Van Putten (PLP): no cooperation with Dutch interim-governor

PLP Party leaders Clyde van Putten, seen here during the celebration of Statia Day 2016, tells Holland the Statia Island Council will not cooperate with naming Dutch Governor once procedures not observed. Photo: The BES-Reporter

Oranjestad- Leader of the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) and island-councilman Clyde van Putten says that the Island Council of St. Eustatius will not cooperate with the appointment of a Dutch acting Lieutenant-Governor on the island. This is stated in a letter dated today, written by Van Putten to the minister of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations (BZK), Ronald Plasterk. Van Putten by means of his letter points out that there are procedures in place for the selection of the Lieutenant Governor and that these,so far, have not been observed by the Dutch Government.

Van Putten also writes to Plasterk that this is in fact the second time that procedures are not being followed. According to Van Putten acting Lieutenant-Governor Julian Woodley was also named by The Netherlands, without consulting Sint Eustatius first. Van Putten says that the way Holland is behaving is unheard of.

Van Putten says in the current selection a procedure was put in place to select a new Lieutenant-Governor, but that the process has not been completed. “The process to appoint a new lieutenant-governor, including the establishment and training of a so called “confidential committee” was unilaterally stopped by the Holland without as much as notifying the Island Council or the Committee members. Even if it is true that the selection has not yielded any qualified candidates, this should have been communicated in an open and transparent way to the committee and to the Island Council”, according to Van Putten in his letter to Plasterk.

“ln the meantime, you have decided based on vague, non-substantiated allegations of improper/unstable governance by the Government of St. Eustatius from your ministry and parliament, to appoint a European Dutch candidate with no affinity with the island whatsoever to function as acting Lieutenant Governor” according to the PLP-leader in his letter.

Van Putten says in his letter to Plasterk that he finds it remarkable that the island government has never been given the opportunity to defend itself against the unsubstantiated allegations. Van Putten ends his letter to Plasterk by stating that the Island Council will not cooperate with either the appointment or the functioning of a Dutch acting Lieutenant-Governor and that the PLP/Merkman coalition insists that the correct procedures be followed for the selection and appointment of the following Lieutenant-Governor.

A copy of the letter to Plasterk has been sent to the Executive Councils and Island Councils of Bonaire and Saba, the parliaments of Aruba, Sint Maarten and Curaçao and to the Dutch Second Chamber.