Realization new status islands 2010 in danger

September 03, 2008 6:03 AM

The discussion on the keynotes for the consensus-statutory law Police and about the consensus-statutory law Financial supervision Curacao and St. Maarten currently forms an obstacle for testing during a Round Table Conference (RTC), in which must be decided whether the legislation and the rules laid down that form the basis for the new political and governmental structure, meet the criteria set.

This also endangers the realization of the planning of further process till December 2010, says state secretary Ank Bijleveld-Schouten (Kingdom Relations, CDA) in a transition report about the political process between April and August 2008. “The testing can only take place when the necessary legislation and instructions are then ready for implementation.”

Bijleveld said today in an interview before the Werelomroep that ‘it was not said in any way that the RTC won’t take place, but that some things must be finished off to let it take place’.
As we all know, based on the planning of an independent research bureau, the Netherlands are aiming for the transition into the new political situation in December of 2010. Also St. Maarten, Curacao, and the Netherlands Antilles want to let the new status to be effective before the new Parliament elections.

Progress is slow. “Especially the Order in Council for the Kingdom (AMvRB) Financial Supervision for the Netherlands Antilles, Curacao, and St. Maarten and the definition of the debt restructuring are delayed. This means that the moment to start with the debt restructuring also shifts further. The debt restructuring won’t start till after the financial supervision is put into action”, said Bijleveld, who doesn’t rule out further delays. “We will know whether reaching an agreement on this is feasible during the possible meeting of the steering committee in fall.” She sounded very optimistic before the Wereldomroep: “I have high hopes that we can get rid of the critical issues.”

The progress regarding the maintenance of law and order, administration of justice and constitutional affairs is and remains difficult. “Especially the lack of concurrence with the basic principle for the consensus-statutory law Police, forms a risk for the timely realization of this consensus-statutory law.”
The deliberation on the several consensus-statutory laws does continue. We will know whether reaching an agreement this year is feasible, during the possible meeting of the steering committee in fall.

Another danger for meeting the criteria and with that for the transition to the new political situations is according to Bijleveld, not having the legislation ready or not implementing the legislation and plans by St. Maarten and Curacao. “It is up to St. Maarten and Curacao to take measures in such way that the criterion is met.”
The legislation and instructions will be tested during the first progress-RTC and also if the machinery of government complies with the criterion set is tested in a later RTC. “Via the programs of cooperation Institutional Strengthening and Administrative Power, the Netherlands contribute to organizational measures needed to well-interpret the new status of Country.”

Together, the governments of the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles have asked the State Council for the Kingdom for information on how to accelerate the process. The information will be available after summer. In the phased approach for the transition of the BES-islands that the Netherlands is currently preparing they try to look at the velocity of the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles .

Both the Netherlands and the Antilles involve Aruba in the process, for example with the preparation of an anticipated RTC on December 15.

(Source: National Newspaper Amigoe)

1 September, 2008