Balkenende: Progress needed
before attaining country status
PHILIPSBURG--Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende had a clear message for St. Maarten on Tuesday: “Until St. Maarten makes significant progress in law enforcement, the administration of justice and good governance, it will not attain country status.”
The Dutch PM made his comments during a speech at the Courthouse on Tuesday morning. The “cream of the crop” of St. Maarten was invited.
Balkenende’s brief speech, also referred to as a “press statement” by several persons attending, was an unpleasant surprise to many.
Balkenende said he envisaged a society that offered equal opportunities, where all citizens had the chance to develop their full potential, from the chambermaid’s son to the bank manager’s daughter, “a society full of hope and trust.” However, he said, “To be frank, we are not there yet. We still have a long way to go to achieve this ideal.”
According to the Dutch PM, anyone who has read the recent WODC report on “Organised Crime and Law Enforcement in St. Maarten” would have to agree with him.
He said we should be glad that Dutch State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Ank Bijleveld-Schouten, the governing body and the country itself had concluded that it was high time that we tackled the problems, and that this was a joint responsibility.
“To be able to look to the future with confidence, St. Maarten needs not only vigorous and reliable governance, but also an effective system for preventing, detecting and investigating crime and enforcing the rule of law.”
Effective cooperation between the various services, high-value knowledge and capable staff will be indispensable, Balkenende said.
He continued: “That will pave the way to a healthy, hopeful future for the residents of St. Maarten. It’s the foundation for healthy economic development. There’s no hope without trust, and trust is built on the principles of the rule of law, on a system of rules, effective enforcement and ethical government.
“It’s time to put our shoulders to the wheel and work hard for the constitutional change that you want so much. Unless things change, there will be no positive future to look forward to. Unless there is visible improvement, the process of constitutional reform will stagnate.
“And until St. Maarten makes significant progress in law enforcement, the administration of justice and good governance, it will not attain country status.”
Balkenende said he was convinced that both he and Commissioner Sarah Wescot-Williams were strongly committed to fulfilling the joint agreements that had been made and set down in the past, time and again: in the coalition agreement of October 22, 2005, the final statement of the Start Round Table Conference on November 26, 2005, and in the final statement of November 2, 2006.
“The Netherlands is committed to seeing these agreements fulfilled, and St. Maarten cannot ignore them. That’s why I am making an urgent appeal to everyone in St. Maarten to take up the challenge. Do everything you can to make the police and criminal investigation services efficient, authoritative and strong. Play your part in keeping the agreement aimed at ensuring an effective public prosecution service.”
Finally, Balkenende said it was not just about formal responsibility; it was also about moral responsibility.
“The Netherlands is assuming its responsibility, but the primary responsibility lies with the Netherlands Antilles and with St. Maarten. Don’t walk away from your responsibilities. Be bold for the sake of your society.”
His audience included Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards, Constitutional Affairs Commissioner Sarah Wescot-Williams, Island Council members Leroy de Weever, William Marlin, George Pantophlet and Rodolphe Samuel, former Lt. Governors Dennis Richardson and Ralph Richardson, former ministers Leo Chance and Richard Gibson, Police Deputy Chief Commissioner Richard Panneflek, Head of the Support Station of the Coast Guard of the Netherlands Antilles Hubert Ogenia, President of the Joint Court of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba Liesbeth Hoefdraad, Attorney General Dick Piar, Chief Prosecutor Gilbert Joubert and Chef de Poste in St. Maarten Taco Stein.
