WILLEMSTAD - Parliament unanimously approved the amendment to the National Ordinance on Disaster Management. The emphasis is now more on disaster and crisis prevention. Previously, the law was mainly aimed at combating disasters. It has also been decided to cancel the amendments to the Expropriation Ordinance.
Prevention is mainly focused on the 35 disaster scenarios that are included in the risk profile 2017-2022. These scenarios describe the dangers for citizens, the environment and vital functions.
When discussing the emergency law in Parliament, Members of Parliament made it clear that the government's power to expropriate in a disaster situation should be applied to a very limited extent. The expropriation of immovable property in the public interest is therefore limited to a state of exception as a result of war, natural disasters, terrorism or military incursion.
Minister of General Affairs Gilmar Pisas fully agreed with the amended law. In his previous role as Member of Parliament, he was critical of the amendment to the law. He has since changed his mind now that the law no longer affects the fundamental freedoms of citizens. The MFK faction objected to the expropriation regulation.
According to Pisas, his faction feared that the law would encourage abuse of power. The comments of the MFK faction were heard by the then Rhuggenaath cabinet, as a result of which the expropriation amendment has been cancelled.
“The current changes give the community, organizations and the government more tools to act efficiently and faster in the prevention of crises and disasters. The current law essentially focuses on disaster relief, but with the proposed changes the focus is on disaster prevention,” said the Prime Minister responsible for disaster relief and risk management.
In addition to prevention, more attention is also being paid to risk management and the mitigation of effects that could destabilize the country in the event of a crisis or disaster.
According to MFK faction leader Amerigo Thodé, the amended law is good for the community.
Ana Maria Pauletta of opposition party PAR reiterated the Prime Minister's message that the parties must work together. “We have to go through this process together. Especially in this crisis. There is no question of them and us. It's about the Country of Curaçao.” According to the Member of Parliament, the statement 'nan no ta nos' (they are not us), which the MFK uses, does not contribute to the desired connection between the different sectors in society.