Saba, Statia, Bonaire, wants support from St. Maarten, Aruba, Curacao

GREAT BAY--The Island Councils of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba will visit the parliaments of Curaçao, Aruba, and St. Maarten this week to request joint support in The Hague for “equal treatment and participation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.”

The initiative is prompted by the draft of the new WolBES law, which assigns the Kingdom Representative the role of watchdog for good governance. The BES islands, however, want to abolish the position, arguing that it “severely limits local autonomy and decision-making.”

Although the amendment is currently open for online consultation, allowing all parties to submit feedback, the island governments say they feel sidelined. “The voice of the islands is drowned out by the majority in the European Netherlands, where there is often little understanding of the unique situation of the islands,” the Island Council of Bonaire stated.

The Council emphasized that the purpose of the mission is to gain moral support from the other countries within the Kingdom and to present a united front on behalf of all six islands. “It is about us, but without us. That cannot and should not be done. The Island Council calls on both the people of Bonaire and partners within the Kingdom to show solidarity and stand together for a just and balanced position of the islands,” the statement concluded.

The delegation consists of five members of the Bonaire Island Council — Desiree Coffie, Rolanda Hellburg-Makaai, Daniel Crestian, Cyril Vrolijk, and Benito Dirksz — along with Bonaire’s Deputy of Constitutional Affairs Anthony Weber and St. Eustatius Council member Clyde van Putten. While the Island Council of Saba has opted not to travel, it will participate in the discussions digitally.

The visit builds on a wider campaign by the three councils to push back against the amended bills revising the Public Entities Act (WolBES) and the Public Entities Finance Act (FinBES). They argue the process violates the islands’ right to self-determination, since changes to their constitutional basis and governance must be made in mutual consultation and with consent.

Central to their concerns is the enlarged role of the Kingdom Representative. Under the amended framework, the representative would have authority to attend all island government meetings, including closed sessions, and demand access to documents. The expanded oversight powers, combined with the ability to receive communications from the financial supervision body Cft BES, have led many residents to describe the move as a “one-sided takeover” from The Hague.

The Island Councils point out that Article 209 of WolBES guarantees the right of the public entities to participate in shaping legislation and policy. They also cite the De Bilt conference of March 2024, where agreements were made to guide revisions of WolBES and FinBES. Those agreements included abolishing the position of Kingdom Representative in line with advice from the Council of State — a decision later reversed by successors in The Hague, who shifted emphasis back to inter-administrative supervision.

For the island governments, the changes represent more than a technical revision. They argue it consolidates power in the European Netherlands, undermines the legitimacy of elected Island Councils, and risks transforming supervision into direct control.

The Island Councils are calling for the immediate resumption of substantive talks, adherence to the De Bilt agreements, and a consultation process that fully includes the elected councils. “Any changes to WolBES and FinBES must proceed with the free consent of the islands,” they stress, adding that transparency, clear timelines, and respect for their statutory roles are essential to restoring trust.

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