SXMElections.com

~ Invites public to protest ~

PHILIPSBURG--Introducing themselves as a group of concerned citizens who have been listening closely to what is being said in the Netherlands about St. Maarten, "Citizens United for True Democracy" called a press conference Monday morning to assert that something needs to be done about the "meddling" of the Dutch in St. Maarten's internal affairs, especially as it relates to the outcome of the recent PricewaterhouseCoopers report.

Committee members Etienne "Tochie" Meyers, Elton Jones and Edwin Gumbs are calling on the public to join a march at 1:00pm on Monday, October 13, at the Windward Islands Federation of Labour (WIFOL) Building, along Walter Nisbeth Road and ending at the Government Administration Building, to "move the people to give a clear message to the Dutch that the days of colonialism and 'massa' are over."

There, a manifestation will be held that will include various speakers who will talk about colonisation and the relationship between the Netherlands and its former colonies.

The group also claimed that over the weekend they had been in touch with persons at the United Nations who work on the Decolonisation Committee, including one of its leaders, as well as representatives of the independent states of the eastern Caribbean.

Jones said Curacao had been having the same complaints about the Netherlands' "constant meddling" that are set to be heard by the committee today, Tuesday, October 7. "They very much want us to send over our complaints, because Holland is pretending that they do not have colonies and [do not – Ed.] meddle in our affairs."

Jones called the whole approach negative, saying the Dutch could not set aside a democratic election and "chose who they would like to have in Philipsburg or impose on you if it doesn't go their way." He said the new government "should be afforded the opportunity to implement some of the recommendations from these various committees, or state those that they don't agree with. That's the way democracy works."

"You cannot continue to impose on a government that presents a balanced budget of over 400 million guilders that doesn't have one cent from the Netherlands," he said. "They put nothing in, but they want to dictate how you should spend your money and how you should run your country."

There should also be "due process," because St. Maarten has a legal system that should be able to work, he said. "The Dutch cannot react on every rumour."

"They are not coming to the point where they're saying that somebody brought us here from Africa. And our blood was spilled; this is why we have these shirts on," said Meyers. "The blood spilled of our forefathers by these same people who's criticizing and ostracizing us right now."

He added that the Dutch could remember the Curaçaolenean uprising of May 30, 1969, and that although the group did not want to go in that direction, they were going to step up if the Dutch continued to trample St. Maarten's democracy.

Gumbs said he found it strange that Andre Bosman and Ronald van Raak, just two Dutch parliamentarians, could influence the majority of the 150-strong Dutch Parliament to "impose some sort of ruling" on St. Maarten because they did not like a political leader.

"Two parliamentarians can scream that we must investigate Mr. Heyliger and the whole world knows about it. He's guilty already. Do you think we as St. Maarteners can say 'I want Van Raak investigated because he is trampling our democracy, and he is a people-monger'? ... Do you think if we took such a motion in Parliament that it would be carried out in Holland?"

The group also asserted that "moves being made in The Hague are to basically derail the election and the democratic process," to form a government within a government with everything reported back to the Netherlands.

They are trying to weaken the "government to make it basically unable to perform. After they have used the intentional forum, being the press, all the time to basically insult you and demonise you in the international circle, it makes it difficult for you to get investors and business to the country. That is what the Dutch are playing."

Gumbs said the Democratic Party slogan of "you can't buy my vote" was a "wrong statement to make" that only served to tell the "Van Raaks in Holland" that St. Maarteners' votes were for sale. However, he then said that vote-buying in St. Maarten and the Caribbean was quite normal. "Sometimes indeed you give a person 50 or whatever it is because the person is in need of it, and if you want to call that buying a vote, be my guest."