The Independence For St. Martin Foundation has taken good note of recent statements by members of the Dutch Second Chamber, Bosman (VVD) and Van Raak (SP) regarding their intention to approach the United Nations in order to facilitate the exit of Curacao, Aruba and St. Maarten from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The Foundation sees this as a welcome development and agrees with the position of both Dutch legislators that the current constitutional arrangement within the Kingdom is not final.
The Foundation referred to a report in the Antillianse Daagblad of July 12, 2017 in which Bosman was quoted as saying we are only halfway with the decolonization process. “The Kingdom Charter is not final but an intermediate solution to be seen as a transfer phase. The Netherlands is obligated by the UN charter to develop a system of self government which would lead the countries into full independence,” the publication claimed Bosman stated.
“This has been our position since we were established in 1994,” the Independence for St. Martin Foundation said.
The Foundation further expressed the hope that the Dutch government’s promise to take the “pulse” of the people of St. Martin would not mean just talking to a few politicians and public office holders but actually “finding out the wishes of the people of St. Martin via a constitutional referendum.”
The Independence for St. Martin Foundation recalled that it has been pushing for a referendum on independence for St. Martin for the last three years, arguing that the last constitutional referendum in the territory was held 17 years ago.
‘We have met on several occasions with the Parliament of St. Martin which has the constitutional authority to convene a new referendum, and remain confident that Parliament will do so as soon as possible,” the Foundation stated.
The Independence for St. Martin Foundation said it is ready and willing to work with Bosman, Van Raak and all people of good will, both here on St. Martin and in the wider Dutch Kingdom and beyond, to achieve the goal of full political independence for St. Martin in a responsible and democratic way.