ST. EUSTATIUS--St. Eustatius may be having a new coalition government as soon as Sunday. The opposition Democratic Party (DP) and new independent Island Council member Millicent Lijfrock are currently negotiating an agreement to form a new Executive Council.
The UPC/PLP/STEP coalition fell Wednesday, after leader of the United People's Coalition (UPC) Reginald Zaandam withdrew his support of the Executive Council.
One day later, Lijfrock left the Progressive Labour Party (PLP) of Clyde van Putten. She decided to retain her seat in the Island Council as an independent member.
According to Island Councilman of the Democratic Party (DP) Koos Sneek, Lijfrock initiated the talks to form a new government.
The DP is the largest party in the Island Council holding two seats. The other seats are held by UPC, St. Eustatius Empowerment Party (STEP) and Lijfrock, holding one seat each.
Previous talks between UPC and DP to form a new government led to nothing.
PLP Commissioner Clyde van Putten is the biggest loser in the crisis within the Executive Council. With Lijfrock leaving the party, the PLP no longer holds a seat in the Island Council.
The current UPC/PLP/STEP coalition held a small majority of three seats, but lost this majority after Zaandam withdrew his support.
Van Putten feels he has been the victim of a "political complot" by his colleague Zaandam. "I worked very hard for the past ten months. It has been too much a Clyde van Putten show and that is sensitive material in politics," the PLP leader told Radio Netherlands in an interview.
"As Commissioner I can no longer be an Island Council member. That is why, after the election, I gave my seat to the number-two of the list, Mrs. Lijfrock. I had the most preferential votes, but I am sidelined now and that's a shame," Van Putten said.
The DP seems to be become the big winner of the government crisis. The DP was forced into opposition by the three other parties after the March 2011, election when they joined forces in the so-called "Coalition of Hope" to break DP's power.
