A true diplomat

The latest campaign rhetoric coming out of the USP camp exposes a question we have been wondering ourselves. Who is the true leader of the United Democrats party?

Another question mulling on our minds is that of the Minister Plenipotentiary for in The Hague. Or the lack thereof.

This vital position has been reduced to nothing more than a fixture in the Kingdom Council of Ministers meetings. Now St. Maarten has gone a step further and reduced it to that of an invisible fixture. In order words, the figurative lack of representation these past couple of years in the Kingdom Council is now a complete lack of physical representation, not just in spirit and in mind but literally as well.

In a time when the relationship between St. Maarten and the Kingdom government of the Netherlands needs serious mending, nurturing and maintenance, we have no Minister Plenipotentiary in The Hague. We find this a great pity.

It is known for many years that St. Maarten lacks serious lobby representation in The Hague that can sway the minds and opinions in the hallways of power and influence in the Binnenhof.

Therefore, we recommend St. Maarten send a true diplomat and a heavyweight who would know how to network with the members of the both houses of the Staten Generaal in the Binnenhof and with the ministers that deal directly and indirectly with the interests of St. Maarten.

We need a person who can not only speak the language fluently but can also push the St. Maarten agenda. We would recommend sending an eloquent and experienced statesman with an eclectic political background of the stature of a Marcel Gumbs in this time of urgent need when St. Maarten can benefit enormously from a solid and stable political relationship with the Netherlands.

If the past days’ weather conditions in the Netherlands prove anything, it is that we are all in this together on this planet Earth and storms not only rage in a glass or in the Caribbean basin but also in the Lowlands as well. We need someone in The Hague who can remind Holland of this in a nice way with a smile and a wink.

Hopefully, this advice is taken to heart.