WILLEMSTAD – Minister of Governance, Planning and Public Services Kimberly Lew-Jen-Tai has reaffirmed the independence and autonomy of Curaçao’s Supreme Electoral Council, stressing that a well-functioning and independent electoral authority is essential to the island’s rule of law.
The minister’s remarks follow recent media reports in which the Supreme Electoral Council indicated that cuts proposed in its 2026 budget could negatively affect its ability to carry out its statutory duties. In response, Lew-Jen-Tai invited the Council’s secretary, Sheryl Losiabaar, for a meeting to gain a full understanding of the challenges facing the institution and to explore concrete and lasting solutions.
The Minister in meeting with the Electoral Council
Losiabaar welcomed the initiative, expressing appreciation that the minister moved quickly to convene talks aimed at addressing the concerns. According to the ministry, the discussion focused on safeguarding the Council’s capacity to perform its legally mandated responsibilities.
Lew-Jen-Tai emphasized that the Supreme Electoral Council is an autonomous body with crucial legal tasks, including the preparation and organization of elections, oversight of the electoral process, advisory functions, and providing information to the public. These responsibilities, she said, require stability, professionalism, and sufficient resources to ensure continuity and reliability of elections.
The minister underscored that budgetary processes should never place pressure on the Council’s independent role or undermine its legal mandate. Transparency, dialogue, and mutual understanding, she said, must guide the relationship between government and independent institutions.
The meeting forms part of the minister’s broader responsibility to ensure effective public governance, in which independent bodies are able to carry out their duties without obstruction. Lew-Jen-Tai further pledged that by February 2, when the Supreme Electoral Council is due to submit its 2027 budget, steps will be taken to correct the current situation, both for 2026 and for the years ahead.