Following the passing of two storm systems in a matter of days, St. Maarten may be faced with the consequences of a political storm that is brewing in Curaçao. It appears that MFK, PS and MAN have formed a new pact that would oust PAR from government despite its coming out of Friday's elections as the island's biggest party once again.
Should the signed statement of intent indeed lead to a new Executive Council, it puts in serious doubt the culmination of the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles and with it also country status for both Curaçao and St. Maarten come 10-10-10. After all, if a majority in Curaçao's newly elected Island Council does not approve the draft constitution this weekend, the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament most likely will not give its blessing next week to the Kingdom Charter amendments to make the new constitutional relations possible and the Round Table Conference (RTC) to follow for the formalisation of the changes undoubtedly will have to be cancelled.
The question would be: "What then?" Reversing the process seems undesirable, if not impossible, as Central Government tasks already have been transferred to the Island Territories that are to become countries and the accompanying personnel made available.
In addition, civil servants of both the Central and Island Governments in Curaçao already have received their job offers for the new administration of country Curaçao and similar letters are about to go out in St. Maarten. At the same time, Bonaire, St, Eustatius and Saba are well on their way to become special overseas public entities of the Netherlands as the so-called BES islands, so that the Netherlands Antilles –consisting of five islands – as it is known today would in any case appear be a thing of the past and halting the execution of the agreements made at this stage would appear almost unthinkable.
It may not come to that, however. While MAN and also MFK leader Gerrit Schotte when still part of MAN voted against the current draft constitution the first time in the Island Council, they did not oppose the related Kingdom Charter amendment in the Antillean Parliament.
What's more, the politicians involved have indicated that they do not want to frustrate the entire process to then start all over again either, while Schotte would also lose his chance of becoming the first Prime Minister of country Curaçao should they do so. Pro-independence PS has made it more than clear it will not vote for the current draft constitution under any circumstances, but when it comes to this issue the signed statement of intent also says the three parties will "leave space for each to vote according to their good conscience."
All this could mean that the draft is passed without the support of PS but with that of its two new coalition partners MFK and MAN, assisted by the PAR/PNP/FOL combination that paved the way for the new relations to take effect. The latest developments in Willemstad at first sight are certainly not good news when it comes to country status for St. Maarten, but there is still a chance it will all turn out as intended anyway.
