Dear Editor,
In November 2017 our constitution has been amended whereby the status of Public Entities for the three islands Saba, Bonaire and St. Eustatius has been embedded in the constitution. (art 132a)
This embedding made another important change possible, which has eliminated an important democratic deficit. It makes it possible that after eight years of public entity status the Dutch inhabitants on the islands finally can vote (indirectly) for the members of the First Chamber like our European Dutch counterparts. The first time in history!
In the Netherlands the voting for the First Chamber is done by the members of the 12 so-called “Provincial Councils”. Their election is on March 20th. Since the three islands do not fall under a province, for each island an Electoral College will be elected. The first time ever that voters on Statia can go to the polls for this is the same as for the elections of the “Provincial Councils”, also on March 20th.
It is important to understand that when, as a voter, you cast your vote on a candidate on the list for the electoral college, you will not elect this individual in the First Chamber. However, once this local candidate is elected he or she is the one who will vote, on your behalf, for his or her candidate of choice for the First Chamber.
How important is this?
I think it is important. First and foremost, it gives us, the people of Statia, exactly the same right to vote as the people in any other part of the Netherlands. Secondly, with our right to vote we will have representation in the First Chamber.
I guess you might have noticed that there are people who downgrade this right and call this election a waste of time. This, they are basing on the fact that the impact of the voters of the three islands combined is a little bit more than one-tenth of a seat. For Statia alone it is one percent. It seems small, for true, but it still can also make the difference. If you, however, calculate this impact based on the number of inhabitants then it is the same and equal to the impact of any other voter in the Netherlands.
It is unrealistic to think that our people will be allowed a greater influence in the elections of the First Chamber than any other voter in the Netherlands.
Remember, those who claim that your democratic right to vote has been taken away after the intervention by The Hague are the same ones now who are saying not to make use of your democratic right to vote in this election.
Come out to vote March 20th.
Koos Sneek
Democratic Party St. Eustatius
