I will post the latest updates here, in Dutch, English and Papiamentu.
Of course on the day that I choose to retire from blogging,
the Dutch impose Higher Supervision. I know that they will be bringing in police from Den Haag etc. Click back in ten minutes for the latest.
Op Sint Maarten heerst een angstcultuur onder het ambtenarenkorps. Wetten worden nauwelijks gehandhaafd en ministers bemoeien zich met de gang van zaken op hun ministerie, terwijl ze zich eigenlijk moeten bezig houden met het beleid. Dat blijkt uit onderzoek van accountant PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Minister Plasterk van Koninkrijkrelaties gaat daarom ingrijpen op het eiland. Zo krijgt het Openbaar Ministerie op Sint Maarten meer mensen, de kustwacht en douane worden versterkt en die zullen worden aangestuurd vanuit Den Haag. Ook komt er een toezichthouder van de Nederlandse regering.
Sint Maarten is het kleinste land binnen het Koninkrijk. In de Tweede Kamer wordt vandaag gesproken over de begroting voor Koninkrijkrelaties.
Andre Bosman van de VVD zegt dat het een grote puinhoop is op Sint Maarten. Hij reageert vanavond in EenVandaag. Ook een reactie van Freek van Beetz, hij werkte tien jaar op de Antillen als adviseur van de Minister President van de Nederlandse Antillen.
Bron: Eenvandaag
© Knipselkrant Curacao 2010-2014
De corruptie op Sint-Maarten loopt volledig uit de hand, vindt de Tweede Kamer. De SP spreekt zelfs over een overname van het eiland door de maffia.Eerder deze week werd een rapport openbaar over de misstanden op het eiland. Minister Plasterk neemt nu maatregelen. Hij stuurt een team van het Openbaar Ministerie naar Sint Maarten. Hij wil dat Den Haag voortaan ook de kustwacht, douane, marine en politie aanstuurt.
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PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten — The board of the United Peoples Party (UP) strongly believes that the recent rhetoric of the liberal democratic VVD party and Socialist Party (SP) in the Netherlands is exactly that, rhetoric, but nonetheless infringes on the fundamentals of St. Maarten’s Parliamentary democracy.
The people have clearly spoken and the support our party and its leadership serves testimony to the confidence the people of St. Maarten have in our leader.
Their voice must be respected. The people did not vote for Dutch MP’s. No Dutch politician will determine who governs St. Maarten, our people have that say and our Governor, appointed by the crown, sees the process through,” the UP Board stated.
There have been the numerous integrity and corruption cases that Dutch political parties have had to deal with in the past two years alone.
Provincial Councillors hired themselves as their own party workers, Mayors falsified taxes and party deputies have been convicted of corruption, money laundering and fraud for arranging kickbacks.
Why is it that in the Netherlands their political parties, commissions and the legal system are allowed to execute due process while the same, in the opinion of a few, is not applicable for St. Maarten?
In the first instance corruption has to be proven under rule of law and integrity accusations justified. There will be no witch hunt simply because two Dutch MP’s said there should be.
These views by certain Dutch MP’s are undemocratic and by calling St. Maarten a banana republic is an insult to all St. Maarteners and the solid foundation of hard work and sacrifice this country has been built on.
St. Maarten continues to be confident in carrying out the integrity program and that the majority of the recommendations of all three integrity reports, the PwC report, the report that the Wit-Samson Committee drafted in July this year and the integrity report of St. Maarten’s General Audit Chamber, would be implemented.
These sorts of superficial comments by certain Dutch MP’s who are not solution oriented serves no purpose other than catering to their base and garnering colorful headlines.
We have seen this before throughout the Kingdom by the same Dutch MP’s, who, as their statements betray, do not see us as equal partners.
The incoming Council of Ministers and Parliament of St. Maarten must be given the opportunity to govern our autonomous country without attempts of distraction, childlike insults and character assassination attacks by external influence. These are serious times and our people expect serious solutions from the UP which we will deliver. Our people do not expect us to be distracted by Dutch MP’s practicing willful ignorance.
While we look forward to a solid working relationship with the Netherlands and further identifying many areas of cooperation, St. Maarten will defend its right to govern autonomously and will not accept blatant forms of interference by any Kingdom partner.
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THE HAGUE–Minister Plasterk of Kingdom Relations is intervening in St. Maarten. This is after a report done by auditor PwC, examining the integrity within the Government of St. Maarten.
Plasterk announced that the Public Prosecution is being strengthened to tackle white collar crime and the border control is being taken over by the Netherlands. He called the situation on the island “shocking.”
