SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) – “On behalf of the United People’s Party (UPP), I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the MFK party in Curaçao and their leader MP Gilmar “Pik” Pisas for the convincing election victory on March 19th,” Member of Parliament (MP) Grisha Heyliger-Marten, faction leader of the United People’s Party (UPP) said on Sunday evening in a media statement. The people of Curaçao have spoken loud and clear, and are the ultimate winners of this and any election.
From what I have observed and been told, I think it is safe to conclude that the elections were basically a contest between the proponents of the CRE, and those who believe it is unconstitutional and violates the autonomy of the island among other objections.
The time it took for the Council of State to provide an advice on the proposed CRE/COHO, raises the question if this highest advisory body in the Kingdom acknowledged the objections brought forward by the islands and pointed these out to the Dutch Government.
The election results clearly show that the large majority of the people of Curacao are against the conditions as imposed by Holland in return for financial aid. In a bigger context, this also means that the people of Curacao are against any attempts by the Dutch Government to trample on the island.
The victory of the MFK and other parties who have raised objections against the CRE should not come as a surprise. The most recent poll leading up to the elections was already pointing in that direction, and the petition filed at the Decolonization Committee of the United Nations last year by a large cross-section of the population was also very telling.
It is ironic and almost symbolic that State Secretary Knops’ CDA party lost as many seats during the elections on March 17th, as Mr. Pisas and the MFK won only two days later, namely four (4). The CDA’s loss of seats in the Dutch Parliament was a very expensive one for Mr. Knops and his party. It happened despite the last-minute multi-million dollar pledges to the islands, so using these Dutch tax-payer’s monies to convince voters to vote for him clearly did not pay off for Mr. Knops and his CDA party.
Mr. Pisas and his team will face many challenges during the coming months and years. I am convinced that with wisdom, perseverance, and patience, they will be able to deliver for the current and future generations of Curacao.
As faction leader of the United People’s Party, I look forward to a good working relationship with the new Parliament and Government of Curaçao as both islands continue to work in the best interests of the people who voted to represent them and treat their interests as paramount.
