THE HAGUE – The Netherlands takes over the tasks of the island-government in Statia, State Secretary Raymond Knops (Kingdom Relations) announced on Monday. The island council will be dismantled and the commissioners and the acting lt. governor will be fired. A government commissioner will take over all governing functions on a temporary basis.
Both the Volkskrant and Caribisch Netwerk report about the far-reaching measure.
Knops took the decision in reaction to a report of a committee of wise men his predecessor Ronald Plasterk established in May of last year. Knops sent the legislation that underpins his decision to the Dutch parliament.
Parliamentarians received a technical briefing about the measure on Monday. The committee worked confidentially on its report during the past couple of months. Parliament will vote on the legislation on Tuesday. The Council of State has already approved the draft.
The committee that consists of Aruba’s former governor Refunjol and Council of State member Franssen found in Statia “grove neglect of duty” by the government. they also found “disregard for the law and financial mismanagement.” According to Knops all this goes at the expense of citizens and companies.
Caribisch Netwerk reports that the committee encountered nepotism, threats, power lust, discrimination and intimidation. “Not a single administration on the island is up to par and the island is neglected in the physical sense.”
“Because other measures have not changed the ways of the government, there was only one option left: administrative intervention. It is the most a serious measure, but because all else has failed this is the only remaining option. The people in Statia deserve better.”
According to Caribisch Netwerk, the committee spoke with citizens, entrepreneurs and civil servants. “All interviewees, with a few exceptions, are of the opinion that the current problems can only be solved through Dutch intervention,” the report states.
It also notes that the Netherlands has been at fault: “Many promises have not been kept and the facilities on the island have deteriorated due to the cumbersome relationship between The Hague and the local government.”
Knops travels to Statia this week to explain the measure to the population. Statia has 3,100 inhabitants.
The concerns about Statia are not new. Parliamentarian André Bosman: “We were in a continuous fight with Statia. It was very frustrating to see how the government attempted to create its own position of power.”
Bosman says that the committee’s report is ‘excellent’ and that Knops intervention is ‘sensible.’
The government commissioner, who has not been appointed yet, will take over all the tasks of the island government. this situation will continue until Statia is capable again of executing its task properly. Only then will there be elections for a new island council and for a new government taking office.
The government commissioner could theoretically stay until 2021 in Statia.
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