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July 11, 2008
bron The Daily Herald
State Secretary of Kingdom Relations Ank Bijleveld-Schouten has reassured the
people of Saba about the changes that will take place once the island attains the
status of Dutch public entity. Her reassurance was given during a town hall meeting
in the auditorium of Saba Medical University on Tuesday morning. The purpose of the
meeting was to give citizens of the island an opportunity to ask questions about the
constitutional change process. It was the first of three scheduled meetings on the
BES islands Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba.
The three islands have been negotiating
with the Dutch Government for attainment of a status similar to that of a Dutch
municipality. The process of constitutional change of the Netherlands Antilles is
still in full swing, but this did not keep approximately 200 Sabans from attending
the meeting and wanting to hear from the State Secretary what they could expect. In
broad lines, Bijleveld- Schouten made clear that the euro would not be implemented,
for the time being, while there would be more emphasis on Dutch language education
on the island. However, particularly improvement of the Police Force, public health
sector, education and social security will be looked at. Saba has had enough of the
Central Government which, according to Commissioner Chris Johnson, did not pay
enough attention to the island. The people present at the meeting were concerned
about many things, including not having 24-hour police service. The general belief
was that the reason for not having 24-hour police service was that the Central
Government had never paid enough attention to the island.
The State Secretary
answered all questions posed to her and the meeting was very cordial. The people
applauded when she said there was no room for discrimination in Saba. There was also
applause when she said Sabans could vote in the Dutch Parliamentary elections. She
further promised that she would soon return to answer any other questions people
might have. She urged the people of Saba to start making use of the opportunities
the Netherlands offered.
The tone of the Town Hall meeting in St. Eustatius, which
took place in the Lion's Den on Tuesday afternoon, was less positive. Despite the
negative tone, the State Secretary said after the second meeting that she
appreciated the criticism received about the constitutional change process. "It's
good that the people express their grievances. We can take them into account," she
said. The atmosphere in which the State Secretary had to answer questions was "difficult." Also a lot fewer people, 50 in St. Eustatius compared to 200 in Saba,
attended the meeting. There also Bijleveld-Schouten had to answer several questions
regarding the Police Force, expensive connections between St. Eustatius and St.
Maarten, regulations pertaining to levying of taxes, and pensions when St. Eustatius
will no longer be part of the Netherlands Antilles. She was criticised for
emphasising Dutch language education on the island. One citizen asked the State
Secretary why the European Dutch could not obtain their drivers' licences in St.
Eustatius again in the future. "Driver's licence tourism" was a major source of
income for the island in the 1990s. The people were also concerned about the
continued existence of the typical local culture and that the Dutch would impose
"their way of life" on the island. Also that St. Eustatius in the referendum had
chosen to remain in the Antilles, but would become a public Dutch entity has been
seen as the Dutch forcing their laws on the island.
According to Bijleveld-
Schouten, the criticisms voiced by the citizens of St. Eustatius concerned the local
government communication problems. "Otherwise, the people needed information," she
said. Bijleveld-Schouten met with the people of Bonaire on Thursday. About 600
people attended that meeting. She was requested to look into the possibility of
preventing Dutch infl uence becoming too strong on the island. Other critical
questions posed were about protecting Bonaire's norms, standards and culture. The
State Secretary reassured the people: "We are not planning to change the culture."
She said it would be important for Dutch civil servants coming to the island to
understand the island. The people were overjoyed at her reassurance that for the
time being Dutch laws on euthanasia, abortion, gay marriages and drugs would not be
applicable on the BES islands.
The same happened when she stated that it would not
be "probable" that the "expensive" euro would be introduced on the islands, because
it would have a negative impact on their competitive position in the region.
Third BES-week very fruitful over Naf. 135M for islands; Johnson tells Saba Island
Council
bron The Daily Herald 110708
SABA--The Island Council of Saba has ratified the "decision list" of the third BES
week that was agreed on in the Netherlands on June 18. During the public debate in
the Island Council last week Tuesday, Commissioner of Constitutional Affairs Chris
Johnson gave a detailed rundown of the recently concluded talks in the Netherlands
during which the BES delegations visited several ministries and exchanged ideas on
several issues pertaining to the BES islands and ways in which the Dutch Government
was willing to assist the islands in achieving their new status.
Johnson said the
discussions had been very fruitful for the islands. "I was very impressed with the
discussions and at the end of the day I must say that the Dutch government has lived
up to the commitments that were made," he told the meeting. He said that at the end
of the day, the delegations believed that they had accomplished their goals "and as
BES islands we have returned back home very optimistic." "The Dutch Government has
agreed to assist the islands and they have agreed to even pay off our debts for 2006
and 2007. For the coming two years we will be receiving extra monies in order for us
to start carrying out several things in the areas of education, health care, youth
and family care and safety. When we count it all up the islands will be receiving
over NAf. 135 million," Johnson explained. He continued: "All in all, I am very
optimistic with the results that we have achieved at the third BES week and it is
now left up to the islands to become proactive. I am encouraged by the commitments
and Holland has now shown that they are our true allies." He said the Dutch
Government had also agreed to establish an offi ce on each of the three BES islands
immediately after the Round Table Conference scheduled to be held on December 15. He
said that with the establishment of the offi ces on BES islands "we will be able to
achieve much for the islands. At least we will have a direct link within the Dutch
Government."
Johnson also informed the council that the decision list was being
translated into English, Spanish and Papiamentu and that as soon as he received them
he would be distributing them throughout the community, because every citizen should
have a copy of the document detailing what had been achieved in the Netherlands. The
motion which was tabled by Johnson calling for the adoption of the decision list was
approved, with all three members of the council who were in attendance voting for
it. Island Council members Bruce Zagers and Akilah Levenstone were absent with
notice.
Members of the Saba delegation who attended the third BES week were Johnson,
Levenstone, Island Secretary Menno van der Velde and advisor to the Executive
Council Will Johnson.
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