No state secretaries
in Country Curaçao
WILLEMSTAD--The new Country Curaçao will not have state secretaries, says Roland "Nacho" Ignacio, secretary-general of the union federation CGTC and member of the "Komishon Ban Konstruí Pais Kòrsou" on behalf of the unions.
The committee functions as partner of the Island Council’s Standing Committee on Constitutional Structure.
According to Ignacio, politicians thought that state secretaries would be required to prevent some minister posts of the Country Curaçao becoming too burdensome. But the unions fiercely opposed that.
"We were already against it when the current cabinet on national level decided to still maintain state secretaries. The argument about certain minister posts becoming too heavy does not hold. What needs to be done is enlarge the civil service to assist the minister as much as possible."
The draft constitution of the Country Curaçao currently on the table starts with nine Ministers and 21 Members of Parliament.
Commissioner Zita Jesus-Leito of General Affairs (PAR) indicated in a reaction that the Executive Council has taken over the suggestion regarding state secretaries from the Standing Committee. "This proves that we listen to arguments that are brought forward in the committee."
The Commissioner says that the Executive Council has by now considered all eight points of interest. Thus, the draft now on the table assumes nine Ministers for the Country Curaçao. Parliament will have 21 members, just like the current Island Council.
Instead of a consideration, a preamble is chosen for the preface of the constitution. There was a difference of opinion about how to preamble the document. A majority preferred a realistic consideration, in which facts and laws are referenced.
Only Committee Chairman and Head of the Department of Constitutional Renewal Gilbert "Gibi" de Windt preferred a preamble in which more lyric freedoms and reference to God are allowed.
Jesus-Leito also says that she regrets the fact that the opposition chooses not to attend the meetings of the Standing Committee. Also Ignacio doesn’t understand the attitude of members that choose not to attend these meetings.
"There is a difference of view. But such differences also exist on other matters. The members still show up for other committees of the Island Council. My opinion is that they should attach the same value to the Standing Committee as to all those other council committees."
The last draft of the constitution of the Country Curaçao was drawn up early last year. Several bodies and persons have worked on it since then.
It was decided that the last adjusted draft will come up for discussion in a meeting of the Central Committee on the 13th of this month.
