WILLEMSTAD - Elections for the new Parliament of Curaçao will take place on March 19, 2021. The various political parties will campaign to obtain as many votes as possible in order to be represented in Parliament in this way.
Free, secret and fair elections are the foundation of the democratic constitutional state. The importance of this is laid down in the Constitution and in international treaties.
A voter has the right to vote without any influence and to keep the content of his choice to himself. Participation in elections is an important acquired right, which is not self-evident in many parts of the world.
An example where elections are not fair is the buying and selling of votes, either with cash or other favors / promises. During every election, the Public Prosecution Service in Curaçao again signals that voters are being bribed to cast their vote for a particular party or person.
This affects the free and fair conduct of the elections and is also punishable. The Public Prosecution therefore points out that it is forbidden to pay a voter for his or her vote. It is also prohibited to be paid as a voter for a vote for a particular party or person. Both the briber and the bribed voter can be punished with a prison sentence of up to 2 years.
The Public Prosecution Service will be extra vigilant for and investigate signs of bribery during the period up to the elections.
Article 2:44 Criminal Code Curaçao Paragraph 1. Anyone who, on the occasion of an election issued by law, bribes someone by means of a gift or promise in order to exercise his or her electoral right, either not or in a specific manner, shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding two years or a fine of the fourth category.
Paragraph 2. The voter or the representative of a voter who allows himself or herself to be bribed by gift or promise shall be punished with no more than the same penalty.