An interesting premise
By Hilbert Haar At times you have to be careful what you wish for. It is amazing (or maybe not so) how our politicians have managed to cook up a political hurricane and how they are now all pointing at each other – the traditional blame game. What happened? The Democratic Party and the United People’s party managed to form a slim majority with the More...
Plaything
Commentary / Antilliaans Dagblad One cannot reproach the Netherlands for the fact that politicians in St. Maarten are making a mess of things. But knowing that the Parliament in Philipsburg is hopelessly divided, More...
A new period of uncertainty
By Hilbert Haar Here we go again folks. As Professor Arjen van Rijn wrote in a column this week: if the Parliament strikes, the Government has the right to strike back. And so, the Parliament sent the Marlin-government More...
A volatile situation
By Hilbert Haar So now what? The factions of the United People’s party (UP), Democratic Party (DP) and USp-MP Chanel Brownbill sent the William Marlin government home with a motion of no confidence. No surprise More...
St. Maarten completely in control
By Hilbert Haar It does not happen very often that St. Maarten gets help from an unexpected source on the other side of the ocean. In the middle of the discussions about the conditions the Dutch government has attached More...
WHY IS GOVERNMENT STILL STALLING?
PHILIPSBURG – It is with deep concern and mounting frustration that the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA) is witnessing our Government’s ongoing reluctance to engage in a cooperative More...
In the right direction
By Hilbert Haar In times of crisis you get to know who your friends are. That certainly applies to our young country St. Maarten now that it is picking up the pieces after the devastation created by Hurricane Irma. The More...
A slanted relationship
Dear editor, St. Maarten has survived what is termed as a super storm; the experts agree it is the most powerful storm ever recording in the Atlantic hurricane belt. Collectively we who have escaped with the bare More...
Power play
By Hilbert Haar Minister Plasterk said it during his last visit to St. Maarten: the Netherlands is not just going to open a bank account and let the island help itself. That makes sense. Funds that are available More...
A few rotten apples
It takes just one rotten apple to spoil the whole barrel. That is the image one gets when one looks at the infamous video clip circulating on social media wherein police officers can be seen beating a suspected More...
