcing down of conditions on the Caribbean countries prior to releasing much-needed support from the Kingdom who has the responsibility to assist all Dutch nationals in times of a crisis.
The people of St. Maarten are also holders of the Dutch passport and are also entitled to the same privileges as the Dutch nationals in the Hague.
Knops wants the government of St. Maarten to distance itself from a foundation that is fighting their cause. If Knops feels that he and his colleagues are in their rights and are not violating the Kingdom Charter, why then is he so worried about the Pro Soualiga and its efforts.
The floor of parliament gives Members of Parliament immunity and as such, they can freely express how they feel especially when politicizing issues affecting their constituents. St. Maarten legislature has been a place where politicians express themselves over the years especially when gearing up for an election and at no point, those statements are used against its people. However, for Knops St. Maarten politicians seems to have lost that right because they should not express how they feel or even ask questions about the negotiations with their Kingdom partners that involve conditions.
One of the questions that pop up is if freedom of expression still exists in the Kingdom and if so, did St. Maarten politicians sold out their right to express to the Dutch Government in exchange for support?
It is time the State Secretary Raymond Knops comes clean and states if his bruised ego comes before the lives of the people of St. Maarten because no longer can politicians be held on their knees to obtain assistance from the Kingdom.
The time has come for the Government of St. Maarten to take the bull by its horns and immediately approach the United Nations, on the violations of the Kingdom. The Government of St. Maarten should also have their lawyers working to file an injunction against the State Secretary and his colleagues in the RMR for putting the lives, safety, and security of its people at risk because their egos are bruised.
St. Maarten continued negotiations for months in the hopes of getting the conditions properly defined. St. Maarten was left out of the negotiations when the State Secretary was busy negotiating with Aruba and Curacao, their concerns were addressed in the latest draft law for the COHO, In the end, the government of St. Maarten accepted all the conditions in order to receive the 3rd tranche, clearly, it is not enough because the State Secretary seems to want the blood of the people of St. Maarten as he continues his election campaign bid.
Already the Minister of Finance was blackmailed, when he floated a bond to aid its people, no longer can the government and people of St. Maarten can be taken for granted and treated as a step child instead of an equal partner.
