Kralendijk- Elvis Tjin Asjoe, leader of the MPB party, says that he is not against the anchoring of the current Public Entity status in the Dutch Constitution. According to Tjin Asjoe, it is not per definition negative if some things are organized differently from the European part of Holland, as long as it is based on the idea of ‘equality’. Also, says Tjin Asjoe, it is important to note that in the time since the new constitutional status was implemented, more has been achieved in a relatively short time compared to a much longer time forming part of the country Netherlands Antilles.

According to Tjin Asjoe, there are many things which have improved for the island, on the basis of equality. “The (Dutch) government has made major investments in healthcare, education and various other facilities in Bonaire for which they are directly responsible and which fall under the RCN”, according to Tjin Asjoe.

“Very regrettable is the fact that the Dutch government has not applied this same principle to the social area until now. If the Ministry of Social Affairs had the same level of ambition as the ministries of education and public health, the poverty on the island had long been addressed”, according to the leader of the blue party.

“To date, the Netherlands has not lived up to the hard commitment that the social benefits on the island should be brought to an acceptable level within the Dutch Kingdom. Unemployment benefits (onderstand) and the AOV are too low to live and child allowance was only introduced 5 years after 10-10-10 and is not a very generous arrangement”, according to Tjin Asjoe.

The MPB Party leader expressed hope that all on Bonaire will work together to be unified in the demands Bonaire is making towards Holland. Strangely enough, Sint Eustatius and Saba are not mentioned once by Tjin Asjoe, in his plea for cooperation and “togetherness”. In his message, sent out on May 7, he only refers to Bonaire and does not specifically refer to the other two islands which are in the exact same situation as Bonaire is.