The recent 21,5% low turnout for the Dutch elections on Bonaire is a clear wake-up call to the politicians from Bonaire. The people refused to give up and to give in to the pressure put on them by the local politicians from MPB, DP, UPB and M21 to go vote. The people’s heroic stance shows a renewed determination to continue the fight against the perceived oppression by the Second Chamber in The Hague since 2010. Also protecting the 2015 referendum in order to put Bonaire on the protective list of the United Nations. It sends a message louder than any campaign slogan or press release: the people are against the imposed rule by the Dutch Parliament.
This wake-up call has several layers. The low turnout shows many Bonairians feel disconnected from both local and Dutch politics — they no longer believe their vote will bring real change. For many, not voting has become a silent act of protest.
Local leaders: a clear hypocrisy exposed -There is also a flagrant contradiction in local politics. Weeks before the elections, Bonairean politicians went to Aruba, Curacao, St Maarten, and condemned The Hague for taking major decisions without consulting the island. Yet during the elections, those same politicians urged people — loudly and aggressively — to vote for the very Dutch parties and politicians they had just condemned. This only deepened the division among the Bonaire people and exposed a hypocritical, unprincipled leadership. The low voter turnout is not apathy — it is a message. It is a rejection of the current political system, culture, and leadership. The People are calling for honesty, accountability, and real representation. This is a wake-up call for every leader on Bonaire to reflect, reconnect, and rebuild trust.
2012 – 2025: The Boycott as Organized Resistance - Since 2012, James Finies has urged Bonairians to abstain from Dutch parliamentary elections, arguing that participation only legitimizes an imposed political status — not a true democratic choice. (https://youtu.be/OzyJXdUp-N0?si=KzvEETIc_sVKHMvF) He organized anti-Second Chamber campaigns in 2012, 2017 and 2021, offering protest-voting options with citizens’ own Dutch voting cards. These actions helped keep turnout in the low 20’s % for more than a decade. (https://youtu.be/Kv_uVChdp00?si=0_BhdcobBPoAbtgR)
Since 10-10-10, Bonaire’s status as a “public entity” has reduced local autonomy and subordinated the island to unilateral decisions from The Hague. Finies argues that by voting, Bonairians would imply consent to this structure, and therefore weaken their claim to self-determination. His call — “throw away voting pass” / “don’t vote” — was framed as a political protest, not disengagement.
Over time, turnout trends suggest many people became conscious. Abstention became a deliberate act of resistance — not passive apathy — but a refusal to legitimize a political arrangement imposed without consent.
The media is not reporting the real story - Press coverage — especially in the Dutch media — with headlines claiming that Party X or Party Y “won on Bonaire” does not reflect the reality on the ground. With such low participation, it is misleading to claim that any party won the support of the people of Bonaire. Many intentionally chose not to participate as a silent protest. Bonairians deliberately stayed away from the polls — rejecting all political parties and once again rejecting the system imposed on them to be governed by the Dutch Parliament in The Hague.
The Real Winner: The People of Bonaire -The real winner was the people of Bonaire, who demonstrated resilience and resistance. They withstood continuous pressure, manipulative campaigns, debates, and repeated urgings to vote — from their own government and political leaders in Bonaire and those in Holland, mainstream and social media figures, family and friends acting as surrogates, religious authorities, private-sector leaders, and even the governor, who was used as a political instrument against the people of Bonaire.