Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
THE HAGUE--Member of St. Maarten Parliament Cornelius de Weever (independent) took safety measures, which included wearing a bullet-proof vest, late 2014 following threats against his person when he left the Democratic Party ((DP)) in support of the United People's Party (UP).
This became clear during a court injunction in The Hague on Friday by De Weever against Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD party. (See related story)
De Weever's lawyer Annemarie Ludwig stated at the court case that her client De Weever, at the time Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, was threatened and that to this day he didn't feel safe. "He wears a bullet-proof vest and continuously takes different routes when driving."
St. Maarten's Minister of Justice confirmed by letter on March 18, that in 2014 De Weever had approached him and the Police Force with a request for security in connection with threats against his person. De Weever filed a formal complaint in connection with these threats.
As a result, De Weever was given advice by police how to take precautionary measures. The then minister was also provided with a bullet-proof vest and additional police patrols were carried out, stated Richardson.
According to Richardson, the filing of a formal complaint was the result of De Weever's decision to leave the (DP) and to support the UP, and associated accusations, also in the Dutch media by a member or members of the Second Chamber, of having been bribed.
Lawyer Ludwig told the Judge that the allegations by Bosman were "still current," that her client was still "under fire" and that his safety was still "at stake." Bosman's lawyer Michaël van Basten Batenburg stated that there was no proof that the threats against De Weever and the subsequent security measures that were taken were linked to the statements of his client.
De Weever's lawyers Ludwig and Jairo Bloem from St. Maarten presented a set of statements of persons in support of the Member of Parliament (MP) to the Court. The persons stated in writing that De Weever had been adversely affected by Bosman's statements that he had been bought by UP Leader Theo Heyliger.
According to these persons, Bosman's "defamatory" and "false" statements "made without proof" caused the MP to lose his respect in the local community, "damaged his reputation," "injured" his political career and exposed him to "hatred, ridicule, contempt and lowered him in the esteem of his peers."
It was stated that as a result, the MP was "shunned by many," he was subjected to verbal threats made on his life and was "forced into isolation out of fear of being attacked or harmed." Also, people stopped saying positive things about De Weever, that he was a humble person. "Today, you hear them continuously talking about how he was paid and saying that 'The Dutch said so'."
According to Bloem, people in St. Maarten took statements by Dutch politicians seriously. He explained that customarily people on the island looked up to persons of authority, especially where it involved the Netherlands. "People see the Netherlands as a beacon, a source of support," he said. He added that people are quick to take Dutch politicians at their word.
Lawyer Van Basten Batenburg said that these statements represented "zero proof." He said the statements obviously came from people who liked De Weever, and who were prepared to link the threats that De Weever received to Bosman's statements. He condemned the late presentation of these statements, one day before the court hearing.
