PHILIPSBURG:--- In a blistering critique on the floor of Parliament, Member of Parliament Omar Ottley delivered a powerful rebuke regarding the ongoing Ennia saga and the precarious future of the Mullet Bay property. Drawing stark parallels between past and present government actions, Ottley warned that St. Maarten is watching a disastrous history repeat itself, with the nation's most valuable assets hanging in the balance.
At the heart of Ottley's condemnation is the recurring theme of a Minister of Finance seemingly acting alone, creating a sense of unease and distrust within Parliament and the coalition. He resurrected the words of former Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams from 2014, who cautioned that decisions concerning the Central Bank must be a matter for Parliament, not the unilateral whim of a single minister. "The feeling is there again," Ottley declared, pointing out that the current Minister of Finance is being isolated by her own colleagues, some of whom claim they were not even present when critical decisions were made.
Ottley did not mince words, accusing St. Maarten of taking a monumental risk to bail out Curaçao from its financial woes related to the Ennia pension fund restructuring. He reminded the chamber that while St. Maarten could have survived for a few more years, Curaçao faced an imminent collapse in 2025 without intervention. The reward for this act of solidarity? A slap in the face. Ottley cited a bold statement from an advisor to Curaçao's Prime Minister, who proclaimed to his own parliament that St. Maarten's MPs "can say what they want... Mullet Bay belongs to the Central Bank, and the Central Bank is ours."
This brazen declaration exposes the dangerous position St. Maarten now finds itself in. The country holds the first right of refusal on the Mullet Bay property, but as Ottley furiously pointed out, this right is meaningless without the financial means to exercise it. "First right of refusal with no money in the coffers," he scoffed, noting the sale price of Mullet Bay could equal St. Maarten's entire annual budget.
The MP passionately argued that the only viable path forward is to stall any sale until St. Maarten is in a position of control. He referenced past advice suggesting that development plans and proof of financing are paramount, and that if a sale must be stalled, it should be done to allow the government to dictate the future of Mullet Bay.
"It will be a cold day in hell as this Member of Parliament sits and watches Curaçao take over Mullet Bay," Ottley vowed, expressing a sentiment of deep-seated betrayal and fierce national pride. He left the Minister of Finance with a clear and urgent mandate: ensure the nation's interests are protected. The time for political maneuvering is over. Without decisive action to prepare and stall, Ottley fears he will be forced to tell the people of St. Maarten the one thing he desperately wants to avoid: "I told you so."
