Monday was Nomination Day in St. Maarten as well as Curaçao, even though their election dates differ – September 26 and 30 respectively. An unusually large number of candidate lists were submitted on both islands.
Curaçao ended up with no fewer than 21 parties, one for each of the 21 Parliament seats in contention there. Only six of those parties are currently represented in the legislature, which means 15 have to obtain 870 voter endorsements on August 20 and 21.
In St. Maarten a similar process already starts today, Tuesday, and will continue Wednesday if needed. Five of the nine lists still require the support of 146 voters to participate.
The latter may not seem like a lot, but several have tried and failed in the past. Perhaps the fact that there no longer will be a separate line for every “new” party can help convince citizens to back one of them in relative anonymity.
This requirement is considered rather undemocratic by some, but was intended to prevent political disintegration. That’s also why in the election a first seat must be earned outright, before qualifying for a possible residual seat.
So, to suggest there are just too many parties at this stage seems a bit premature. After all, the number that ultimately will be on the ballot is yet to be determined over the next day or two.
To be determined
