Oranjestad, St. Eustatius- Leader of the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) in St. Eustatius calls on State Secretary Raymond Knops (BZK) to reconsider the extension of the ‘emergency law’ on the island.

“This law is illegal, immoral, and deceptive and is a flagrant attack on the democratic rights of the people of St. Eustatius”, said van Putten.

The PLP-leader also stated that the motive and reason given two years ago to justify the hostile takeover of the government were proven wrong. “To this date the Dutch could not find any evidence whatsoever to substantiate their false and baseless accusation”. Van Putten said that

Van Putten is of the opinion The PLP leader said that from the onset, we know that the accusations brought against ‘his’ government were ‘false in nature and a gross attempt to thwart the democratic will of the people’, who had elected the PLP in 2015 to manage the affairs of government.

You can’t be promoting democracy abroad and suppressing it in one of your constitutional entities -Clyde Van Putten

Dialogue

Van Putten said that from the onset, the government of st. Eustatius sought dialogue with Dutch government in an effort to address the precarious financial state of the island which we inherited in March of 2015. However, despite all our efforts there were no cooperation whatsoever on the part of The Hague. One of the major accusations used against the government was the neglect of task.

“Two years later, with the Dutch in control of the government, the people are totally disappointed, because the change that was promised is not forth coming. What we have seen instead is more regulations and laws thus cementing the Dutch agenda; the hostile revamping of the civil service with imported Dutch European civil servants taking the leading role in all departments and agencies of the government”, according to Van Putten.

The PLP-leader said that nepotism is more evident that anytime in the history of the island government; as friends and political cronies are appointed in different positions and offered lucrative contracts.

Crying

The PLP leader warned Statians that they are fast becoming second class citizens in their own country. “They are likely to lose what their forefathers have toiled for through sweat and tears”. He further emphasized that it was rather interested to note, that those who falsely accused the then government of all sort of wrong-doing were the same ones who were now ‘crying the loudest and speaking against the very Dutch and their failures to deliver on the many promises that were made’.

He said that there is little to show since the Dutch has occupied the island. The few projects that were carried since the takeover are projects that were approved with the relevant financing and ready to be executed. Van Putten said it was remarkable to see that there are locals who are busy collaborating with the appointed rulers to destroy their very own and allowing the Dutch to take over the fabric of our island, its values and culture.

Call on Dutch Parliament

The PLP-leader said he was calling on the Dutch parliament to take a second look at the law proposal, abandon it and begins immediate dialogue with all stakeholders on the island in an effort to restore full democracy.