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SMPP urges residents to take active role in French/Dutch relationship
by The Daily Herald
Posted: Nov 11, 2005 14:20 UTC
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PHILIPSBURG - The St. Maarten People’s Party (SMPP), while extending congratulations to St. Maarteners at home and abroad on the celebration of St. Maarten Day, is calling on all residents to take an active role in discussions regarding the future relationship between St. Maarten and St. Martin.
SMPP President Johan “Janchi” Leonard said Wednesday, “I want to see everyone going out with their colours and flags and enjoying a well deserved day.” He continued, “But remember to reflect on the past, as we have come a long way and there is that shadow of troubling times that could befall us if we are not vigilant.”
Leonard said the trade war between French and Dutch St. Maarten put a damper on the spirits of many who had for so long enjoyed the good relationship between the two sides of the island.
“Our ties, not just in the French part of our island, but even in Anguilla, have given us a great well-knit community of people and that’s how we became unique as a little island destination in tourism. So when we think about this relationship we have to realise that it is this unique relationship that has made us who we are today and protecting it must remain a vital part of our future development.”
Recently several issues have been raised about the Treaty of Concordia and whether residents on either side of the island need working permits to operate and the freedom to sell goods and services on either side without restriction.
Leonard was of the opinion that the matter should not have dragged on as it did. Government officials should have already amended the treaty in respect for the founding fathers who had the foresight to create such a document.
“Look, what I am saying is this: the amendment should have been made and should still be made to ensure that we can still enjoy the closeness we have shared for years. When you think about it, what French person does not have ties to some Dutch person and vice versa. So why should elected officials sit back and watch this relationship fall apart and then still raise flags singing ‘rally around the national flag’?
“I wonder where they were when they should have been rallying around the Treaty of Concordia to ensure that the people living on this island, those indigenous and those who have made it their home through migration, could really rejoice and celebrate and in essence ‘rally around the flag,’ because I did not see them.
“I saw the Chamber of Commerce fighting a battle that I commend them for fighting, but they should not have had to do that. They should only have been requested to advise government, but now they have been forced to do something to protect their members on both sides and I applaud them for their forward thinking,” Leonard said.
Leonard wished that people living on the island could enjoy a day of rest and reflection on this St. Maarten Day. He said, “May God continue to guide and bless the people of this island as they look towards a brighter future. Happy St. Maarten Day, St. Maarteners.”
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