By Alita Singh
PHILIPSBURG--The six political parties forming the new and last Central Government of the Netherlands Antilles signed the Philipsburg Accord Friday morning in Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort, following just two days of negotiations. This was the shortest ever for the formation of any Netherlands Antilles government.
The task of the new PAR-led Central Government, to be headed by incumbent Prime Minister Emily de Jongh-Elhage, is precisely laid out in the 3½-page governing accord that was overseen by Informateur Pedro Atacho.
The new government is supported by 14 of the 22 seats in Parliament.
The priority points for the coalition when it takes office on March 26 largely remain the same as its present mandate, but with more precise emphasis on the continued dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles, support for the establishment of countries St. Maarten and Curaçao, and Dutch public entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, safeguarding the wellbeing of the people while the Antilles still exists, and completing pending tasks.
This government was put together in record time. These were the shortest negotiations to form a government ever in Antillean history, said Atacho, who has been informateur and formateur for the past four cabinets.
Signing the accord were Prime Minister Emily de Jongh-Elhage of PAR (Curaçao), National Alliance (NA) leader Commissioner William Marlin (St. Maarten), UPB-Bonaire leader Ramoncito Booi, Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM) leader Rolando Wilson (Saba), Democratic Party (DP) St. Eustatius leader Commissioner Julian Woodley, and Faroe Metry of PNP (Curaçao).
Together, the six parties will appoint a new cabinet of seven ministers and four state secretaries. The parties forming the new cabinet are almost the same as the outgoing one. Only FOL, led by Anthony Godett, will not be returning, as his party failed to retain its two seats in parliament in the January 22 election.
Getting the job done
De Jongh-Elhage said after the signing that the government would continue to work "like family" in the six to seven months remaining in the life of the Antilles. She also hoped that this new coalition would mirror the stability of the present one, which has not seen a crisis, as has happened often in the past.
"Whatever happens, the Antilles will fall apart. We will support each island with what they asked for. Nothing will divide us, and we will stay as friends – the five islands and Aruba. ... The touch we have, nothing will break us up," she said.
She added that as the biggest party in the coalition with six seats, PAR would do everything to ensure there was no more Netherlands Antilles and to help the islands obtain the best for their people.
PAR retained the prime minister's post and three other ministerial posts in the cabinet. These ministers will oversee Justice, Education and Public Health, and Finance. The prime minister will be tasked with general and foreign affairs. The party also will retain the posts of Minister Plenipotentiary in The Hague and Chairman of Parliament.
Best for St. Maarten
Marlin said that in the negotiations the National Alliance had focused on "achieving the best for St. Maarten."
The best for the island is "to ensure that agreements made so far will be realised" and St. Maarten will receive the support necessary from its coalition partners so it can become a country within the kingdom on 10-10-10.
Under the Philipsburg Accord the new government will be required to give whatever support is necessary for St. Maarten to build up its infrastructure to receive the tasks of the Central Government as the dismantling process progresses.
Other past governments were referred to as the "last" for the Antilles, but what makes this one definitely the last is the agreement on the dismantling signed by the Netherlands, the Central Government and the Island Governments of St. Maarten and Curaçao, Marlin said.
"There is no doubt in our [NA's] mind or anyone's in this room, as far the political parties are concerned, that we will ... realise the constitutional change in dismantling the Netherlands Antilles," Marlin said.
The law on decentralisation was passed by Parliament on December 29, 2009, paving the way for the transfer of tasks to the islands. Now St. Maarten is awaiting approval of the law on early elections and the expansion of the Island and Executive Councils.
Marlin referred to the negotiations as "almost a walk in the park," because they had been wrapped up in just two days. The swift agreement on the new cabinet was credited to the commitment of all six parties to focus on the key issue of dismantling and the birth of the new countries and entities.
The status of country within the Dutch Kingdom is not independence, but it can be seen as a "steppingstone" to that, he said.
NA holds all three Parliament seats allotted to St. Maarten, making it the first time St. Maarten has been the second largest coalition member with two ministers in the cabinet.
The NA-appointed ministers will hold the portfolio of Constitutional and Home Affairs, Transport and Communications. One of these ministers will also hold the rank of Deputy Prime Minister. The party will also keep the post of Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary in The Hague.
Partnership
Booi of UPB-Bonaire echoed Marlin's comments about the "last" government of the Antilles. "[This is] something I have heard before. We will maintain, ourselves, that it will be the last government and it will take seven months to be accomplished."
He said that although Bonaire was having some difficulties at present with persistent efforts by the opposition to have another referendum on the direction of the constitutional change, "We hope with God's help we will finalise them in a proper way that we also can continue doing what we have to do for our island."
Booi said he and veteran politician and parliamentarian-elect Will Johnson of Saba were "like weeds. You can't get rid of us." Booi and Johnson had both "retired" from active politics but re-entered the race for the January polls.
The Bonaire leader looks forward to finalising the process for his island along with Saba and St. Eustatius so that they can achieve the status of Dutch public entities "so we can have, for our people, a better way of living."
He added that, as De Jongh-Elhage had said, the islands had to continue to work together when they achieved their new statuses.
Booi said he was still leaving a space open for DP-Bonaire to join the new Central Government. "I would even go so far, without asking my party, that if it is needed, my state secretary they can get, because at the age I am, it is more important to be able to finalise the work that I am doing than to do local politics."
UPB will appoint the Minister in charge of Economic Affairs and Labour, and the State Secretary for Home Affairs. The Bonaire minister will also act as Second Deputy Prime Minister.
Free movement
Woodley of St. Eustatius said that even after the dismantling of the Antilles all parties would have to maintain good relationships, with specific focus on the free movement of people among the islands.
He, like many others in the Antilles, has warned against a repeat of the Aruba "situation" in the 1980s that saw Aruba imposing travel restrictions on Antilleans after it broke with the Antilles and became a country within the kingdom.
The focus, Woodley said, must also remain firmly on the date of 10-10-10 for the new constitutional statuses.
DP St. Eustatius will appoint a State Secretary for Justice in charge of the prison and police of the Windward Islands.
PNP of Curaçao will also have a State Secretary for Justice who will oversee the Court of Guardianship, the Youth Correctional Institutions and other similar areas. The party will also appoint the Deputy Chairperson of Parliament.
There were doubts on Thursday evening that PNP would accept a State Secretary, but the party's representative Faroe Metry, after consultations with leadership, signed the governing accord.
Wilson of Saba said the job ahead would not be easy, but with partnership the process could move forward so that his island could achieve its new status.
Saba appoints the State Secretary for Constitutional Affairs.
Completion
Informateur Atacho is now in a position, a week early, to present his report on this phase of the formation to Governor of the Netherlands Antilles Frits Goedgedrag. Atacho was scheduled to present this report on March 6, but will now do so on Saturday, February 27.
Once the report is presented, the governor can appoint a Formateur to wrap up the formation by vetting the ministerial candidates to ensure their personal interests (businesses, etc.) do not conflict with their posts or portfolios. The candidates will also have to be screened by the Justice system.
