State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen (centre) with Island Council Members Koos Sneek, Clyde van Putten, Adelka Spanner, Rechelline Leerdam, Reuben Merkman and Melissa Robins-Spanner.
ST. EUSTATIUS--State Secretary for Kingdom Relations and Digitisation Alexandra van Huffelen met with the Island Council of St. Eustatius on Monday, February 21. Progressive Labour Party (PLP) leader Rechelline Leerdam said the council mainly discussed the route towards the restoration of democracy.
Among other points of discussion were the increased cost of living, health care, banking services and air connectivity.
Independent councilman Koos Sneek said he has his doubts about participating in the Island Council election in 2023. He expressed his frustration about the inability to function properly given the restrictions placed on Island Council members.
He said they are supposed to represent the people and implement their party’s election programme, “but how is this possible when the restriction hinders what we can and cannot do? That causes conflict.”
He talked with Van Huffelen about the budgetary law and the unaccountability of the government commissioners. “Many times, the council has been ignored or not involved or informed about important matters.” Reports to members of the Dutch Parliament are one-sided information, he stated.
However, the return of local democracy to Statia was the main point of discussion with Van Huffelen during the 90-minute meeting with the Island Council. Initially the councilmembers and Van Huffelen were to meet for one hour, but this was later extended.
Sneek said he regretted that the council could not informally meet with Van Huffelen. He said the programme for her visit involved visiting the water catchments, the solar park and the cliff stabilisation, “which are considered all beautiful things”, but topics such as social housing were not addressed and a visit to the supermarkets to check on the cost of living was also not on the agenda.
Sneek also said that holes in the roads were fixed and the streets were cleaned prior to Van Huffelen’s arrival.
“The return to democracy has taken four years on the road and is still not finished. This has been unprecedented in Dutch history.”
He said that new government commissioners were appointed on three occasions, which had hampered the establishment of sustainable policy and had created a delaying effect on the restoration of democracy.
Sneek said that the eight-point progress report of former State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops and the timetable have not been met.
“The Island Council proposed motions, but not a word has been on the timetable and the motion of October 14, 2021, about the timetable was rejected. There has never been any consultation. The restoration of the rule of law and what has happened have little to do with each other.”
Sneek said that Statia was neglected by the former Netherlands Antilles and after 10-10-10 by the Dutch government.
“The letter about the citizen participation council gives an incorrect picture of what is truly taking place on the island. The route and timetable have been determined against the will and not in consultation with the elected representatives, which again points to incorrect information that was presented to the Second Chamber.”
Sneek said that no information, dialogue or transparency is forthcoming from the government commissioners. He said the 2022 budget was debated by the Island Council after it had already been adopted and inspected by the minister of finance.
He also mentioned the poor quality of regulations, such as the Nature Regulation 2021, which will be handled by the Central Committee on Thursday.
He said that communication with the population is lacking and no focus groups have met except where it pertains to the COVID-19 pandemic.
