MP York presses Minister on CBCS advices: “Why can outsiders see what MPs can’t?”

GREAT BAY--MP Darryl York today pressed the Minister of Finance during the continuation of Parliament’s public meeting on issues surrounding the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten (CBCS), arguing that Parliament is being placed in an unacceptable position of conducting the people's business without access to the very documents that underpinned a highly public and controversial nomination. "Basically we can't see anything but Tom, Dick and Harry from the road can get that information," MP York said.

York’s remarks centered on the Minister’s position that it would be against the law to provide Parliament with the documents it requested, specifically the Council of Ministers (COM) approved advices that were the foundation of the conditional nomination of a candidate for the open position of chairperson of the CBCS Supervisory Board. The nominee has since withdrawn his name and the COM has withdrawn the nomination, but York said that the controversy and public questions have not disappeared, particularly because Parliament remains unable to verify the factual basis for the process.

York told Parliament that the Minister’s repeated clarifications have created more confusion rather than less. He noted that this matter has been living since September 2024, yet with each round of explanations he believes the description of how the Minister arrived at the nominee has shifted, including the language used to describe who was consulted.

York recalled that in the first meeting the Minister explained the selection process in a particular way, including reference to a “committee,” and that later explanations appeared to move away from that description. He said the terminology used has changed from a committee to people “of the same mind field,” then to “trusted confidence,” and most recently, the word “advisors.”

York said his concern intensified when he asked for clarity and the Minister indicated that these advisors were not employed by government or by the Minister’s cabinet. York said this raised serious questions about how sensitive state decision-making could involve non-government actors, while elected representatives are told they cannot access the underlying documentation.

At the core of York’s point was what he described as unequal access to information. He said the Minister has provided explanations as to why Parliament cannot receive documentation, including that disclosure could be detrimental to the country or could infringe privacy, but he questioned how that standard is being applied and to whom.

MP York argued that if disclosure is truly prohibited, the restriction should apply consistently. In his view, it is difficult to reconcile a position where Parliament is told it is unlawful to receive COM approved advices and other documents tied to a nomination, while private advisors, described as having no formal employment or official relationship with government, could still be consulted on the same matter.

York further questioned why, in his view, the former nominee could obtain certain information requested from cabinet for use in legal proceedings against anther MP, while Parliament continues to be denied access to relevant information. He said the use of confidentiality as a shield against Parliament, while information appears to circulate elsewhere, undermines transparency and erodes confidence in the integrity of the process.

York also highlighted that Parliament has been waiting for more than six months on an issue raised previously, a commitment from the President of Parliament that Parliament would take up with the Council of Ministers how confidential documents could be shared with Parliament in an appropriate manner. He said no update has been received and asked the President of Parliament directly for an update on what has been done and what mechanism, if any, is being put in place so Parliament can function effectively when confidentiality is cited. The public has already made several posts online that the Chair of Parliament makes certain statements simply in an effort to move meetings along.

MP York raised concerns about the timeline surrounding the nomination and said the answers given so far do not align with statements that have been made publicly. He referenced a claim that the nominee was offered the position as early as January or February 2024, while the Minister has stated she had to engage in internal government discussions months later, including a conversation in June 2024 about securing the chairmanship.

York said he could not reconcile how an offer could have been made earlier in the year if key discussions were still ongoing months later. He noted that he is comparing the Minister’s explanations across multiple meetings and still cannot construct a coherent sequence of events. York also suggested that public information on the matter is accessible and could be requested, and that statements were made in a radio interview that the Minister had suggested the former nominee participate in. York said he expected a higher level of clarity from government given how public the matter became.

MP York closed by expressing frustration over the length of time it has taken to address the issue through parliamentary meetings. He noted the matter has been pending since September 2024 and questioned why it took four to five months for Parliament to arrive at the current stage of discussion, particularly where decisions at issue relate to actions taken by the Minister and not by other entities.

He specifically warned about “longating” meetings. This concept ties into a familiar political tactic where parliamentary sittings are stretched so long that MPs become worn down and key questions stop being asked.

He urged that in 2026, issues that can be addressed within one or two weeks should not be extended for months, warning that delays create confusion for the public and risk feeding perceptions that matters are being dragged out until public attention fades. York said that when the public watches Parliament in January still unpacking an issue from the previous year, many will question why the system moves so slowly.

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