Information campaign government starts next week

January 15, 2009 5:51 AM

The information campaign of the government for the referendum on the political future of Curacao, will start next week, said Commissioner Zita Jesus-Leito (General Affairs, PAR) yesterday during the first press conference of the Governing Body (BC) this year.   According to Jesus-Leito, the referendum has the highest priority for the BC at this moment.

The information campaign of the government for the referendum on the political future of Curacao, will start next week, said Commissioner Zita Jesus-Leito (General Affairs, PAR) yesterday during the first press conference of the Governing Body (BC) this year.   According to Jesus-Leito, the referendum has the highest priority for the BC at this moment.

The commissioner doesn’t want to describe the campaign as one for a ‘yes’ in the referendum.  “It is a campaign, in which we are going to tell the people about the package that is on the table now and what it means for the people.   The idea is to inform the people via the local media and via meetings on several locations on the island.  We invite organizations that want to hold information sessions, to contact us.”
MAN-leader Charles Cooper is furious at the announcement of the BC.  “We were afraid for that.  We saw it coming.  The BC would conduct a campaign for the package in a subtle manner.  The information campaign must be left to the referendum committee, so that they can pursue the several options clinically and objectively.   It is a shame that the BC uses government money for running her own campaign for a ‘yes’.”

According to Cooper, the individual parties ought to use their own money to run a campaign for a ‘yes’ or ‘no’.   “It must not be done with government money.  The coalition must keep her fingers off this business, or finance it with own means.  We do not have that kind of money.  If the opposition is also part of the government of this country, we have the right on a 10/21 part of the available funds for a campaign to show that the package is not to the benefit of Curacao”, said Cooper referring to the opposition’s 10 of the 21 members in the Island Council.  

The BC will decide on the establishment of the referendum committee next week anyway, and the persons that will be on that committee.  The idea is that the committee determines the date for the referendum and the questions to be discussed during the referendum.  The committee is also going to lead an extensive information campaign, in which the options that get a chance during the referendum are further explained.  This campaign ought to be considered separate from the campaign to be run by the BC.  It’s going to be a busy year for the island chief polling station.  In addition to the organization of a referendum, also an election for the members of the new Parliament of the Land Curacao is planned.

(Source: National newspaper Amigoe)

10 January, 2009