Page 4 - Online Paper.pdf

4 Islands THE DAILY HERALD, Thursday, March 16, 2017

compared to 50,000 for the
previous Parliamentary elec-
tions in 2012.
Plasterk remarked, “De-
spite all efforts, it could not
be excluded, as with any elec-
tions, that voting documents
arrived late or not at all – as
a result the person can’t vote
(in time).” He added that
D66 candidate Eelco Keij with his wife and children out- unfortunately the mailing
side a voting bureau in Nijmegen on Tuesday. delivery wasn’t equally well
arranged in all countries.
THE HAGUE--Democrat- an independent institute to The Ministry of Home Af-
ic Party D66 candidate in look into the failing actions fairs and Kingdom Relations
Wednesday’s Parliamentary of this government,” Keij BZK is responsible for the
elections Eelco Keij will en- said. Keij and a number of registration of eligible vot-
courage Dutch voters abroad voters abroad lost a court in- ers in the Dutch Caribbean
who were duped by the late junction last week to get the countries Aruba, Curaçao
arrival of their voting docu- March 15 deadline extended and St. Maarten. This minis-
ments to file a complaint at by one week to buy the voters try also sends the voting pa- Deputy Dutch Representative Chris Johnson empties the milk can ballot box with assis-
the National Ombudsman. more time. pers to these voters. The vot- tance of Anoushka Devid and Robert-Jan de Wilde of his office.
Keij fears that thousands Dutch Minister of Home ers on the islands, more than
of Dutch nationals resid- Affairs and Kingdom Rela- 1,700 in total, received these
ing abroad were unable to tions Ronald Plasterk ex- documents in time. D66 winner
cast their vote in Wednes- pounded in a letter to the Registration for each indi-
day’s elections because they Second Chamber on March vidual election by the voters
received their voting docu- 9, 2017 that due to circum- abroad, including the Dutch Continued from page 1.
ments too late and subse- stances the definite ballot Caribbean, will no longer be
quently might have been un- paper and the overview of necessary in the future. The The Party for the Animals siding on St. Maarten have fitting the criteria could cast
able to return the completed the candidates could only be Second and First Chamber PvD of Marienne Thieme the right to vote in the Dutch a ballot at the “letter vot-
documents to the voting drafted on February 13. have approved a change to received four votes as did Elections for the Second ing” bureau at the offices
bureau in their country of The Municipality of The the Electoral Law which will Artikel1. Chamber of Dutch Parlia- of the Dutch Representa-
residence, usually the Dutch Hague, which is responsible enable permanent registra- Christian Unie (CU) of ment. Of those, 151 made tives in Aruba, Curaçao and
embassy or consulate, or the for the registration and vot- tion of voters abroad. This Gert-Jan Segers got three use of their right putting St. Maarten. Voters living
voting bureau in The Hague. ing papers of Dutch nationals adopted law should become votes. the voter turnout at 90.4 per abroad could also participate
Keij, who has been champi- abroad, sent the first batch effective per April 1, 2017. It was two votes for Forum cent. The number of eligible in the election by casting
oning the rights of the voters of voting documents to the Responding to written
abroad, spoke with the Na- some 21,000 voters who had questions by Member of the for Democracy FvD of Thi- voters was 123 in 2012. their votes by mail, or by vot-
tional Ombudsman on Tues- indicated that they wanted to Second Chamber Sjoerd Sjo- erry Baudet. The ballots, sealed in white ing by proxy.
day to discuss the matter. receive their ballot paper by erdsma (D66), Plasterk stat- The Reformed Political envelopes, were emptied The elections again high-
He informed the National regular mail as soon as pos- ed that the Municipality The Party SGP received one vote by Head of the Dutch Rep- lighted some stark contrasts
Ombudsman that soon after sible, which was on February Hague has already made the as did GeenPeil, Lokaal in de resentation office in St. in the various parts of the
Wednesday’s Second Cham- 21, stated the Minister. necessary preparations to ex- Kamer, and 50Plus. Maarten Chris Johnson after Dutch Kingdom. Just next
ber elections, he would ask On February 14, the voting ecute the new Electoral Law. The country’s lone polling the zip-tie lock on the ret- door in St. Eustatius and
the duped voters to file a documents were sent elec- Soon after the law has gone station – the Office of the rofitted large silver milk can Saba polls were opened un-
complaint. tronically to the some 40,000 into effect, voters abroad will Dutch Representative in St. was snipped with scissors. til 9:00pm local time. Also,
“This would be a good way voters who wanted to receive be asked whether they want Maarten – closed promptly The ballots were opened with a candidate on St. Eustatius,
to get an indication of the their ballot by email. A total to be included in the perma- at 3:00pm local time, match- swift efficiency and it quickly Koos Sneek, who is with the
number of affected Dutch of 78,000 persons registered nent registration. ing the 9:00pm closure in emerged that the majority of CDA, was not on the ballot
voters abroad, and to get as voters for these elections,
The Minister promised to the Netherlands. Before vot- voters were favouring D66 available to St. Maarten vot-
include the signals from vot- ing was closed off the Office and Rutte’s VVD. ers due to the constitutional
ers abroad in the evaluation made a check at the Post Of- Eligible voters were Dutch status difference between
of the March 15 elections, fice to ensure no ballots were nationals who have been re- the Netherlands and the so-
and to look at the suggestions sent by snail mail. siding in the Netherlands for called Caribbean Nether-
for further improvement. A total of 167 persons re- at least ten years. Persons lands.

POND ISLAND--Gov-
ernment’s revenues for
the first two months of the
year “look quite good,”
announced Finance Minis-
ter Richard Gibson Sr. on
Wednesday.
He did not give figures, but
told the press the numbers
were quite good compared
to last year. He hopes Gov-
ernment will earn more as
months progress and that
the economy will continue
to “perform positively.”
Turnover Tax (ToT) pay-
ments are also up com-
pared to the same period
last year.
Transfer Tax numbers are
also good, said Gibson Sr.