Timmerman-Buck advocates
December 15 target date
PHILIPSBURG--Documents have been signed and agreements have been made that St. Maarten and Curaçao will become countries within the Kingdom. Both the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles should keep to these agreements, Dutch First Chamber Chairwoman Yvonne Timmerman-Buck told The Daily Herald last week Saturday.
She closed off her visit to the Netherlands Antilles by visiting Saba and St. Eustatius on Saturday. Her main message once back in the Netherlands will be that the Dutch Government should support the efforts being made to make the December 15 target date for constitutional change.
Timmerman-Buck said it was impressive to have seen the positive work being done to finish all the necessary work in time. However, she also took note of the several concerns and problem points of the islands.
One of the concerns she will table is the December 15 target date. “I’m a passionate proponent of the December 15 target date and I will remain in favour,” she said.
She noted that especially the BES islands Bonaire St. Eustatius and Saba needed support of qualified personnel to be able to do all the necessary work.
“The Netherlands cannot say the target date is important and it’s necessary to maintain the pace within the process while the islands are not able to make the date.”
Another main point of concern for St. Maarten is Justice, she said.
“I share this concern, based on the WODC report. The reality is that the island depends partially on the Central Government, which is responsible for certain authorities.”
She said St. Maarten also recognised that it was responsible for certain authorities it had, such as issuance of permits. “That’s also stated in the WODC report.”
She wasn’t aware of correspondence between St. Maarten and the Netherlands on that matter. “If they (St. Maarten) can prove with arguments that what the report states is not entirely true, then that is very relevant.”
She believes the Dutch Government should look carefully at who exactly is the delaying factor within the process and it may very well be not only St. Maarten. She picked up worries that the Central Government had the tendency not to be swift in executing the transfer of tools, personnel, finances and authorities to the Island Territories.
It is important, she said, that existing views why the target date cannot be met that are based on unilateral aspects will be eliminated. She refuses to accept these unilateral views from the Dutch Government.
It was Timmerman-Buck’s first official visit to the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba and she said it was an historic one, as never before had the president of the Dutch First Chamber visited all the islands of the Antilles.
