Constitution and laws future Land

October 22, 2008 7:18 AM

A two third majority is not obliged today for the Island Council to approve the constitution and the laws for the establishment of administrative and legal institutions of the future Land of Curaçao.

So states Deputy Zita Jesus-Leito (General Affairs, PAR) in a reaction to the statement by opposition party MAN, which has requested an investigation about this.

The MAN wants the Central Committee of the Island Council to investigate whether the Executive Council (BC) has followed the correct procedure regarding the constitution which is being held in the Island Council today. With this aim, the MAN-fraction has called upon a special sub-committee of the Central Committee. The MAN wants to specifically know whether a majority of eleven against ten, the current voting ratio between the coalition and opposition in the Island Council, is enough to approve the constitution of the Land Curaçao. The MAN believes that an 11/10-ratio is not enough and thereby refers to the fact that when the constitution of the Land Aruba had to be approved, this was done by a two third majority. According to MAN an 11/10 approval is thus not valid.

Jesus-Leito does not agree with the MAN. “Today the Island Council is voting to approve the content of the constitution, so that it can be sent to the Preparation Committee of the Round Table Conference (V-RTC) for inspection. If the RTC approves the constitution and the other laws, then it will be put forward to the people through a referendum. In the end the Island Council has to defend the constitution (as part of the total law package).”

She emphasized that at the moment it is unclear which ratio is needed to approve a constitution. “Generally a two third majority is assumed to approve a constitution. But nowhere is this officially documented. At the moment we are working on a statute amendment in which it will clearly be determined that you need a two third majority.”

(Source: National newspaper Amigoe)

21 October, 2008