St. Maarten Private Eye

Thank you for this excellent contribution. It will indeed add value to this website's resources. It is certainly good to know that the IC can indeed appoint a non-IC members to the position of Executive Council member.

I have stated before that a local professional should be appointed to replace Maria Buncamper as ExCo member and Commissioner of Telecommunications. To reach consensus and common ground now in this whole Telem affair between government, board, management, employees and union, the IC would do well to appoint an independent outsider who is knowledgeable and an experienced manager. These are trying times.

I also agree that the Lt. Governor is too intertwined in the affairs of his fellow ExCo members. It is too easy for any Lt. Governor to get caught up and become 'one of the boys' ("Gezag" as he is affectionately called). So the position should be elevated above the fray. But it still depends for a large part on the person fulfilling the position, whether elected or appointed.

For Country St. Maarten preparations can continue no matter what the target date is. As a matter of fact, I see Country St. Maarten simply as an intermediary goal towards the ultimate goal of One Island, One Nation. But that's a whole different ballgame.