WILLEMSTAD--According to legal advice obtained by Parliament Chairman Marcelino "Mike" Franco (PAIS), Ivar Asjes' stepping down as PS-fraction member cannot be held back. Asjes had tried to withdraw his resignation per June 2, because it's still unclear when the political cabinet of Curaçao, in which he is supposed to become the prime minister, will take the oath of office.

 

However, because the credentials of his intended successor Sherwin Leonora had already been approved, there appears to be no way back to the legislature for Asjes, who took over as head of the fraction after last month's murder of PS leader Helmin Wiels.

 

In a letter to interim governor Adèle van der Pluijm-Vrede, the 11 parliamentarians supporting the PS/PAIS/PNP/Sulvaran coalition had requested her assistance so that the new cabinet could be sworn in Monday, June 3. But according to the interim-governor, she could not comply with this request.

 

She can't proceed to swear in new members of government until all requirements in the National Ordinance on Integrity, the so-called screening law for candidate ministers, have been met. "Only when that is the case can a date be set for appointing new ministers."

 

The interim governor concluded her letter to the 11 parliamentarians with the statement that she had sent a copy to "formateur" Glenn Camelia, who had been abroad lately.

 

On Friday Asjes submitted a request to withdraw his resignation as parliamentarian. However, Leonora has already been legally admitted to Parliament in his place and only needs to be administered the oath.

 

One possible solution is that Leonora now resign, in which case the seat would go to the highest available candidate on the PS list in the last election, being Asjes at number two. Franco said he had in any case presented the dilemma to the Main Voting Bureau.

 

Lisa Dindial of the latter spoke of a unique situation. "We have an entirely new phenomenon that must be studied properly from a legal point of view, to check if Asjes' request can be granted or not. It is up to Parliament to look into this."

 

Former general secretary of the Parliaments of the Netherlands Antilles and St. Maarten Frank Hanze said withdrawal of the resignation is impossible at this stage.

 

The political cabinet must replace the current transition cabinet, which from the beginning was to stay on for three to six months and during that period take numerous measures to reorganise the finances of the country. Prime Minister Daniel Hodge (PS) handed in the resignation of his cabinet last April.

 

At the time the coalition partners recommended Camelia as formateur, as he had also helped form the outgoing cabinet consisting of professionals who had had not been on any candidate list in the most recent election at the end of last year. Meanwhile the names of the proposed ministers are known but the latter are waiting to be sworn in.