The Hague: --- An overwhelming majority in Dutch Second Chamber voted in favor of the ten Consensus Kingdom Laws, the amendments to the Kingdom Charter, and the Police Law paving the way for the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles as well as early elections for Curacao, St. Maarten, and the BES islands. While the Consensus Kingdom laws for the BES islands are not yet handled State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Ank Bijleveld-Schouten said she was sure they were going to make it through to the Second Chamber.
Thursday has been dubbed as an historic day for St. Maarten and Curacao says leader of Government William Marlin. Marlin said the struggle to achieve country status for St. Maarten has been long and hard but the hard work paid off well.
The island leader said many times those working on the constitutional change felt that St. Maarten would not make it to the end but they all stayed optimistic and kept on fighting. While the celebration can begin the islands, Curacao and St. Maarten have not yet explained that several laws still have to be approved by the Island Councils and Antillean Parliament while the real governmental apparatus has to be built.
Marlin and his delegation are expected back on St. Maarten over the weekend and they are expected to meet in Curacao next week Wednesday, to continue with the Kingdom talks.
Some time in June a political steering group meeting will take place to decide on how to deal with the tasks that the two new countries will not be able to handle.