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Laveist tells Ys to ‘back off’on Franco-Dutch Treaty
by The Daily Herald
Posted: Sep 1, 2005 15:02 UTC
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PHILIPSBURG - Commissioners Louie Laveist and Roy Marlin have criticised Prime Minister Etienne Ys for trying to push the Franco-Dutch Treaty by the end of this year. Laveist even warned Ys to “back off.”
According to Marlin and Laveist, issues such as the decentralisation of the Inspectorate of Taxes, the right to borrow on the capital market and the transfer of utilities company NV GEBE and Analytic Diagnostic Centre (ADC) have “much more priority” than the Franco-Dutch Treaty.
“You know that the Franco-Dutch Treaty is on the books for ratification for more than 10 years; you didn’t notice that the rights for pension for politicians, public office holders for the Windward Islands are on the books for more than 15 years,” Laveist stated at Wednesday’s press briefing, addressing the Prime Minister.
“You didn’t notice the crime situation, that is not a priority; (you didn’t attend) the human smuggling issue which I asked you to attend to with the Prime Minister of Dominica. But you want to ram down the Franco-Dutch Treaty on the people of St. Maarten. I got one thing to say to you, Prime Minister, with all due respect: back off,” said Laveist.
“We are not saying that the Franco-Dutch Treaty wouldn’t make St. Maarten a better place, but there are much heavier priorities,” said Marlin, also aiming at the process to come to new constitutional relations in the Kingdom and St. Maarten’s quest to attain country status.
Marlin mentioned police understaffing, the need for Marechaussees and a holding area for illegal immigrants. “Priority is put on the wrong issues that are affecting the island. A lot of things need to be done to get problems solved. We could have many Franco-Dutch Treaties, but if problems escalate, nobody wants to come to this island and we’ll become like one of those rocks outside with only birds on it,” he stated.
He also stated that there was a trajectory that had to be followed and that the Dutch Minister of Kingdom Relations should first address the questions and concerns of the Dutch Parliament on the Franco-Dutch Treaty. Those questions and concerns cannot just be “ignored,” he said.
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