Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Citizens United for True Democracy (CUTD) plans to hold a protest march on Monday October 13th, 2014 starting at the WIFOL building on the Pondfill where they will march to the Government Administration Building to call on the Government of St. Maarten to stop the Dutch Members of Parliament namely Andre Bosman and Ronald van Raak who managed to rally the second chamber to take measures against St. Maarten based on the recently published PWC report. The three members of the committee Elton Jones, Etienne "Toochie" Meyers and Edwin Gumbs told reporters at a press conference on Monday morning that they had enough of the Dutch interfering in the affairs of St. Maarten.Elton Jones said it has been for some time now that he has been monitoring what has been taking place in The Hague and what is said about St. Maarten and its politicians. Furthermore he said if Philipsburg will not react to what is said and done in The Hague then people of St. Maarten will have to react. Jones said they will hold a manifestation in front of the Government Building on Monday, while they are in touch with a person from the UN who was part of the decolonization committee. He said they are also busy with independent nations of the Caribbean who are ready to sponsor St. Maarten in the United Nations where they intend to send a full report of what has transpired over the years between the Dutch and St. Maarten. Jones said a senior official of the UN told them that Curacao submitted a complaint to them about the attitude of the Netherlands which they intend to hand in on Tuesday (October 7th, 2014).Jones said what the Dutch MPs are doing is wrong and it's also negative and in his view there should be "due process" because St. Maarten has a legal system which should be able to work. "It cannot be that the Dutch could set aside a democratic election and choose who they would like to have in government in Philipsburg. If this happens then democracy is a farce. A new government has been elected, they should be afforded the opportunity to implement some of the recommendations given in the PWC Integrity Report. It cannot be that the Dutch will react on every rumor. Minister Plasterk said some time ago that the instruction was given to the governor because of rumors, governments don't function on rumors. The Dutch cannot continue to impose on a country that presents a balanced budget of over 400 million guilders and it does not contain one cent from the Netherlands." The Dutch does not invest in St. Maarten yet they want to dictate how St. Maarten should spend its money and how they should run their country. Jones said the CUTD intends to move the people of St. Maarten in order to send a clear message to the Dutch that the days of colonialism and 'massa' are over.Etienne Meyers said that the CUTD had to get involved because the country's democracy is under attack. Meyers said it is the Dutch that brought the people of St. Maarten from Africa here and therefore they are responsible for St. Maarten and its people. The three-man committee members wore white t-shirts bearing handprints of blood signifying the blood and sweat of their forefathers. Meyers sent a clear message to the Dutch MPs telling them that if they want some serious problems in St. Maarten then they could continue with the interference. "This is a special message to MP Ronald van Raak and Andre Bosman, remember May 30th 1969, while we do not want to go in that direction we will step forward." Meyers further explained that they are in touch with the United Nations with whom they brought forward their plight. He said on Tuesday the UN will be discussing the concerns of Curacao and they might also include St. Maarten's concerns when it comes to the Dutch interference forgetting they have the tripartite committee. Meyers said that based on information he obtained from the UN, the Dutch indicated to the UN that they no longer have colonies instead Curacao, St. Maarten and Aruba are independent countries.Edwin Gumbs who worked in the Parliament of the Netherlands for years said he lived in the Netherlands for 43 years and while on St. Maarten he is considered as a "Dutch man" he is part of the CUTD in the interest of St. Maarten. Gumbs said Bosman and van Raak are two Members of Parliament yet they managed to garner the majority in the Parliament of the Netherlands to impose some measures on St. Maarten because they do not like a particular political leader on St. Maarten. "I find all political leaders should have been here because it's about them. It's about Holland interfering in the internal affairs of St. Maarten as well as Curacao. We are together in the statute with the Kingdom of the Netherlands therefore we should be partners with equal rights but we are not respected as such. Two parliamentarians said that Mr. Heyliger should be investigated and the whole world is screaming, based on their actions Heyliger is already guilty. I think all Members of Parliament on St. Maarten should become part of this CUTD because right now it's Theodore Heyliger but tomorrow it will be about them it could be Marlin or Wescot Williams anytime soon."When asked if the CUTD wants a stable government with stability on St. Maarten, Jones said that they do want a stable government. When asked why now and the government is not formed, Jones responded by saying that even though the government is not yet formed The Hague wants a government within a government. He said he was in government in 1994 when St. Maarten was under higher supervision and he knows exactly what transpired. He said when those persons came here in 1990's they spent thousands of guilders and then left. He said that did not work back then and it will not work now. He further explained that what the Dutch is doing is they are trying to weaken the government in order to scare away investors. He stated that St. Maarten has 'mafia' politicians and the island is a "banana republic". With these statements no one would want to invest in St. Maarten.Edwin Gumbs said that "vote buying" is a Caribbean thing and for him giving people some money or gifts during election is nothing new. He felt that is why politicians in the United States and the Caribbean spend so much monies on political campaigns and St. Maarten is no different.
Click here to view more photos of the CUTD in action on Monday.
