Lesser of two evils
While it may not be entirely satisfactory to many, the decision of the ruling Democratic Party to reinstate Commissioner Maria Buncamper-Molanus, but have party leader Sarah Wescot-Williams handle TelEm, is probably the lesser of two evils in this case.
After all, accepting her resignation while the Executive Council depends on her support in the Island Council for a minimal majority almost certainly would have led to a change in government at a time when the island is at a major crossroads in terms of becoming an autonomous country in the Dutch Kingdom when the Antilles is dismantled.
No matter how you look at it, such upheaval would not contribute to desirable political stability when it comes to completing the process of constitutional change. It probably would require at the very least adjusting the governing programme to suit a new coalition, with all possible consequences for the work already in progress.
While Buncamper’s role as commissioner in charge of TelEm and the donation to The Sky is the Limit Foundation she helped set up were clearly questionable, it is important to remember the money was not for any personal benefit, but to support a cultural event. In any case, both she and her and husband Toontje Buncamper are no longer members of the foundation’s board.
The decision to appoint her husband on the TelEm board was obviously wrong, even if not illegal, and the commissioner admitted an error in judgement for which she apologised. Her desire to get people on the board in whom she had confidence as commissioner, also because of persistent reports of irregularities at the government-owned company, was obviously behind it.
But all in all, no major laws were violated and the mistakes cannot be considered grave in nature or corruption by any stretch of the imagination. Under the circumstances there appears to be no pressing reason to force the commissioner to step down, also because of her explanation in today’s paper on the donation of the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies via The Sky is the Limit Foundation that the opposition revealed earlier this weak.
Of course, the commissioner’s reappointment still has to go through the Island Council and it will be interesting to see how that meeting develops. What is important in the long run is that the work to improve matters at TelEm continues, and by taking it over the Leader of Government has placed an enormous additional burden on her shoulders.
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