Confusing the issue
We continue to belabour the point that the TelEm/The Sky is the Limit Foundation donation controversy that continues to swirl around Commissioner Maria Buncamper-Molanus and her husband is a very straightforward saga about nepotism, conflict of interest and how not to govern.
Of course, it is also a politically loaded issue because a politician is involved, and it has far-reaching implications for the way politicians govern – or misgovern – this island territory. Anyone who attempts to spin the issue outside the bounds of that narrow and clearly defined parameter is confusing the issue, or at least seeking to confuse it.
Against that backdrop, overall, we find Commissioner Buncamper-Molanus’ remarks at yesterday’s Executive Press Briefing weak and wanting.
“I agree unequivocally that any and all semblance of conflicts of interest must be avoided under the principles of good governance,” said the honourable commissioner, and we give her full marks for that.
She then seeks to justify her recommendation to the Executive Council that her husband be appointed to the Supervisory Board of St. Maarten Telecommunications Holding Company and the Executive Council’s acceptance of her recommendation. In so doing, she alludes to remarks apparently made in the Island Council some time ago by the leader of the National Alliance; to wit, that “if Mr. Buncamper had been here during the 2005 flash flood during which two persons died, we would not have had these problems.”
Now, we must confess that we fail to see what that has to do with allegations of nepotism and conflict of interest.
But it gets even better: Commissioner Buncamper-Molanus then talks about “politics” being brought into the matter and opts to address the “people of St. Maarten” directly, saying that if they consider the situation “an intolerable one” Mr. Buncamper will resign.
The question is this: If Commissioner Buncamper-Molanus accepts “unequivocally,” as she says she does, that “any and all semblance of conflicts of interest must be avoided under the principles of good governance,” do she and the Executive Council accept, as all right-thinking people seem to have concluded, that the TelEm/The Sky is the Limit Foundation donation fiasco is a glaring case of conflict of interest?
Our question to the parties concerned is this: Given all that has transpired, will the Governor of the Netherlands Antilles have to instruct that Mr. Buncamper’s appointment be revoked?
Then the commissioner, apparently buoyed by what must be considered misguided support, asserts that she is the victim of a witch hunt, but in the same breath says she does not have the facts as yet, but when she gets the facts about what the witch hunt is all about she will bring them to the public of St. Maarten.
Finally, the commissioner talks about continuing to deal with difficult matters of fraud [and] embezzlement throughout the company, from top to bottom. To the commissioner we say: this seems to be confusing the issue. Why only now? But we are very interested. Please tell us more. And do tell the Prosecutor too.
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