ORANJESTAD - The mediators Maria Liberia-Peters and Suzanne Camelia-Römer are critical of the results of the intervention by 'The Hague' on St. Eustatius (Statia). “Despite its great financial capacity and many experts, the Dutch government has not succeeded in to fully resolve identified deficiencies,” they write in their report.
They are also frankly critical of the government's attitude and approach to the restoration of local democracy: “The mediators team believes it is time for the Netherlands to let go of the mistrust that existed in 2018 and start with a little more confidence for to the will of the people of St. Eustatius to regain its democracy in 2023.”
The reason for the request for mediation was due to the tensions and disputes that had arisen between the members of the Island Council or the Island Council as an organ of the Public Entity of St. Eustatius on the one hand, and the Government Commissioner appointed by the central government of the Netherlands on the other. The prevailing conflictual situation caused disturbed administrative relations in the public administration and therefore indirectly made it more difficult to restore the democracy of the Public Entity of St. Eustatius.
In order to work towards a solution for these disrupted relations, the Island Council adopted a motion on 23 December 2021, to which both Government Commissioners have also agreed. The former Prime Ministers of the Netherlands Antilles, Mrs. Susanne Camelia-Römer and Mrs. Maria Liberia-Peters, were approached by the Island Council and the Government Commissioner respectively with a request for an attempt at mediation. With the agreement of the parties, the mediators have appointed the former ombudsman Mrs. Alba Martijn to their team as an expert.