PHILIPSBURG:--- In response to a question posed by SMN News reporter regarding the excessive meddling of the Kingdom with St. Maarten’s internal affairs and the advice given by the Kingdom Council on Electoral reform and the route and or measures St. Maarten should take. SMN News reporter asked the Prime Minister if he does not think it’s time for the countries St. Maarten, Aruba and Curacao should come together and file a complaint with the United Nations decolonization committee against the Kingdom for excessive meddling. In response to the question Prime Minister William Marlin said that the countries opted to stay within the Kingdom one being the people of St. Maarten voted in a referendum in 2000 to remain within the Kingdom as a country. Marlin said remaining within the Kingdom comes with certain consequences, and it is either St. Maarten gets out of the Kingdom or put up a fight within the Kingdom to get certain things adjusted or more flexible or changed.
He said at this moment the countries within the Kingdom should try hard to solve the issues they are having with the Kingdom but in his personal opinion St. Maarten (every country) should strive towards independence. Marlin made clear that this should not take place immediately but that should be the focus at some point. He said it does not mean when that happens everyone else will be shut out. Marlin said in Europe and even in Latin America people fought wars for their independence, yet they managed to get back together and form the European Union.
He said what strengthen his opinion is his recent attendance at the United Nations conference a week ago he saw small countries and biggest countries there and each had the same voting rights.