Oranjestad- Clyde van Putten (PLP) says that he wants no more so-called ‘Closed-door’ meetings of the Island Council where matters are treated which are of importance to the whole community. Van Putten stated his position in a letter sent to Government Commissioners Francis and Toet on September 15th.

Van Putten said he strongly protested the nature of closed door meetings regarding the path to restoration of democracy on Sint Eustatius. The Councilman points to the fact that the rules of order of the Island Council  Paragraph 5, article 37, sub 2, b, states that “The island council decides whether a meeting will be held with closed doors.”

Importance

Van Putten said that he considered the meetings of ‘extreme importance’ in the context of the public interest. Against this backdrop the councilman calls on the Dutch-appointed administrators to ensure that all meetings related to the above mentioned be held in the public domain, be it in the setting of a public meeting of the Island council or a public meeting of the central committee.