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Developments and letters

August - October 2019

On August 7, 2019, koninkrijksrelaties.nu publishes the news that the DP of Sint Eustatius is urging the State Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations to quickly restore local democracy. Here is the article in PDF-format and in English.

On 10 August 2019, I will address my response to the DP letter to the House of Representatives' Committee on Kingdom Relations.

On 25 August 2019, I sent a letter to the House of Representatives containing three points:

  1. connectivity (air connections)
  2. transparency of management (example of how it can be done: council information letter on Bonaire)
  3. restoration of democracy on Saint Eustatius (whether or not local elections).

On 1 September 2019, I will send a small supplement to my earlier letter of 25 August. This is in preparation for the meeting of the Royal Relative Commission on 11 September 2019.

Also on 1 September 2019 I will send a letter to the Education, Culture and Science Committee about the very slow introduction of legislation and regulations in the context of the introduction of CXC on St. Eustatius. This is also listed here.

On 23 September 2019 there will be a townhall meeting in Lions Den in which State Secretary of the Interior, Mr. Knops, explains the state of affairs on the island. He also announces that local elections will be held on 21 October 2020. A short conversation with him I confirm with an email to him.

The townhall meeting was well prepared: the letter from the State Secretary to the Lower House about the progress and the state of affairs on St. Eustatius was already ready and was sent shortly after the meeting.

On Saturday 26 October 2019 I will send a letter to the Committee on Kingdom Relations with an update of the developments. I am reflecting on the townhall meeting of 23 September 2019 and on my letter on this subject to the State Secretary, who is still unanswered after the period in which the answer was promised.