Kralendijk- Kingdom Representative Gilbert Isabella will be replaced by a new candidate in 2018. This much can be deducted from a letter Minister Ronald Plasterk from Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations has sent to the Dutch Second chamber today.

Some discussion had arisen over the tenure of Isaballe as it turned out that he had been named as Kingdom Representative for a total of 6 years, with the option to renew his contract for a second term of 6 years.

The term of 6 years led to raised eyebrows as it had previously been decided that new candidates to the position would only be named for 3 years, with the option for a one time renewal. There were some suggestions made that Plasterk had wanted to ‘help’ Isabella by naming him for a 6-year term as both belong to the same PVDA Labour Party.

In his letter Plasterk writes that ‘after careful deliberations’ it has been decided that Isabella will stay on till the end of 2017 which will help with an orderly transfer of his work to a successor.