Sint Eustatius – De leden van de Eilandsraad en de regeringscommissarissen hebben overeenstemming bereikt over hoe zij hun samenwerking kunnen verbeteren. Daarmee zit het werk er voor de mediators en oud-premiers Liberia-Peters en Camelia-Römer erop.
De partijen hebben criteria vastgelegd voor de verdere ontwikkeling van Sint Eustatia. Ook is een routekaart voor het herstel van de lokale democratie. Alleen over het tempo verschillen de standpunten: de Eilandsraad wil dat binnen 6 maanden, regeringscommissarissen Francis en Toet denken dat er meer tijd nodig is.
Persbericht openbaar lichaam Sint Eustatius
Prime Ministers of the former Netherlands Antilles, Maria Liberia-Peters and mr. Suzy Camelia-Römer held meetings in St. Eustatius in March this year with all individual members of the Council, the individual Government Commissioners and the civil servants involved, upon request by the Island Council and the Government Commissioners Alida Francis and Claudia Toet. The mediation team was supported by Alba Martijn, lawyer and former Ombudsman of Curaçao. Regular meetings with the Island Council and the Government Commissioners have taken place in a pleasant atmosphere, in which all the above-mentioned persons have contributed to the success of the mediation. The cooperation on St. Eustatius between the Island Council and the Government Commissioners can be looked at with positivism and confidence.
The request for mediation was made after the motion of the Island Council, dated December 23rd, 2021, to which the Government Commissioners have agreed. The purpose of the mediation was to get the parties back in conversation with each other.
In the meantime, it can be reported that the process has been successfully closed on May 19th, 2022. The parties are talking to each other again, with the mediation being used simultaneously to reach agreement on several important matters. For example, agreement has been reached between the Island Council and the Government Commissioners on the twelve criteria for the further development of St Eustatius. The trajectory for completing the Rules of Procedure has also been established. Furthermore, the Island Council – above party politics in the interest of St. Eustatius – unanimously took a position with regards to the trajectory for the restoration of democracy by means of a Route timetable (which are: agreements set out in phases and times). The Government Commissioners share the opinion of the Island Council regarding the restoration of democracy, except for the time when the restoration of the powers relating to public finances should take place. The Government Commissioners consider that a slightly longer timeframe of 6 additional months is needed to complete the activities in this area.
The Island Council members and the Government Commissioners have jointly concluded that the mediation process has been successful by unanimous council decision of today, May 19th, 2022. The Council Decision of May 19th, 2022 has been submitted to the State Secretary of Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relation. Parties thank the mediators and the expert support for their selfless efforts during the past three months.