THE HAGUE - Statements made by the Curaçao Minister of Finance Javier Silvania in the Dutch radio program De Nieuwsbv yesterday, according to The Hague sources, did not go down so well with Undersecretary Raymond Knops of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.
Silvania surprised friend and foe by declaring that the Pisas cabinet does not agree with the amended bill for the establishment of the Caribbean Reform and Development Agency (COHO). Interviewer Natasja Gibbs asked him how this could be reconciled with a press release distributed a few weeks ago in which Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas stated that the amended bill "does justice to our autonomy and offers better financial and social perspectives to the people."
Silvania replied that the text of the press release was written by the Ministry of Kingdom Relations (BZK) and that the ministry would have threatened to pull out from the deal the government in Willemstad did not agree. That accusation would be particularly serious, because it gives the impression that blackmail practices are taking place. Also, in government circles on Curaçao, not everyone is happy with the statements of their own minister.
The intention today in The Hague was to decide whether or not to send the bill proposal to the parliaments in the Kingdom. This was the reason for the meeting of the Kingdom Council of Ministers.
This is also why Silvania traveled to the Netherlands. But after his statement to the press, it seems unlikely that the Kingdom Council of Ministers will continue with this
It was intended that the decision to send the bill to parliaments would be made today in the Kingdom Council of Ministers – for which Silvania traveled to the Netherlands – but with his statement the vote has been postponed.