Dear Editor,
First and foremost, congratulations must be extended to the Association for Consumer Protection St. Maarten (ACP-SXM) and to every citizen who took the time to peacefully march and stand up for what they believe are fair utility rates, transparency, and consumer protection.
Democracy is strongest when citizens are engaged, organized, and willing to make their voices heard. The concerns raised regarding electricity costs, fuel clause charges, disconnection policies, and consumer protections are concerns shared by many households across Sint Maarten.
However, while many have praised the march, there is a deeper and more troubling question that deserves discussion.
Why were Members of Parliament, coalition supporters, Cabinet members, Chiefs of Staff, and political operatives marching alongside citizens demanding solutions from the very government they support?
The reality is that the people elected a government to address these issues. Citizens should not have to create new organizations to pressure the government into doing what the government and Parliament were elected to do in the first place.
What makes this situation even more concerning is that only recently, during discussions in Parliament, the Prime Minister essentially conveyed the message that there is very little that he or his Government can do to provide meaningful relief to the people of Sint Maarten.
If that is truly the position of the Government, then what exactly are coalition members marching for?
If coalition Members of Parliament believe relief is needed, they have the votes to demand it.
If coalition Ministers believe action is needed, they sit around the Council of Ministers table.
If government advisors and political operatives believe the people are suffering, they are already positioned to bring those concerns directly to decision-makers.
The march therefore sends a powerful but unfortunate message: that many persons within the governing establishment appear to have more confidence in a newly formed consumer organization than in their own ability to deliver solutions through the offices they currently hold.
This is not a criticism of ACP-SXM. In fact, the organization should be commended for stepping into a space that many citizens believe has been left vacant.
Rather, it is a criticism of the political system itself.
After more than two years in office, the people are still waiting on meaningful relief measures, still waiting on solutions for the high cost of living, still waiting on utility relief, and still waiting on many of the promises made at the beginning of this administration.
When government officials, coalition supporters, and political advisors find themselves marching with citizens demanding action from the very administration they support, it raises a simple question:
Who is actually governing?
The people of Sint Maarten do not need more marches. They need results.
They need relief from high utility bills. They need transparency. They need accountability. Most importantly, they need those entrusted with power to use that power to solve problems rather than stand beside citizens pretending they are powerless themselves.
ACP-SXM has done its part by bringing attention to the issue. The question now is whether those who currently hold political office will do theirs.
Sincerely,
Concerned Citizens
