DP members also irritated
by remarks of Dutch MP
PHILIPSBURG--The controversial statements made by Member of the Dutch Second Chamber Hero Brinkman of the PVV party demeaning the Netherlands Antilles have caused a lot of irritation among Island Council members of the governing Democratic Party (DP).
Some of the Commissioners did not stay for Thursday’s extraordinary Island Council meeting with the visiting Dutch delegation, which includes Brinkman, while only DP Island Councilman Leroy de Weever attended the reception at the residence of Head of the Dutch Representation in St. Maarten Gert Jan Stortelers in honour of the delegation on Thursday evening.
Public Works Commissioner Theo Heyliger left the meeting, stepped into his car and drove away. “I had enough of the insults. I can’t take it anymore,” he said.
DP leader and Constitutional Affairs Commissioner Sarah Wescot-Williams said after the meeting that Brinkman’s words were extremely irritating and embarrassing. “It took a lot for me too, to put his statements aside and concentrate on the larger picture,” Wescot-Williams said.
She pointed out, however, that PVV had a small faction in the Dutch Parliament and that DP wanted to use the opportunity to make its point of view clear to the entire Dutch Parliament.
Referring to Brinkman’s statement about putting the Antilles up for sale, Wescot-Williams said it was not about buying and selling. “The debt relief is part of an agreement with the Dutch. But if this feeling will permeate the Dutch politicians that we are selling out the autonomy of St. Maarten, we will say thanks, but demand that the wish of the people expressed in the referendum will be respected.”
Wescot-Williams said the premise of yesterday’s discussion had been that the December 15, 2008, target date was not up for discussion. “What is the alternative? The issue is to better the situation, so why maintain the current situation longer by postponing the date?”
She pointed out as well that there was a role for the Dutch First and Second Chambers to play and the general feel of the meeting was that they wanted to help. “I think I have their understanding that we need to come to a decision.”
