Council members leave for
study visit in the Netherlands
PHILIPSBURG--Delegations of St. Maarten and Curaçao Island Council members will be leaving for the Netherlands on Sunday for a study visit. The main goal of the visit is an exchange of knowledge and experience between Dutch Municipal Councils and the Island Councils and Commissioners of St. Maarten and Curaçao.
The St. Maarten delegation comprises Sarah Wescot-Williams and Leroy de Weever for the Democratic Party and George Pantophlet and Rodolphe Samuel for National Alliance.
The visit will give Antillean politicians a look into the political kitchen of Dutch municipalities, where they can receive background information and obtain on-the-job experience.
The functions of Councilman and Commissioner will be compared and the dilemmas encountered during executing these functions will be discussed. The system of dualism on municipality level in the Netherlands also will be examined.
The visit was organised to build up the relationship between the Municipal Councils and the Island Councils. It will fit into the regular contact the Association of Dutch Municipalities VNG has with the island territories.
Four meetings were organised for Lt. Governors in 2006 and 2007 as part of the trajectory of achieving more professionalism in public administration. Dutch Commissioner Verschuren and Councilwoman Haagh visited the islands of the Netherlands Antilles in December 2007.
The Island Council members will leave on Sunday and will arrive in the Netherlands on Monday. They will visit the cities of Zoetermeer, Groningen, Breda and The Hague. The programme will last until Friday.
