~ Joint Central Bank still on table ~
WILLEMSTAD--No super or centralised Kingdom Police Force will be established to oversee the new Police Forces of Country St. Maarten, Country Curaçao and the Dutch public entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (the BES islands). Instead, the Joint Police Service will provide assistance to the new entities where necessary, with manpower, skills or technology.
This decision made by the Kingdom Political Steering Group (PSG) for Constitutional Affairs on Thursday is a "breakthrough," St. Maarten's Leader of Government Constitutional Affairs Commissioner William Marlin said after the meeting in Curaçao.
A list of areas that will fall under Kingdom supervision was also worked out in Thursday's meeting which has been described as "very fruitful" and "successful." Areas such as good governance, finance and justice are on the list.
In addition, the meeting agreed that St. Maarten and Curaçao would continue to pursue the setting-up of a joint Central Bank and would have a joint currency – not the US dollar.
In keeping with the decision on the Joint Police Service, the two new countries and the BES public entities that will come into existence on 10-10-10 with the completion of the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles will have the right to request assistance from the Joint Police Service when required.
"We don't need to have all the expertise within our own Police Force because we can tap into the Joint Police Service for what is necessary," Marlin said.
Dutch State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Ank Bijleveld-Schouten, Prime Minister Emily de Jongh-Elhage, Justice Minister Magali Jacoba, Commissioner Marlin and Curaçao Constitutional Affairs Commissioner Zita Jesus-Leito participated in the PSG meeting and signed off on the decision for the Joint Police Service.
This agreement was reached in less than four hours and was signed while the sun was still out in the sky – a rarity, compared with past PSG meetings. Marlin emphasised this fact by saying that when it had been said in the past that an agreement had been signed at 4:00 o'clock, it often meant in the morning, not in the afternoon.
The issue of the Joint Police Service was a sticking point in the PSG meeting held in St. Maarten in December 2009. Parties walked away then without a decision on how to proceed.
Marlin said the finding of common ground in a few hours was testimony to the process "nearing the end," adding, "Many hurdles have been cleared."
"We have made the agreements and now it is about working out the details," he said. "We couldn't find each other [in an agreement] in December, but we are here now."
Now that the firm decision has been taken on the Joint Police Service, it still has to be seen how this will fit into the application of the consensus Kingdom Law on Justice and the Police.
On the issue of Kingdom supervision, originally St. Maarten and Curaçao had to pass a test of readiness in order to assume the responsibilities of countries within the Kingdom, but this was before a date (10-10-10) for the attainment of this status was set.
Now that a date is in place, partners have agreed that this test will not be across the board, but will cover predetermined areas, because St. Maarten in particular will not have all of its services and departments associated with being a country up and running.
This deficit is not due to St. Maarten's negligence. Unlike Curaçao, which will inherit the infrastructure of the Central Government with the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles, St. Maarten has to build many of its departments and agencies from scratch.
The areas to be under Kingdom supervision will be overseen for two years, during which time the new countries will prepare to take over fully. Decisions regarding these areas will be made by the Dutch Minister and State Secretary for Kingdom Relations and the minister responsible in St. Maarten or Curaçao, depending on the case.
Central Bank
In addressing the issue of a Central Bank, it was agreed in Thursday's meeting that St. Maarten and Curaçao would adhere to the Final Statement of November 2, 2006. The two new countries will have a joint currency, not the US dollar, as legal tender. This currency and the structure of the bank are being worked out by a committee of technocrats from both islands.
This was one of the decision points of Thursday's meeting, but it was more a formality than a necessity, Marlin said.
Asked about the strong signals from Curaçao about dollarisation and what this would mean for the agreement, the commissioner said Curaçao had not opted for the dollar and the agreement for a joint currency still stood.
The idea of the US dollar as the currency for the new countries arose after it was suggested last year by Antillean Central Head Emsley Tromp, who was the strongest promoter of a joint (new) currency for Countries St. Maarten and Curaçao.
Fruitful
Thursday's meeting was deemed "very fruitful" and "successful" by all parties involved.
Prime Minister de Jongh-Elhage, who chaired the meeting, said it was an indication that 10-10-10 was drawing nearer. She also indicated that all the consensus Kingdom Laws, another major part of the constitutional change process, were with the Dutch Second Chamber of Parliament for vetting and approval.
Bijleveld-Schouten complimented all partners on the positive atmosphere that had prevailed in the meeting and had led to early agreement on the Joint Police Service. She also pointed out that it had to be seen now how this agreement would jibe with existing law. She urged the continued speeding up of the process, and noted that 10-10-10 would be accomplished, despite issues raised by Bonaire. Everything remained on track, she said.
Jesus-Leito said this was "a big step" in the area of justice that showed what could be accomplished when partners worked together. She also pressed the need for more to be done about the increase in crime in the islands.
