There can be little doubt left that the 10-10-10 date for new relations in the Kingdom to take effect is no longer feasible. The current Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament no longer will handle the law proposals to make the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles possible now that the Balkenende Cabinet has fallen.
It's obvious that until that happens, Curaçao and St. Maarten will not attain country status and the BES islands Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba will not become public entities of the Netherlands. With elections for a new Second Chamber scheduled for June 9, the delay could be considerable and the suggestion even was made to think more in terms of 11-11-11.
There is no guarantee either that the next Dutch Cabinet will honour all commitments made by the current one in this regard, even though government is supposed to be a continuity. The fact of the matter is that the final say lies with the future Parliament and unless a majority still backs the agreements there may well be changes.
Of course, that does not mean the islands should stop working on preparations for their changes in status. In that sense, some delay might work out as a blessing, because there is still much to be done and already there were growing doubts in The Hague about the readiness of especially St. Maarten.
What must not happen, however, is for the Island Territory to take over any more tasks, responsibilities, personnel and other expenses from the Central Government until it actually has the money needed for all this literally in the bank. Instead, the Executive Council should concentrate on balancing and presenting the 2010 budget which, considering the latest political developments, realistically speaking no longer should have to contain provisions for Country St. Maarten, at least not for this year.
While the prospect of yet another delay in the constitutional process that has already dragged on for decades is indeed frustrating, every cloud has a silver lining. There would no longer be need for a second election this year for an expanded Island Council that would become the first Parliament of Country St. Maarten, tentatively scheduled for mid-June, less than five months after the January 22 elections for the Antillean Parliament.
With a new Central Government to be sworn in on March 26 and the current Island Council in office until July 1, 2011, that should at least mean some political tranquillity and stability on the island. This in turn would allow the elected representatives at both levels to focus more energy on the still-recovering tourism and the many pressing social issues with which "The Friendly Island" is coping.
