THE HAGUE–The Christian Democratic Party CDA and the liberal democratic VVD party in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament are mentioning the option of intervening in the St. Maarten government.
The two ruling parties are very concerned about St. Maarten’s stability and the island’s reconstruction with the fall of the local government.
“What everyone already knew was named explicitly by Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin: integrity has gone to the dogs. Not the general interest is leading, but self-interest. Can St. Maarten still cope or is it up to the Netherlands/the Kingdom to take action? Nine governments in 10 years, with corruption as a fact. Doing nothing is not an option,” stated Member of the Second Chamber Chris van Dam (CDA) in a tweet on Tuesday morning.
Later that same day, he and his colleague André Bosman (VVD) submitted written questions to State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops about the political crisis in St. Maarten. Bosman used the opportunity of the weekly Question Hour in Parliament to seek clarity from Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Kajsa Ollongren (see related article).
In the written questions that Van Dam and Bosman sent to Knops, they mentioned the statement that Romeo-Marlin gave on Monday in relation to the political crisis. “Do you subscribe to the summary of the political situation in St. Maarten that she gave, especially her views on the ungovernable situation, outside acts by Parliament, the lack of integrity and the contempt for the Constitution and the Trias Politica?”
The Members of Parliament (MPs) asked Knops whether he agreed with them that “the address of the Prime Minister confirmed that the democratic state of law, including integrity of the public administration and the functioning of law enforcement, is in a deep crisis?” They requested that Knops take the guarantee function of the Kingdom Charter into consideration when answering this question.
Bosman and Van Dam wanted to know what options the caretaker government of St. Maarten had to promote integrity and stability under the current circumstances, and what possibilities there were to return to a proper functioning democratic state of law, in the interest of the people.
The MPs asked Knops whether he was willing to take “unorthodox measures” if there was a need to do so in the interest of the St. Maarten people. In a statement to the media, Van Dam mentioned the 2018 intervention of the Dutch government in the St. Eustatius government.
“I don’t know what is possible within the Kingdom to intervene in an autonomous country, but I think it is time to investigate that option,” said Van Dam.
Bosman agreed that this option could be looked at, just as happened in the case of St. Eustatius. “I am not excluding anything,” he told the media. Expressing great concern about St. Maarten’s reconstruction process, Bosman said it was time for the Kingdom Council of Ministers to add pressure.
Van Dam mentioned the well-being of the St. Maarten people. “It is terrible to see that people are close to drowning. I cannot stand by and do nothing. I have to take my responsibility as a member of the Dutch Parliament, especially in the direction of the Kingdom Council of Ministers.”
Bron: Daily Herald