SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) – Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Christophe Emmanuel on Sunday publicly called on Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs to clarify reports that the Managing Director of the airport holding company Dexter Doncher has resigned and if she has appointed two new members to the airport holding board.
For transparency sake, the MP said, it behooves the PM to clarify the status of Doncher and if he received the opportunity to be heard after she suspended him. If the PM chooses to provide clarity, the MP said this clarification should also include exactly why Doncher was suspended and what his resignation (if true) now means for the process.
“Mr. Doncher was apparently just trying to do what the PM has done now anyway, which was appointing new board members. Apparently for that he was told by the PM she could not let one man stand in the way of progress. How Doncher was doing that is still a mystery and whether that statement was her genuine thoughts or repeating what State Secretary Knops said, the fact is she made the decision and never provided clarity. Perhaps now we can get some transparency,” Emmanuel said.
The MP has queried who the two new members appointed to the Holding Board are and if the Corporate Governance Council (CGC) gave a positive advice on the two candidates. “State Secretary Knops and the PM have shown that they both can be evasive when answering questions about good corporate governance at the airport. Good corporate governance also includes being transparent with the people’s business and both has been anything but transparent when it comes to the airport,” the MP said.
He added that there are too many reports floating around that should be addressed by the PM. For example, he noted one report that indicated that the initial advice from the CGC was negative on the two new members, citing incorrect profiles for the function. “It should be clarified if this is true and if it is, did CGC change its advice to make it somehow acceptable or did government simply ignore the negative advice? But once again, lack of correct information and transparency will allow these things to live in the community,” the MP said.
MP Emmanuel suggested that the PM outline what has occurred surrounding Doncher and explain publicly the entire process surrounding changes at the holding company and the board structure of said company in terms of amount of current members, their names and who will now be Chairman if it is accurate that Doncher has resigned. “Simple, straight forward information,” he concluded.
