Assignment authority is off

March 30, 2009 5:53 AM

Curaçao and Antillean politicians and advisors know for sure, even before the Political Steering Committee between the Netherlands, Curaçao and St. Martin starts this afternoon: the assignment authority for the Attorney General of the government minister of Justice is off.

“It’s also of no use to discuss another approach to give the Dutch Minister of Justice yet another opportunity to excessively concern themselves with the policy and individual cases on justice field in the self-governing Caribbean Empire Parts .
Now that the door’s closed, we should not open another door, says Deputy Sarah Wescot-Williams (General Affairs, DP St. Martin). The expectation is that the Netherlands however will explore other possibilities as so not to be left empty handed.

The official agenda items today during the political steering committee are the future of the Plan Security Netherlands Antilles (PVNA) and the progress of the political route, but every mouth overflows of the assignment authority. The expectation on the Antillean side is that a document will be signed this afternoon stating that the assignment authority is over and done with.

The pre-conversations went on longer than expected yesterday and today. First the opening was moved up from 10 to 12 o’clock, then to 13.00 hours. Upon closing of this newspaper at 14.00 hours the meeting was not yet officially opened.

Premier Emily de Jongh-Elhage said the calling off of the assignment authority was a present for the three year anniversary today of her cabinet, “and is quite an achievement.”

Through the continuous resistance of the Caribbean Empire Parts the assignment authority was eventually linked to article 43 of the Statute: with serious shortcomings regarding human rights and government the indication was allowed.

With regard to the Caribbean Empire Parts this occurred temporarily and in anticipation of the necessary legal advices; they were always convinced that this regulation would not pass muster. There were also questions. Who determines for example that there’s a question of an ‘article 43-sitiation’ so that the assignment authority could come into force?

Wescot-Williams, is at ease but determined about this matter. She points out that ‘from the very first moment that the Netherlands spoke of this issue, St. Martin - and also the Antilles – continuously pointed out that this regulation was unnecessary.”

Wescot-Williams: Meanwhile, we have received the well-argued refusals of this enactment, from individual experts such as Bob Wit as well as from two authoritative advisory organs such as the Council of State and the Advisory Council.

Much energy must not be wasted on this idea according to the St. Martin politician where ‘the unfounded distrust in the new Kingdom countries oozed off.

Indeed, it must be correctly deleted as it was also part of the Final Statement of November 2006 and it had reached the status of enactment.

The Deputy concludes that the current Statute, amongst others article 43, gives sufficient possibilities to the Kingdom to intervene when situations occur in the Caribbean Empire Parts whereby fundamental human rights and freedoms, legal security and soundness of government are seriously threatened and the countries do not restore this themselves.

(Source: National newspaper Amigoe)

March 26, 2009