WILLEMSTAD - Member of Parliament Giselle Mc William for the opposition party MAN does not understand the withdrawal of the dispute settlement procedure. The dispute settlement procedure was withdrawn by the Kingdom Council of Ministers on Friday, after the presidents of the parliaments of the three countries themselves had indicated by means of a letter to the Dutch Senate that they would withdraw their support for the Kingdom Disputes Act proposal.
"It's just incomprehensible," said Mc William. According to the Member of Parliament, Undersecretary Raymond Knops continues to play 'tricks'. The opposition MP says that Knops politically wants The Hague to retain the last word in a legal dispute.
"As I said during my speech in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament three years ago: better no dispute settlement than something that can no longer be reversed and that goes against the motion of Van Laar and of the islands," said Mc William. According to the parliamentarian, Knops has persuaded the Second Chamber to send the dispute settlement bill to the Senate. "However, the bill is not according to the advice of the Council of State," said Mc William.
The MP believes that three points should form the basis of the bill. It must concern a legal dispute that is assessed by an independent body (for example a department of the Council of State) and the advice should be binding.
If that does not happen, Mc William fears that the situation will remain as it is now, according to Article 12 of the Charter, with a preliminary consultation/internal appeal where the Prime Minister of the Netherlands has the last word.
"I am convinced that if we have a dispute settlement on an equal basis, where there is no power, it will positively promote the relationship between the Netherlands and the islands," said Mc William.