THE HAGUE - In its draft election program "Establish an act", published today, the Socialist Party (SP) devoted a brief and clear passage to the political relationship with Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten. The party advocates replacing the Statute with a new treaty based on equivalence.
In the chapter "A just country" the following can be read: "The current Kingdom of the Netherlands with the autonomous countries of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten is in danger of being destroyed by political quarrels and mutual distrust. We therefore want a new treaty, stating how the four countries will work together based on equality. The countries in the Caribbean determine what they themselves want to be responsible for and what they want the Netherlands to do.”
The SP would prefer to dissolve the entire Kingdom: “We strive for a republic. Until then, a monarchy in a democracy is only tenable if the head of state has no political influence, but is ceremonial. From now on, members of the Royal Family also pay their own private costs and tax on income and assets. A royal family costs money, but the personal income of the King does not have to be higher than that of the prime minister.”
Member of Parliament Ronald van Raak is one of the authors of the draft election program.
