This weekend my Whatsapp was abuzz. “What is going in the country?” one cryptic message read. So I asked which meeting. No reply. Then another message later: “Do we still have a government?” Now that question got my attention. My answer was that this government isn’t going nowhere. A double negative that might just turn out to be a positive. Nonetheless, from this point in time onwards, this present government is breaking records as the longest lasting government in Country St. Maarten’s short 10 year history.
Ten years and four months, but who’s counting. I am too lazy to research which government before this Jacobs II cabinet was the longest in office. Maybe readers can help me out here.
“I was informed that one MP is going independent. So USP will not have any member in Parliament.” Again!?!
Ah, the plot thickens. I assumed MP Rolando Brison got what he wanted all along. He was the one who convinced Chanel Brownbill to take up the seat in Parliament to deputize for member of Parliament Claudius Buncamper, who had to step down due to his ban from Parliament for being convicted in the Ruby case. Initially, Chanel was afraid that if he comes into Parliament, the Prosecutor’s Office would pick him up and send him off to serve his jail time. However, Rolando convinced him to come in. He knew he had a better chance of convincing Chanel than Romaine Laville of Khalil Revan to join the UP faction.
“Rolando is planning to go to the prime minister and tell her he has 6.”
Six? Oh boy! Things can get tricky if he does that. But it makes sense. He already has Independent MP Akeem Arrindell in his camp. He has even been writing for Akeem during this past budget debate. His recent well-written articles about the need for road repairs are an indication where his interests lie. We know for a fact that his brother wants the ministry of VROMI. Time for greener pastures, I guess.
“So they want them to join the coalition? In exchange of VROMI? That’s a war then within NA.”
“Doran ain’t going down easy.” — “And Doran and Akeem are cousins.”
Doran and Rolando are big buddies too, but as the saying goes politics makes for strange bedfellows. Or something like that.
“I heard that there will be a change up in the VROMI cabinet soon.”
“Seems a mess inside of VROMI.”
“I heard the Minister wants to replace the SG.”
This sounds like a novella. SXM is not a real place. But yes, they will have to sign a new coalition agreement. Doran kitchen cabinet will not be happy. One member of that kitchen cabinet will be furious. As the biggest votegetter in the NA, replacing Doran will not be so easy. It perplexes school children how this one MP manages to control this government despite his track record, voice recordings, and all the shenanigans he has been involved in.
“He is not controlling government. The golden boy is the one controlling.”
I don’t think so. The Golden Boy is doing his own thing wheeling and dealing…. OUTSIDE of government. He doesn’t need government for the deals he is working on. He only needs to exert and exercise his influence on key players in GEBE, Harbor and the Airport to get what he needs. That is where he is focusing his attention right now. School children say he is constantly wining and dining a certain prospective CEO.
But that CEO has to pass the screening first. And so does her life partner and current
VROMI SG ad interim. He also has to be screened. Imagine the dossier the secret service has on him. But that is another sordid story. If this present government falls, that would only work in the benefit of The Golden Boy, because in a power vacuum he is slick as fuel oil, where his interests lie. So, I believe RB is being given a lot of rope to do his thing. You know, in the sense of ‘long rope for mauger goat’, as the expression goes. Because when he entangles himself in that rope and hangs himself, TO can wash his hands clean and say “It wasn’t me!”
The man is a political genius. We all know that already and these young politicians keep underestimating him. They feel his time is over. Now is their time to run things.
But they forget history has a way of repeating itself. They obviously haven’t learnt anything from the past. The Point Blanche prison was built for politicians. Reason why it continues to be in such a deplorable state. Irreparable and only doomed to be demolished. As long as it continues to be in the state it is in, condemned politicians will continue to walk the street of St. Maarten free as a bird and not a jailbird.
So yes, the big question is, do we still have a government?
Unknown author
Found on “Whatsapp” Social Media