The additional manpower of the Public Prosecution will focus on corruption in the government and politics. An integrity supervisor will also be able to do independent investigations and serve as a contact to (for example) whistle-blowers.
The Netherlands is sending additional military police to strengthen the borders and to help fight against drug trafficking and illegal immigration.
Plasterk also intervened in Aruba earlier this year.
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VVD, SP to call for probe of Theo in today’s debate
THE HAGUE–The liberal democratic VVD party and Socialist Party (SP) will be calling for an instruction to have a criminal investigation focusing on United People’s (UP) party leader Theo Heyliger, during the handling of the draft 2015 budget of Kingdom Relations in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament today, Wednesday.
If it were up to Second Chamber Member André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD party, there would be an instruction from the Kingdom government for such an investigation sooner rather than later.
“Everything has to be geared towards realising that. It cannot be that someone gets away with election fraud and bribery. St. Maarten will receive assistance if that is what they need to get this done. But only on our conditions, which means broad prosecution authority and providing of information. Otherwise it makes no sense. Improvement is in sight for the island, so let’s tackle this together,” said Bosman in a press release on Tuesday.
Member of the Second Chamber Ronald van Raak (SP) will call for a similar investigation of Heyliger. He considers it unheard of that “a man who buys votes and possibly even a member of the St. Maarten Parliament” will be taking over power. “A man of whom even the judge says that it is a shame that he is not being prosecuted. What will Minister Plasterk do? Will our government look away or finally act?”
Bosman said he was willing to give St. Maarten one last chance to deal with corruption once and for all, and to pave the way for healthy government finances. “I would give government until May 2015, the month when we have the debate on accountability in the Second Chamber, to set things right,” he said.
About the PricewaterhouseCoopers Integrity Inquiry Report drafted on the order of the Kingdom Council of Ministers under the auspices of St. Maarten Governor Eugene Holiday, he said the “first stones had been turned, but the bottom stones haven’t as yet.”
Bosman said he was “neither shocked, nor surprised” by the report’s results. “Ministers acting illegally, main persons getting away and the buying of votes haven’t even been investigated. The report’s results are not the most important aspect. What counts is what government will do in the coming time to clean up their act.”
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THE HAGUE–A national unity government or a broadly carried business Cabinet serving the best interest of the St. Maarten people while at the same time allowing an in-depth criminal investigation into the vote-buying and the process of the recent Parliamentary elections – that is what Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament Roelof van Laar of the Labour Party PvdA will be bringing forward during the handling of the draft 2015 budget of Kingdom Relations in the Second Chamber today, Wednesday.
Van Laar’s suggestion is a more moderate solution to the integrity problems in the St. Maarten government than the one that the liberal democratic VVD party and the Socialist Party (SP) will be presenting: an instruction by the Kingdom government ordering a criminal investigation of United People’s (UP) party leader Theo Heyliger and other corrupt government officials.
“A proper government is an absolute requirement for advancement. There is nowhere near a proper government in St. Maarten. It is time for a big clean-up. The PvdA is urging the local political parties to do something about this. Stop the formation of a government based on eight seats and make a move in the best interest of your country,” stated Van Laar.
The Member of Parliament (MP) is of the opinion that a national unity government or broadly carried business Cabinet can create the needed time and space for a proper investigation of the elections and vote-buying, while at the same time parties can jointly work on tackling corruption and fraud. “Take responsibility in tackling the wrong-doings on your island.”
According to Van Laar, things are going wrong in St. Maarten and residents need the help of the Netherlands to restore proper governance on the island. “The PvdA already brought up the issue of vote-buying since 2010. It appears that this hasn’t lessened during the recent elections. Who is going to bring those responsible to justice and when,” said Van Laar, who wants support to strengthen the local Prosecutor’s Office.
Van Laar is concerned about the developments in the formation of a new government. “That is why the PvdA is asking for an in-depth investigation of the buying of votes and seats in Parliament before a new government takes over,” he said.
“The St. Maarten people also need our help to improve integrity and to combat corruption in government. The inquiries have shown that everything is for sale on the island. One call to the minister is sufficient to have all problems go away when irregularities are discovered during controls. Permits are arranged the same way.
“Money transferred from government-owned companies through shady schemes. The self-interest of politicians seem to have the overhand throughout the governmental apparatus. Minister, it couldn’t be that this exists in our Kingdom,” Van Laar stated.
The MP wants a “strong signal” of the Kingdom Council of Ministers, the St. Maarten governor and the St. Maarten politicians. “Together, they have to declare war on corruption. We now have a great analysis and plan by PwC [PricewaterhouseCoopers – Ed.]. This must be implemented post-haste.”
