Jorien Wuite at the D66 debriefing session in the Second Chamber on Thursday.
THE HAGUE--Jorien Wuite, number twenty on the slate of the Democratic Party D66 in Wednesday’s Second Chamber elections said on Thursday she felt “overwhelmed” by the positive results for the D66 party, and the prospect that she has been elected to the Second Chamber.
The preliminary election results show that D66 secured 23 seats in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament, which ensures a seat for Wuite in the new Second Chamber, which will be installed on March 31. The final count of the elections has not been announced as yet.
“I am overwhelmed by the fantastic result of my party D66. We became the second largest party in these elections. I am very proud of our party leader Sigrid Kaag who did exceptionally well, especially during the debates. It is great to see the effect that Kaag had on these elections,” said Wuite.
Wuite, a former St. Maarten Minister and Minister Plenipotentiary, will become the first member of the Second Chamber from St. Maarten. She thanked her voters and said she felt overwhelmed by the scores of positive reactions she has received. She does not know exactly how many people voted for her, as this will become known at a later stage. The various voting indicators to bring “more colour” and women into the Second Chamber probably have had a positive effect.
As the second largest party, and with a clear, forward message about the need to invest in the Dutch Kingdom, D66 can make a difference, also for people in the Dutch Caribbean. “I am very proud that I can contribute to that in the coming years,” Wuite said. She said that unfortunately, the turn-out on the islands for these elections was low, and that she would like to have seen more people going to the polls.
The process to prepare the new members of the Second Chamber started on Thursday, the day after the elections. Wuite took part in a debriefing of her party with all the newly elected D66 members of the Second Chamber. In this meeting, information was shared about how the process of installation and the division of portfolios work, and other aspects of being a member of Dutch Parliament. The division of portfolios will come at a later stage after it is definite how many D66 Members of Parliament there will be and who.
On Friday, Wuite will take part in the individual preparation for new members of the Second Chamber, after which she will fly home to St. Maarten on Sunday, and return to the Netherlands the following week for the installation on March 31.
