WILLEMSTAD — The members of the Curaçao Island Council want to give a unanimous, disapproving signal to the Netherlands with regard to the Statute Law passenger travel, which is being drawn up as reported.
Up to the one-hour adjournment, of around quarter to one in the afternoon, the Council steered a course for a wall to wall-standpoint, even though the opposition and the coalition each had announced their own motion.
Amongst themselves, the council-members appeared to have a lot to discuss with one another, and at the top of their voices. Gregory Damoen (FK) indicated during his turn, that he required more minutes as he has been hindered quite a bit by members who were ‘actually his colleagues, but are very disturbing today’.
As Lizanne Dindial was on St. Eustatius for the regular Lieutenant Governors’ consultation, Chairman Leonard Coffi kindly requested the Council to lower the volume. For a few minutes, the noise abruptly subsided, but increased to such a volume again that after an hour Coffi repeated his request to lower the volume in a more boldly manner ‘as we cannot hear what Reverend member Royer is saying’.
Apartheid
Gerrit Schotte (MAN), who went first, stated that the national law apartheid is introducing apartheid in the Kingdom. He also criticized Premier Emily de Jongh-Elhage who had previously declared that this law ‘had been brushed aside’ while evidently it was being dealt with ‘silently behind closed doors’ and now turns up with an Explanatory Memorandum and the like. If this national law goes through, then the Dutch language would be the only one spoken here in about five years and only upsy-daisy music will be heard during the carnival parade through the Roodeweg, according to Schotte.
Advantages
Dennis Jackson contended that the national law also has advantages or offers protection for the Caribbean overseas territories. For example, the possibility to introduce a system of housing- and residence-permits limits the risk of too large a flow of European Dutch citizens to the islands.
Gimena van der Gen (PNP) stated that a fine presentation or articulation of this national law does not alter the fact that it is unacceptable. "Of course it is now presented in fancy wording after previous rough strategies foundered with the same objective", says Van der Gen.
She indicated that she could not imagine that the entire Netherlands with its vast judicial system has a difficulty dealing with a few hundred criminal youngsters at the most, that have ended up there from the Antilles.
"It is not correct to stigmatize an entire group because of the deviant behavior of a few. An overseas territory should also be capable of solving a problem if this occurs on its domain and not thrust this on other overseas territories. However, we could work towards a solution together", Van der Gen remarked.
The meeting had not resumed upon closure of this newspaper.
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