THE HAGUE - Curaçaoans, Arubans and Sint Maarten, like all other Dutch citizens, must be given the right to vote for both the Lower Chamber and the Senate. This is what the Dutch Member of Parliament for the GroenLinks party Laura Bromet advocates. She did so in the parliamentary debate on the amendment of the constitution to make it possible for (European) Dutch nationals living abroad to vote for the Senate.
“The Dutch who live in the other countries of our Kingdom, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, have no voting rights for the Lower Chamber, unlike the Dutch who live in the Netherlands and the Dutch abroad. Soon, when this constitutional amendment is adopted, they will still have no influence on the composition of the Senate. I think that's a big loss. After all, these Dutch people also benefit from good government legislation, good foreign policy and good defense policy, but they do not have the right to vote for the Lower Chamber and the Senate, the parliament that deals with these subjects as if it were a Kingdom parliament," said Bromet, also on behalf of the PvdA party.
“We are delighted to read in a passage in the coalition agreement that the democratic deficit in the Kingdom will be eliminated by giving the Caribbean countries a proportional vote in proposals on kingdom laws. That's nice, but it's not very concrete yet. I would therefore like to hear from the minister what this proposal means in concrete terms and when we as a Chamber will hear more about it. In addition, I would like to receive a promise from the minister that the role of both the Lower Chamber and the Senate will be carefully considered in such a vote that has yet to be shaped from the Caribbean countries. If we have a parliament that consists of two Chambers, then the inhabitants of the other countries should also be able to influence both Chambers of our parliament.”
Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Hanke Bruins Slot: “Mrs. Bromet of GroenLinks asked, also on behalf of Ms. Arib of the PvdA, about the interpretation of the passage in the coalition agreement about solving the democratic deficit in the Kingdom. It is indeed true what Mrs. Bromet said. A passage has been included about eliminating the democratic deficit in the decision-making process on proposals for Kingdom Acts. In concrete terms, it has been agreed — I will quote it briefly — “to give room for a proportional vote by the Caribbean countries”. That part is not in my portfolio, but in that of the State Secretary for Kingdom Relations and Digitization. It will inform the Chamber of the way in which the cabinet intends to implement this. I emphatically draw the attention of the State Secretary to the fact that this is at least a matter of attention for a number of parties and that they are looking forward to the elaboration of how this should be done in what period of time.”