Thanks for visiting. On a weekly basis I scan St. Maarten's major daily news Sources for significant St. Maarten political news and punditry. We also review the editorial pages for St. Maarten political commentary. The news sources we review include: The Daily Herald, the SXM Island times, the St. Marten News Network and the Amigoe.
The Spotlight is on good Governance!
No matter what people think, the above seating is the reality of the current structure of the Elected body. The council of Ministers have the Executive responsibility to Govern the Island Nations of St. Maarten, Aruba and Curacao. The Parliament has the responsibility of legislating. Which means Parliament can create NEW Laws and amend existing Laws. It requires the votes of the Majority in Parliament to pass a Law. NO matter which Majority, individuals often will vote base on their Political affiliation but that is not always necessarily the case. Based on the last election a coalition of 2 or more parties are needed to support the members making up the Council of Ministers. Parliament does not answer to the Ministers however the Ministers require the support and the confidence of the majority of the Parliament to function in their Executive capacity. The follow is an article I found in the "Amigoe" news. I thought it was worth sharing.
Doctoral student argues for Dutch intervention
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 12:50
UTRECHT — “The Netherlands has always been reluctant to intervene in the local government of the Caribbean overseas territories from fear of being passed the colonial buck. The time is ripe this buck is overtrumped with the argument that one is not only to respect the popular sovereignty but that one also has the final responsibility in guaranteeing good governance in the West.”
By our correspondent
Otti Thomas
Above quotation is not a statement from a Dutch political party but the closing sentence in the thesis ‘Good governance in the West – institutional and social relations for good governance in the Caribbean overseas territories’. With this thesis, doctoral student Oberon Nauta was admitted to the degree of doctor in the faculty of Administration at the University of Utrecht last Friday.
How can we ascertain there is no question of good governance?
“I am focusing on the lawfulness of action by the government. For instance, we observed an enormous growth of government personnel, while the number of formation places is simply determined and established legally. However, I also mention the state of affairs regarding the Isla. Time after time, the judge rules that one is to observe the law but it doesn’t happen. Another example is the fact that convicted politicians are simply re-elected. That is impossible in The Netherlands.
Sudden democracy
Nauta mentions various causes for the lack of good governance, for example, how democracy was introduced. This was a gradual process in Europe, but Curaçao was confronted with democracy in 1954 from one day to the next. For centuries, Europe was governed by political elite of nobles and business people laying the basis for the political rules of conduct and a consultative culture. The nation was already familiar with this when the general electoral suffrage was introduced and the new generation of politicians knew the rules too. On Curaçao, the democracy was considered an attainment but a social obligation, Nauta writes.
“Although governments accepted the principle of popular supremacy, they did not accept the political liberalism which the democratic champions considered an inextricable part of ‘true democracy’.” Other factors also play a role. Nauta mentions the small size of the territories, making it difficult to find qualitative good governors although the government’s tasks are comparable to those of the government in the relatively larger Netherlands. “Persons are given official positions, which they would not get in The Netherlands in view of their education and experience.” The small size also causes an overlap between the social and the political role. “The responsible governor is not only to give account to the relevant political actors but is also to please friends or family.”
Dependent due to poverty
The poverty factor makes the population very dependent on the politicians. “Politicians abuse this dependency by using government services as means of exchange for electoral support.” The voters subsequently give that support. “They cannot prepare a meal from high democratic ideals and impersonal relations with politicians, whereas they would actually gain personally from particularistic relations with the politicians.”
Is your idea of The Netherlands not too rosy?
“The Dutch situation is not in the least ideal. There is a constant question of a jostle for attractive administrative functions in The Netherlands too. The Dutch practice would contravene the law in England. The foundation for the British selection policy lies in the enlightenment idea. In the nineteenth century, they concluded there was no guarantee that the best-qualified people fulfilled the responsible positions. In 1855, a political decision was therefore taken to separate the admission to positions within the government from politics. The opposite happened in The Netherlands and gradually the top of the official apparatus and the administrators of independent administrative organs were politicized. The big difference between The Netherlands and Curaçao is that in the latter it is done more publicly and not only limited to executive positions.”
Barbados
Nauta mentions the British system as example of a different approach. In the former English colony Barbados, independent since 1966, they have made a strict separation as per English example, between the politics and organizations that provide goods as project orders, subsidies, jobs and allowances. With this, they prevent politicians from trying to get voters by the provision of such. On Anguilla, part of the United Kingdom, the English government appoints the Minister of Legislation, who is the only authorized person to write laws even though all government members may suggest enactments. England is not reluctant either when it regards Orders of Council.
“Where the British with their performance implicitly deem the popular sovereignty subordinate to the guaranteeing of the political liberalism, The Netherlands does exactly the opposite by making good governance subordinate to the national right of self-determination.” On the islands belonging with the British Commonwealth, a law can only be adopted after a Senate with political independent members give their approval. With this, one avoids that laws are usually adopted because the parliamentarians of the government parties always vote in favor of the government, as is sometimes the case on Curaçao.
Nauta remarks that in the former Antilles there was a question of independent control, amongst others by the Council financial supervisory (Cft), the Advisory Councils and the Auditor’s Offices, but that the Cft could not express themselves on the efficiency and lawfulness of expenditures and what’s more that the government and the States could disregard advice from these organizations. The Corporate Governance advisor could prevent political appointments but only with government companies. For that matter, Aruba does not have an advisor in that field.
Is it not simply a question of needing more time?
Just like Barbados, Curaçao could separate the politics and the organizations for public means. “The politics of Curaçao would not do this on one’s own. There is a question of a vicious circle, in which the voters and the politics imprison themselves. Politicians propagating an impersonal integrity-oriented message will never secure a majority in the States. The needs of the voters are immense. Politicians need to consider this and because they have many possibilities within the current government to determine the destinations of jobs and subsidies, this almost automatically leads to poor governance. For that matter, voters or politicians can be blamed for this stalemate. With the current wisdom, one should admit: democracy and autonomy were simply promulgated in the wrong form at the time. However, if you wish to realize a healthy social-economical development in the long term for everyone and could surmount the shadow of the colonial past, then it is important to give up autonomy now. Nothing namely impedes this emancipation more than poor governance. There are two possibilities for this. Either you ensure politicians are no longer authorized to appoint persons, to grant contracts, etc. as often happens in many Commonwealth countries, or you allow The Netherlands to actively interfere when there’s a question of poor governance according to international recognized rules of law.”
People on Curaçao will not be pleased with your conclusions
“I think people could be wrong about this. From the research by Gilbert Cijntje, it recently appeared that a majority of the people find that Curaçao is not ready to rule the country yet. Much depends on how one interprets feelings. One could also ask the people ‘Do you wish for right of self-determination or for a better life in which the living situation and the scopes to develop your abilities and those of your children are guaranteed’? Apart from the University – the thesis stood the test of academic proof – I have not received any reactions yet but I’m hoping there will be. I believe it’s important that this discussion is held and I would gladly participate.”
I believe you can substitute St. Maarten where ever Curacao is mentioned because it would read the same.
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