From left: Clyde van Putten, Second Acting Clerk Melissa Robins-Spanner, Reuben Merkman, Rechelline Leerdam and Koos Sneek.
ST. EUSTATIUS--Four members of the Island Council of St. Eustatius left the island on Friday, April 8, for a working visit to the Netherlands.
The delegation included Progressive Labour Party (PLP) leader Rechelline Leerdam; PLP Island Council member Reuben Merkman; independent member Koos Sneek; PLP member Clyde van Putten; and Second Acting Clerk Melissa Robins-Spanner.
While in the Netherlands, the Island Council members will participate in a series of meetings, including meeting with State Secretary of Kingdom Relations and Digitisation Alexandra van Huffelen.
Sneek and Leerdam said discussions will focus on the timetable regarding the return of democracy in Statia.
Sneek said the Council has already been having discussions with Government Commissioner Alida Francis. He said the parties were supposed to come to an agreement on when the full democratic government would be restored. Agreement was not reached; hence, the Council members will go to The Hague to discuss the matter with Van Huffelen, because ultimately it will be the state secretary who will decide when everything can go back to normal again.
Leerdam said the Council had requested a meeting with Van Huffelen and she had graciously granted the Council the opportunity to speak with her. “We found that it was very important that we sit down and have a discussion about the timetable concerning the return of democracy.”
During Van Huffelen’s first visit to the island, she said it takes “three to tango,” so the Council is taking her up on her offer, said Leerdam. The Island Councilwoman said the Council believes it has come to a point where they can have a more updated discussion about getting some better feedback concerning the return of democracy. The Council will also meet with members of the First Chamber of the Dutch Parliament and with the committee that handles Kingdom Relations.
Not everyone will be able to meet with the Council due to time constraints, Leerdam said, so they will meet with specific delegations and have discussions. The Council will also have discussions concerning the lack of notary services for the island. Francis had stated that government had been doing some things on its end and it is pertinent, Leerdam said, “that the Island Council do as much as we can on our end to try to aid in this serious issue regarding the notary.”
