St. Maarten Private Eye

St. Maarten ratifies transition agreement

PHILIPSBURG – The Island Council of St. Maarten has ratified the transition agreement yesterday. Ten of the eleven council members voted in favour of the agreement and only Gracita Arrindell of the People’s Progressive Alliance (PPA) voted against. Commissioner Sarah Wescot-Williams described the ratification as an important step towards the realization of the political wishes of the island.

Arrindell also voted against the final statement last year. She indicated yesterday during the council meeting that she cannot possibly vote in favour of the agreement. “We want to make a distinction between financial help in the form of dept restructuring and increasing our autonomy. There is no distinction yet”, said Arrindell yesterday.

During the council meeting, Wescot mentioned the importance of the agreement, but also indicated that there is still a lot to do before the process is finished off. “On November 2nd when we signed the final statement, we settled on a great deal of subjects that still have to be worked out, like the legislations and the process to become a new state.”

Yesterday during her intervention, commissioner Westcot-Williams looked back on St. Maarten’s course to become a state within the Kingdom. This process started with the referendum on June 23rd, 2000, when the people of that island spoke out for the status they desire. She also mentioned the several meetings that took place since then. The transition agreement is not isolated, said Wescot-Williams.

On behalf of DP St. Maarten, council member Maria Buncamper-Molanus congratulated the people of St. Maarten. “This is a new milestone. We are no one step closer to realize the status of State.”

Opposition-leader William Marlin of the National Alliance (NA) had a series of questions about the situation after the commencement of the new statuses for the islands that are currently forming the Neth.Antilles. “What’s going to happen after December 15th, 2008? Will the members of the Island Council become Parliament members of the State of St. Maarten effective that date?” Wescot’s answer was that nothing is decided yet on those issues.

The transition agreement that was signed in St. Maarten last week Tuesday is about the Netherlands assuming the 183 million guilders debt that St. Maarten has with several creditors. In additions, the Netherlands will reserve 26 million guilders for social-economic investments, 104 million guilders for the debt with the Neth.Antilles, 2 millions in funding, and 3 millions in budget support.

Resource: Amigo.com