WILLEMSTAD--The division of cabinet posts within the new Central Government should be proportional, says Constitutional and Home Affairs Minister Roland Duncan of the National Alliance (NA).
Duncan also contends that PAR’s proposal that there should be a smaller cabinet with fewer ministers and no state secretaries should also reflect proportionality.
Antillean Governor Frits Goedgedrag had asked the parties that earned seats in Friday’s elections for the Antillean Parliament to what extent they deemed a business cabinet desirable or essential, in view of the limited time available for the large-scale transfer of tasks to the Island Territories.
NA currently has one minister, one state secretary and the deputy minister plenipotentiary in The Hague, with its two seats in the Antillean Parliament. In last Friday’s elections the St. Maarten party won all three seats allocated to St. Maarten.
PAR will most likely lead the formation of a cabinet as the largest party. Considering its intention to form as small a government as possible, Duncan stated that the size of the parties should also be proportionally reflected in the new cabinet.
According to well-informed sources, PAR wants to try to form a cabinet of at most five or six ministers and no state secretaries. A new ministerial post especially entrusted with the dismantling process is a possibility that will be discussed.
Leader of Bonaire’s UPB Ramonsito Booi stated that PAR had tried to form a smaller government in the past, but that such had not been successful in practice. Personally, Booi also thinks it is not necessary to form an extensive cabinet.
An analysis of the pending work could be done swiftly and decisions could then be made on the required ministerial posts, according to Booi. “We should not enter into a discussion with one another for the remaining six to seven months. It all boils down to us finalising the process. The end is more important than the means.”
In general, this was also Booi’s advice to the governor. “We must form a government as chosen by the population, and that is to finalise the constitutional reform course with the Netherlands.”
The UPB leader believes that the ADB/Nicolaas Island Government forms an impediment to this, and discussed this with Goedgedrag as well. Bonaire’s Executive Council has decided to hold a referendum on March 26, the same day the new Antillean Cabinet is to take office, on what was negotiated by the former UPB Government.
Pueblo Soberano (PS) leader Helmin Wiels believes in a business cabinet that will handle matters quickly and efficiently in order to finalise the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles. In his opinion, there is no need to appoint state secretaries, and in view of the elections later this year, a business cabinet would be best to complete the transfer of tasks.
“We should avoid the situation in which politicians hold campaigns and immobilise Government again,” said Wiels, whose party captured two seats in the Antillean Parliament last Friday.
It is the expectation that elections for the first Parliaments of Countries Curaçao and St. Maarten will be held in July. Nomination for these elections will take place around May, and the new Parliament and Government of the Netherlands Antilles will have been in office barely two months at that time.
Wiels further stated that, in his conversation with the governor, he had brought up the fact that the smaller islands had exceptional power now because of the new division of seats for Curaçao in the Antillean Parliament being seven-seven (seven for coalition parties and seven for opposition parties). “From the statements made by Minister Roland Duncan, one can already observe that the smaller islands have a greater say, as NA demands two ministers.”
According to Wiels, Curaçao made a historic mistake when Aruba left the Antilles. Of the eight parliament seats that became available at that time, Curaçao demanded only two, and the remaining six went to the other islands.
To the governor’s question regarding important policy matters other than constitutional relations, Wiels answered that all possible corruption cases within Government should be investigated as soon as possible.
He added that patriotism among the population should be cultivated as well, while “nation building” required the necessary attention, the proposed Kingdom Law on Movement of People should be stopped, there should be one type of Dutch citizen within the entire Kingdom, the guarantee fund for car insurance should be activated, and the Netherlands should be obligated to comply with the United Nations’ international treaty regarding economic, social and cultural rights, based on the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.
