Integrity Chamber

Did we really get what we asked for as MP Claret Connor suggested yesterday during the debate about the Integrity Chamber drama?

As much as we dislike the overpowering approach of Minister Plasterk, we figure that MP Connor may have a point.

The government has said a bit too loudly that St. Maarten does not need an Integrity Chamber, that this institute is not a priority and that there are enough checks and balances in place.

Given the number of high profile citizens that have been dragged into court the past couple of years there seems not to be too much wrong with those checks and balances.

But, a previous government embraced the recommendations from the integrity reports and committed to establishing the Integrity Chamber.

The current government has dragged its feet, shown no new initiative and used the Constitutional Court ruling as an excuse to do nothing.

That inactivity became the argument for the kingdom to spring into action and now the government will have to find a way out of the mess it created.