ORANJESTAD - Unofficial sources report the cancellation of the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IpKo) scheduled to take place on Aruba in two weeks. The reasons for the decision have not been officially disclosed by the IpKo presidium, comprised of delegation leaders from the four countries.
The semi-annual meeting, bringing together parliamentarians from Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten, and the Netherlands, was initially slated for February 20 to 23 in Oranjestad. This date had already been postponed due to the January 11 parliamentary elections in Sint Maarten. Now, it appears the consultation will not take place at all, and clarification from the presidium is awaited.
However, members of the parliamentary chambers won't entirely miss each other. The newly appointed Senate Committee for Kingdom Relations, inaugurated in June last year, will embark on an introductory visit to the CAS countries and the BES islands from February 9 to 19. As the delegations from the Parliaments of Curaçao, Aruba, and Sint Maarten had already scheduled a meeting on February 17 and 18 to prepare for the IpKo, it has been decided to hold a joint consultation with the Senate members. This format will be repeated when the new Second Chamber Committee for Kingdom Relations conducts a reconnaissance tour of all the islands in May.
The next official IpKo is scheduled to take place – weather permitting – in June in The Hague.