Bijleveld: No re-negotiations at RTC

September 07, 2010 1:15 PM

THE HAGUE--The final Round Table Conference (RTC) in The Hague on Thursday serves to determine whether the islands are ready for their new status. There is no room for new negotiations, said Dutch caretaker State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ank Bijleveld-Schouten over the weekend.

Bijleveld-Schouten stated this in relation to reports in the media that Curaçao's new MFK/MAN/PS Executive Council left for the Netherlands with an amended wish list. "All Kingdom Consensus Laws have been approved by the Second and First Chamber and that's what we will be working with."

The State secretary made clear there was nothing to re-negotiate. "If they want to change things, they will have to deal with the new Dutch Government. And, if they want independence, we can always talk. I have always said that. The same goes for all islands that want independence," she said.

Bijleveld-Schouten would now fully focus on the last steps that need to be taken before 10-10-10, the date when the Netherlands Antilles will be dismantled and the new status for each island goes into effect.

The approval of the Constitution for Country Curaçao was the "most important" thing that happened over the weekend, since this was an "absolute condition to continue with RTC."

St. Maarten had already approved its Constitution. Both Constitutions will be formalised in Tuesday's meeting of the Kingdom Council of Ministers. "I don't expect any problems with that," she said.

According to the State Secretary the last say on the amendment of the Kingdom Charter will be up to the Second Chamber now that Aruba's Parliament has approved the Kingdom Law in question on Friday. The Second Chamber debates on the Implementation Kingdom Decree for the amendment to the Charter on Tuesday evening.

6 September, 2010