WILLEMSTAD - For years, Curacao has been working to find a strategic partner for the Isla refinery. In 2013, the then government established the MDPT that was to look for potential strategic partners. That did not work out, the MDPT is now defunct.

The public company RDK has taken over the task of that team and Clift Christiaan is the head of the project. It seemed to be going very well. The negotiations with Motiva Enterprises were so far advanced that a memorandum of understanding would be signed within a few days. But for unclear reasons the American company in the hands of Saudi Arabia withdrew.

The tensions are high on Curacao, because many thousands depend on the refinery for their daily bread. In the meantime, a special meeting of the faction leaders has been requested about the recent developments, according to PAR faction leader Annemaria Pauletta.

She hopes that politics will not be played and that everybody will reason together as adults in search for something better for the country. The Member of Parliament also knows that Clift Christiaan is discredited by the trade unions. The people's representative does not have any opinion about whether Christiaan should stay in the negotiating team or not.

It all depends on the proofs presented by the unions. But nothing has been presented yet, said the PAR MP.