PHILIPSBURG--Informateur Pedro Atacho will begin deliberations today to poll the sentiments of political parties that obtained seats in the January 22 parliamentary elections and of social partners in the Netherlands Antilles on the formation of a new Central Government.

The political parties will be sent an invitation letter as well as a list of questions to help facilitate the talks. Atacho said he would register the expectations of the social partners regarding the new Central Government.

At 9:00am today, he will meet with the social partners in Curaçao. These include the Council of Churches, the Chamber of Commerce, trade association "Vereniging Bedrijfsleven" Curaçao, the organisations of unions and the non-organised unions, the Platform of Non-Governmental Organisations and the press association Prensa Uni.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, he will meet with the social partners in Bonaire. On Wednesday and Thursday, he will meet with the social partners and the political parties in St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius on their respective islands.

On Monday, February 8, Atacho will meet with the political parties in Curaçao and in Bonaire.

Atacho said that based on his discussions with the political parties and stakeholders, he would be able to come to a preliminary conclusion on which parties are willing to cooperate and, in doing so, give content to the information instructions given by the Governor of the Netherlands Antilles.

He is also scheduled to meet with Aruba’s Prime Minister Mike Eman on Thursday, February 11, to discuss the Aruba’s willingness to support the island territories of the Netherlands Antilles in their bid to obtain their respective new constitutional status.

On February 12, Atacho will present his preliminary report to the Governor of the Netherlands Antilles, which will include a "declaration of intentions" of those political parties that will form a majority in Parliament and which are willing to discuss the formation of a new government.