Tuesday’s news that the handling of draft legislation to expand St. Maarten’s voter base was postponed will probably be met with disappointment. Particularly among students in the Netherlands there is a desire to help determine the future by participating in their own country’s elections.
The argument that they should be allowed to do so because many plan to return after completing their education makes sense in principle. Keeping especially those sent there with study financing involved with their communities as much as possible is actually a no-brainer in terms of return on investment.
A contributing factor is that others studying in different countries like the US don’t have to take their names off the local registry and become residents there. This enables them to come home to vote and there are plenty of rumours about providing airline tickets to support certain politicians or parties.
Considering the distance and travel cost, making it practical for students in the European part of the kingdom to participate would require voting either electronically or in their Dutch municipalities, guided by the St. Maarten House in The Hague. The latter is more likely, considering the fact that both the Netherlands and St. Maarten still vote with pencil and paper.
Reason for the delay is Prime Minister William Marlin’s concern that approval of the Kingdom Council of Ministers could be required for the proposed change to the Constitution, although Parliament President Sarah Wescot-William doesn’t think so. Making sure of that might indeed be the prudent thing to do, because an earlier electoral reform amendment to combat “ship-jumping” or “seat-robbing” by limiting the formation of governments to fractions of political parties did not meet the Dutch Government’s approval and died.
There are potential issues, such as what to do with part-time students who may also work or the so-called “free movers” who are not on Government’s radar. One could also question whether such a move should be limited to just the students or have more general criteria similar to the rule that citizens abroad, including in the Dutch Caribbean countries, need to have lived in the Netherlands 10 years to take part in the upcoming Second Chamber election there.
