Jorien Wuite
THE HAGUE--“Sign up and have your voice heard on March 15. Register before February 1 to be able to vote for the new electoral college for Dutch residents outside the European Union in the election of the Dutch Parliament’s First Chamber, the Senate.” This call was made by Member of Parliament (MP) for the centre-democrat D66 party Jorien Wuite at the start of her six-day working visit to Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire.
In addition to this year’s elections for the Provincial Council in the Netherlands and the Island Council elections in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, Dutch residents outside of the European Netherlands will be able to influence the composition of the First Chamber for the first time.
“The political choices made in The Hague have also an influence on Dutch people who do not currently live in the Netherlands. Think of consular services, banking, dual nationality and pensions,” Wuite said.
“The handling of kingdom laws, including all kinds of international treaties, are of particular importance to the Caribbean countries in the Kingdom. Therefore, I am glad that, partly thanks to D66, people outside the Netherlands can now also decide on the composition of the new Senate.”
Wuite said she was “exceptionally proud” of attorney-at-law in St. Maarten Remco Stomp, who is candidate #3 in the D66 party list for the electoral college.
“I hope that the number of people who will register will be higher than for the Second Chamber election. Sign up to vote so we can let our voices be heard from the Caribbean on March 15,” she said.
Dutch citizens over the age of 18, who are not excluded from the right to vote and are living abroad, can register via
https://www.denhaag.nl/en/municipality-of-the-hague/elections/dutch-voters-abroad/register-as-a-dutch-voter-abroad.htm. Residents of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten must have lived in the Netherlands for at least 10 years or must be employed in the Dutch public service.
Registration is also required for persons who registered previously; for example, for parliamentary elections. More information can be found on the website of the municipality of The Hague.
In the coming days, Wuite will be visiting and speaking with various politicians, with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the private and public sectors, and with residents in Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire.
Themes to be discussed, in addition to the upcoming election, are cooperation between the Netherlands and the Caribbean islands, poverty and human rights, climate and, of course, apologies for the slavery past.
