Is it Power Play or Control?
The Dutch politicians have not shown in their public statements that tax payers money raised in Holland and that which the Government in The Hague intends to put to the recovery of the Island, will land in the hands of the Government of St. Maarten to fund any Recovery program organized by this administration. The Island government has named some five reliable and competent persons with experience from the community, to form a National Recovery Team that will come up with a Plan (NRP) to reconstruct the Island after the devastation of hurricane Irma. Such a plan has not yet been made public and is expected to be ready for the end of October.
The Government St. Maarten has not yet made a formal request to the Dutch for specific help, but the Dutch is already placing conditions on the relief funds hinging it to the establishing of an Integrity Chamber for the Island, securing additional Royal Military Police to strengthen border control and immigration, as well as strict accountability of how the money will be spent. Prime Minister William Marlin in his Constitution Day Speech has signaled his displeasure with the position taken by the Dutch, when it comes to the relief funds. This has turned out to be a stalling power play on both sides, before moving forward with recovery efforts. Dutch politicians are blaming Marlin for playing political games, claiming it is been done at the expense of the people and it might impair the assistance from The Hague.
The Dutch MPs have agreed with the conditions laid down by the Dutch Government giving the St. Maarten Government time to agree or face the possibility of the Kingdom Council of Ministers deciding to invoke Article 51 of the Kingdom Charter which forces the Kingdom Government to issue a General Measure on St. Maarten for not sufficiently complying with its tasks. This measure is commonly known to us as (higher Supervision).
With the stand taken by Marlin, an extended olive branch has been offered to The Parliament of St. Maarten, to lead in resolving and reaching a decision with the Dutch Government concerning the reconstruction fund. This could have been the reason why the Chair lady of Parliament Sarah Wescott Williams, forwarded letters to both the Prime minister of Holland and St. Maarten calling for cool heads and for the attention to be placed where it matters most the reconstruction of the country. She also tabled a motion on the floor of Parliament to that effect. How soon will there be a structured approach to rebuilding the Country is therefore left up to trust on the part of the Dutch and an agreement from St. Maarten Government to give in to the game of Control.
There have been wide spread feelings of Dutch control in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom that is opening wounds of apartheid and sparking violent verbal threats against Dutch pressure. Bonaire started a foundation called “we want Bonaire Back”; Curacao has a movement looking for more autonomy for that country; Sint Eustatius Leader of Government is being investigated for having made extreme violent comments against Dutch control at a rally in Curacao for which he has since apologized, and now St. Maarten Government could be facing higher supervision being impose due to none compliant of Dutch conditions tied to relief funds and reconstruction of the Island after hurricane Irma.
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