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Tweede Kamer: ‘Sint Maarten moet vuist maken tegen corruptie’
wo 01 okt 2014
DEN HAAG – De Tweede Kamer wil dat Sint Maarten snel orde op zaken stelt en de corruptie bestrijdt die op het eiland welig tiert. Nederland moet daar alle hulp bij geven en zo mogelijk ingrijpen via de rijksministerraad, zo bleek woensdag tijdens de behandeling van de begroting van Koninkrijksrelaties.
De SP wil dat Nederland het initiatief neemt om de banden tussen de onder- en bovenwereld op het eiland inzichtelijk te maken en een strafrechtelijk onderzoek wordt ingesteld naar de omstreden politicus Theo Heyliger, corruptie en verkiezingsfraude. Vorige week verscheen nog een vernietigend rapport over de misstanden, die zich van hoog tot laag voordoen.
VVD, PvdA en CDA vinden ook dat er een onderzoek moet komen maar willen niet op de stoel van het Openbaar Ministerie gaan zitten. Wel vinden ze dat verantwoordelijk minister Ronald Plasterk het OM en de politie moet versterken. VVD-Kamerlid André Bosman wil Sint-Maarten tot in het voorjaar de tijd geven en anders moet de rijksministerraad ingrijpen. D66 waarschuwde dat Sint-Maarten de hakken al in het zand zet, omdat wordt gedreigd met ingrijpen terwijl dat niet kan bij autonome landen.
Gemenebest
In de Tweede Kamer klinken twijfels over de uitwerking van de nieuwe staatkundige verhoudingen in 2010. SP-Kamerlid Ronald van Raak verweet met name de PvdA en D66 dat zij de zaken niet goed hebben geregeld bij de invoering ervan. De SP wil toe naar lossere verhoudingen tussen de vier landen in het koninkrijk. Van Raak wil een gemenebest, waarin de vier landen op basis van gelijkwaardigheid opereren. Ook de VVD ziet meer in een gemenebest.
De ChristenUnie sprak van een huwelijk tussen de landen, waar hard aan gewerkt moet worden. De PVV wil het liefst dat Nederland zijn handen aftrekt van de eilanden en vindt het bizar dat de Nederlandse bevolking daar zelf niets over te zeggen heeft.
Plasterk heeft al laten weten dat hij tal van maatregelen wil nemen om Sint Maarten te versterken, maar dat moet in samenwerking gebeuren. Hij antwoordt de Kamer woensdagavond.
Bron: De Telegraaf, Nederland
VVD, SP to call for criminal investigation Theo Heyliger in today’s debate
WEDNESDAY, 1 OCTOBER 2014
THE HAGUE–The liberal democratic VVD party and Socialist Party (SP) will be calling for an instruction to have a criminal investigation focusing on United People’s (UP) party leader Theo Heyliger, during the handling of the draft 2015 budget of Kingdom Relations in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament today, Wednesday.
If it were up to Second Chamber Member André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD party, there would be an instruction from the Kingdom government for such an investigation sooner rather than later.
“Everything has to be geared towards realising that. It cannot be that someone gets away with election fraud and bribery. St. Maarten will receive assistance if that is what they need to get this done. But only on our conditions, which means broad prosecution authority and providing of information. Otherwise it makes no sense. Improvement is in sight for the island, so let’s tackle this together,” said Bosman in a press release on Tuesday.
Member of the Second Chamber Ronald van Raak (SP) will call for a similar investigation of Heyliger. He considers it unheard of that “a man who buys votes and possibly even a member of the St. Maarten Parliament” will be taking over power. “A man of whom even the judge says that it is a shame that he is not being prosecuted. What will Minister Plasterk do? Will our government look away or finally act?”
Bosman said he was willing to give St. Maarten one last chance to deal with corruption once and for all, and to pave the way for healthy government finances. “I would give government until May 2015, the month when we have the debate on accountability in the Second Chamber, to set things right,” he said.
About the PricewaterhouseCoopers Integrity Inquiry Report drafted on the order of the Kingdom Council of Ministers under the auspices of St. Maarten Governor Eugene Holiday, he said the “first stones had been turned, but the bottom stones haven’t as yet.”
Bosman said he was “neither shocked, nor surprised” by the report’s results. “Ministers acting illegally, main persons getting away and the buying of votes haven’t even been investigated. The report’s results are not the most important aspect. What counts is what government will do in the coming time to clean up their act.”
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St Maarten Government News 
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