THE HAGUE - Members of the Dutch Parliament Raoul White of the GroenLinks-PvdA party and Jan Paternotte of the D66 party are jointly taking the lead in convincing other factions to address the so-called democratic deficit. "Of course, we are doing this in good cooperation with the countries," said White, referring to the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom.
The democratic deficit was glaringly evident last week during the parliamentary debate on the tax treaty that Curaçao wants to establish with Malta. Although the treaty complies with strict international standards, according to Minister Bruins Slot of Foreign Affairs and State Secretary Van Rij of Finance, the prospective coalition partners NSC and VVD are not willing to agree to ratification without a fight. The Parliament of Curaçao will have to watch as the Dutch Parliament decides on their treaty on Tuesday.
During the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IpKo), the democratic deficit has been extensively discussed. This has been happening year after year without any change. The recommendations made by the Brooks Commission in 2009 at the request of the IpKo have never been followed up. "There is no need for more study or discussion, political will is needed," Sint Maarten’s Parliament President Sarah Wescot-Williams told the IpKo delegations.