PHILIPSBURG--Six political parties of the Netherlands Antilles reached an agreement "in principle" Wednesday on forming the next and last Central Government and on a governing accord built around an agreement of termination as instructed by Governor of the Netherlands Antilles Frits Goedgedrag.

The governing accord has been dubbed the "Philipsburg Accord," said Formateur Pedro Atacho. He said the parties partnered in the present coalition already had had "constructive and very positive discussions" in Dr. A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall.

Negotiating are PAR and PNP of Curaçao, National Alliance (St. Maarten), UPB (Bonaire), Democratic Party of St. Eustatius and Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM) of Saba.

Atacho told The Daily Herald there was agreement in principle on the governing accord because the allocation of ministers in the new cabinet and the division of portfolios are still to be discussed.

The size of the cabinet is first on the agenda when the talks resume today at 9:00am. Division of portfolios will be discussed today as well should there be enough time after agreement is reached on the number of ministers.

Atacho has to report to Goedgedrag on Wednesday, March 3 with a firm decision on the number of ministers and division of portfolios. The new cabinet will take office at the end of March together with the new Parliament.

The present Emily de Jongh-Elhage Cabinet had indicated its successor should have only five ministers and no state secretaries because the new government would be in office for just seven months, tasked primarily with completing the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles.

However, the size of the cabinet may become a sticking point if state secretaries are removed, because the Saba, St. Eustatius and Bonaire parties have one seat each and hold state secretary posts in the present coalition.

Another consideration is word from Constitutional Affairs Minister Roland Duncan of the National Alliance (NA) that his party, as the second largest coalition partner, possibly will seek two ministers.

While Duncan has not indicated the other post the party may want, there is talk that this may be finance, a crucial portfolio in the build-up to country St. Maarten because the funds generated by the island and forwarded to the Central Government now have to revert to the island along with Central Government tasks.

NA leader Commissioner William Marlin has been mum on what his party, with three seats, is bargaining for. He declined to comment on the process in general earlier this week, saying, "I don't negotiate in the press."

PAR, as the main coalition partner with six seats, is expected to retain the Prime Minister's post, with the new cabinet possibly termed the Emily de Jongh-Elhage II Cabinet.

Representatives of the six parties, including De Jongh-Elhage, have agreed not to make any comment to the press as the negotiations continue, leaving the talking up to Formateur Atacho.

Whether the Philipsburg Accord will move from "in principle" to concrete by Saturday, when this round of meetings wraps up, is not clear, because there may be hurdles to cross concerning allotment of ministers and division of portfolios. "It is difficult to say what will happen from here," Atacho told this newspaper.

Together the six parties have 14 of the 22 seats in the Antillean Parliament. This is to be the last Central Government before the Antilles is dismantled and new countries within the kingdom St. Maarten and Curaçao, and the Dutch public entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (the BES islands) emerge.

St. Maarten has played a key role in the dismantling of the Antilles, as this stemmed from its 2000 referendum in which its people voted to become a country within the Dutch Kingdom. This was followed by a series of referenda on the other islands that have driven the dismantling to where it is today, with 10-10-10 as the expiration date for the Antilles and the birthday of the new countries and public entities in the kingdom.

PHILIPSBURG--Six political parties of the Netherlands Antilles reached an agreement "in principle" Wednesday on forming the next and last Central Government and on a governing accord built around an agreement of termination as instructed by Governor of the Netherlands Antilles Frits Goedgedrag.

The governing accord has been dubbed the "Philipsburg Accord," said Formateur Pedro Atacho. He said the parties partnered in the present coalition already had had "constructive and very positive discussions" in Dr. A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall.

Negotiating are PAR and PNP of Curaçao, National Alliance (St. Maarten), UPB (Bonaire), Democratic Party of St. Eustatius and Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM) of Saba.

Atacho told The Daily Herald there was agreement in principle on the governing accord because the allocation of ministers in the new cabinet and the division of portfolios are still to be discussed.

The size of the cabinet is first on the agenda when the talks resume today at 9:00am. Division of portfolios will be discussed today as well should there be enough time after agreement is reached on the number of ministers.

Atacho has to report to Goedgedrag on Wednesday, March 3 with a firm decision on the number of ministers and division of portfolios. The new cabinet will take office at the end of March together with the new Parliament.

The present Emily de Jongh-Elhage Cabinet had indicated its successor should have only five ministers and no state secretaries because the new government would be in office for just seven months, tasked primarily with completing the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles.

However, the size of the cabinet may become a sticking point if state secretaries are removed, because the Saba, St. Eustatius and Bonaire parties have one seat each and hold state secretary posts in the present coalition.

Another consideration is word from Constitutional Affairs Minister Roland Duncan of the National Alliance (NA) that his party, as the second largest coalition partner, possibly will seek two ministers.

While Duncan has not indicated the other post the party may want, there is talk that this may be finance, a crucial portfolio in the build-up to country St. Maarten because the funds generated by the island and forwarded to the Central Government now have to revert to the island along with Central Government tasks.

NA leader Commissioner William Marlin has been mum on what his party, with three seats, is bargaining for. He declined to comment on the process in general earlier this week, saying, "I don't negotiate in the press."

PAR, as the main coalition partner with six seats, is expected to retain the Prime Minister's post, with the new cabinet possibly termed the Emily de Jongh-Elhage II Cabinet.

Representatives of the six parties, including De Jongh-Elhage, have agreed not to make any comment to the press as the negotiations continue, leaving the talking up to Formateur Atacho.

Whether the Philipsburg Accord will move from "in principle" to concrete by Saturday, when this round of meetings wraps up, is not clear, because there may be hurdles to cross concerning allotment of ministers and division of portfolios. "It is difficult to say what will happen from here," Atacho told this newspaper.

Together the six parties have 14 of the 22 seats in the Antillean Parliament. This is to be the last Central Government before the Antilles is dismantled and new countries within the kingdom St. Maarten and Curaçao, and the Dutch public entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (the BES islands) emerge.

St. Maarten has played a key role in the dismantling of the Antilles, as this stemmed from its 2000 referendum in which its people voted to become a country within the Dutch Kingdom. This was followed by a series of referenda on the other islands that have driven the dismantling to where it is today, with 10-10-10 as the expiration date for the Antilles and the birthday of the new countries and public entities in the kingdom.