From left: PLP Island Council members Rueben Merkman, Clyde van Putten and Rechelline Leerdam with Independent Island Council Member Koos Sneek at the press conference.
ST. EUSTATIUS--History was recorded in St. Eustatius on Tuesday, May 18, when five elected members of the Island Council joined together to demand the restoration of political democracy on the island. Island Councilwoman Adelka Spanner was not present due to illness.
During a press conference, the Island Council members criticised the behaviour displayed by Dutch State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops at a brief meeting on Monday, May 17.
“Our proposal to return to full democracy was wiped off the table with little constructive arguments,” Island Councilman Koos Sneek explained. “Mr Knops did not make any effort to understand our position, which in my opinion was not far-fetched and well-substantiated.”
As far back as February 2018, the Island Council was dissolved by the same State Secretary. As a result, Knops nominated Marcolino “Mike” Franco as Government Commissioner alongside Mervyn Stegers as Deputy Government Commissioner.
In February 2020, a team change took place with the appointment of Marnix van Rij as new Government Commissioner and Alida Francis as his deputy. However, Van Rij was recalled to the Netherlands by his political party Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) in January 2021, leaving only Francis in charge of 22 local government portfolios.
“Since Van Rij left, we were left in the dark,” claimed Rechelline Leerdam (Progressive Labour Party PLP) at the press conference. “We then had to start from scratch again. Island infrastructure projects such as roads, harbour and airport have suffered delays since the central government first intervened. Fortunately, local skills are now largely solving the backlog.”
Rueben Merkman (PLP) also pointed to local issues such as health that are in need of urgent attention.
“A recent and widely publicised case of administrative and care neglect by the government health insurance (ZVK) illustrates that things are not working,” he said. The organisation is not performing economically. Patients are abandoned overseas to rack up enormous hotel cost and daily expenses. Except for only some physical improvements, government intervention has delivered only lost years and lost opportunities. Given the backlog, we now have to move forward.”
His colleague Clyde van Putten (PLP) was less kind. “This is the first time that the Island Council has come together. Knops' abrasive behaviour does not surprise me. It is clear that 22 portfolios are too many for the Deputy Government Commissioner and that the will of the people through the elected Island Council should be respected.”
Next steps for the Island Council are to lobby the Dutch Parliament. The lower house intends to debate the situation of intervention in Statia on June 2, 2021.
“I would like to stress again that I did support the intervention and still do," insists Sneek. “But I find this whole exercise is now taking far too long. Too many mistakes are being made and too many delays are occurring. Mr. Knops got a little annoyed when I echoed his words: ‘Intervention needs to be as short as possible and as long as necessary.’
“In my humble opinion, the condition of ‘as long as necessary’ has been long passed.”
