Firm conditions for debt restructuring
Thursday, February 16, 2006
CURACAO – The Upper and Lower House state inextricable conditions for the next Round Table Conference. Both parliaments are willing to come to a form of debt restructuring, only when further interpretation is given to crucial tasks like maintenance of law and order, effective financial supervision, and sound government in the Statute. A well supported motion with this implication was proposed in the Upper House last night and two Lower House motions will follow tonight, when the members will meet to discuss the closing statement of the Start Round Table Conference (Start-RTC).
One of the motions has more or less the same implication of the Upper House motion, but it goes one step further. Before March 15th, the government has to indicate which are the tasks of the Realm in the new situation; what will the interpretation be for realm-island; and prove that the ‘national government’ status for St. Maarten is ‘desirable and sound’. Minister Alexander Pechtold of Kingdom Relations (D66) must also indicate how the collaborations should be, and which regulations have to be adjusted. The motion has a majority of the VVD, CDA, LPF, and SGP and will pass. Ruud Luchtenveld (VVD): “The precondition for a new political structure is that it is efficient and workable, but must also offer guarantee for an adequate persuasion of government duties and maintenance of law and order. It should also be clear that the Netherlands does not assume the debts of the Antilles.” He says that refinancing under the declining of the authority to take out new debts can be considered.
He furthermore announced that he will propose a motion in which the government is requested to also discuss the admittance regulations for underprivileged Antillean young persons in the coming RTC. This motion has no majority yet, but is supported by the LPF and Luchtenveld hopes to get more support during the debate. After all, many Dutch cities are being faced with the ‘consequences of underprivileged young persons that come to the Netherlands’ and the motion Sterk was therefore already passed in the Lower House in December 2004. “Besides, the Antilleans’ share in the criminality statistics is very high.”
During the handling of chapter IV (Kingdom Relations) of the budget, minister Pechtold had a lot to endure last night in the normally quiet Senate. The Netherlands is way too nice, said the D66-party. “The Dutch cabinet has to take charge more aggressively and rule crystal clear and unambiguous. Up till now, the cabinet has been diplomatically very sensitive and especially was keeping good relationships. That strategy does not work.”
The debate that started at 13:30 lasted till 01:30 after midnight. “This is the first time that there was a fundamental discussion about the Realm in the Upper House”, said Egbert Schuurman (ChristenUnie), who proposed the motion. The Dutch government is indeed busy with the political changes in a controlling and procedural manner, but has not made it clear to the parliamentarians what her own opinion is. What is the Kingdom, what does it mean for the Statute? We have asked the government not to reassess or renew the Statute, but to come up with a completely new Statute that is adjusted to the demands of this era.”
Thursday, February 16, 2006
CURACAO – The Upper and Lower House state inextricable conditions for the next Round Table Conference. Both parliaments are willing to come to a form of debt restructuring, only when further interpretation is given to crucial tasks like maintenance of law and order, effective financial supervision, and sound government in the Statute. A well supported motion with this implication was proposed in the Upper House last night and two Lower House motions will follow tonight, when the members will meet to discuss the closing statement of the Start Round Table Conference (Start-RTC).
One of the motions has more or less the same implication of the Upper House motion, but it goes one step further. Before March 15th, the government has to indicate which are the tasks of the Realm in the new situation; what will the interpretation be for realm-island; and prove that the ‘national government’ status for St. Maarten is ‘desirable and sound’. Minister Alexander Pechtold of Kingdom Relations (D66) must also indicate how the collaborations should be, and which regulations have to be adjusted. The motion has a majority of the VVD, CDA, LPF, and SGP and will pass. Ruud Luchtenveld (VVD): “The precondition for a new political structure is that it is efficient and workable, but must also offer guarantee for an adequate persuasion of government duties and maintenance of law and order. It should also be clear that the Netherlands does not assume the debts of the Antilles.” He says that refinancing under the declining of the authority to take out new debts can be considered.
He furthermore announced that he will propose a motion in which the government is requested to also discuss the admittance regulations for underprivileged Antillean young persons in the coming RTC. This motion has no majority yet, but is supported by the LPF and Luchtenveld hopes to get more support during the debate. After all, many Dutch cities are being faced with the ‘consequences of underprivileged young persons that come to the Netherlands’ and the motion Sterk was therefore already passed in the Lower House in December 2004. “Besides, the Antilleans’ share in the criminality statistics is very high.”
During the handling of chapter IV (Kingdom Relations) of the budget, minister Pechtold had a lot to endure last night in the normally quiet Senate. The Netherlands is way too nice, said the D66-party. “The Dutch cabinet has to take charge more aggressively and rule crystal clear and unambiguous. Up till now, the cabinet has been diplomatically very sensitive and especially was keeping good relationships. That strategy does not work.”
The debate that started at 13:30 lasted till 01:30 after midnight. “This is the first time that there was a fundamental discussion about the Realm in the Upper House”, said Egbert Schuurman (ChristenUnie), who proposed the motion. The Dutch government is indeed busy with the political changes in a controlling and procedural manner, but has not made it clear to the parliamentarians what her own opinion is. What is the Kingdom, what does it mean for the Statute? We have asked the government not to reassess or renew the Statute, but to come up with a completely new Statute that is adjusted to the demands of this era.”
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