Unless the PS/PAIS/PNP/Sulvaran coalition can convince others in Parliament to join them, it appears Curaçao too will be heading to the polls early (see related story). The Council of Ministers no longer has majority backing since PAIS
fraction member Marilyn Moses went independent and withdrew her support.
Bringing PAR in is considered the only viable option left. Because there is no desire either among the 11 (of 21) parliamentarians currently in the opposition to get together and form a new government, a move to dissolve the legislature and call snap elections is not expected to meet with the resistance such a move recently did in St. Maarten.
In both countries the practice of so-called “ship-jumping” whereby a legislator breaks with his or her party, but keeps the seat he/she occupies to change governments played a role. In this case Moses did not directly gang up with others to achieve the latter, but her solo action under the current circumstances still led to a potential cabinet crisis that basically would accomplish the same thing.
Nothing has been heard in Philipsburg of late about the forming of a new, interim cabinet by the incoming NA/DP/USP/Lake/Matser coalition pending the February 9 vote, but one can assume the process is on track as the proposed candidate ministers go through the usual security screening. People are no doubt dying to know who they are, but in light of recent experience when the identities of persons who did not pass the screening were released much to their embarrassment, it’s probably best to announce the names only after they have been approved.
Electoral reform is one of the issues with which this temporary government is supposed to deal, but an actual solution for “ship-jumpers” remains difficult to legislate. The reality is that in a parliamentary democracy elected representatives –even if they did not earn their seats with preferential votes – take an oath to act according to their good conscience and not based on directives from their political organisations.
It’s up to the party leadership to put people on their candidate list who aren’t likely to abuse this right once in office for reasons other than principles. The voters too must try to recognise and avoid those who seek to serve mostly themselves instead of the entire community and general interest.
