Political Declaration on
Kingdom Laws signed
PHILIPSBURG--The Kingdom Political Steering Group meeting on Tuesday started off with the signing of the political declaration as agreed on November 12, 2007, ensuring the participation of the island territories in drafting Consensus Kingdom Laws, Consensus Kingdom Resolutions and mutual agreements.
Constitutional Affairs Commissioner Sarah Wescot-Williams said during Wednesday’s Executive Council press briefing that currently the island territories had no formal participation in the making of Kingdom Laws.
The political declaration states how the islands will be involved in the drafting of laws.
“It must come to the Executive Council, the Executive Council must send it to the Island Council and opinions of the island territory must be had in this respect. If there are suggestions from the island territory, this must be given through the Minister Plenipotentiary in The Hague,” she said.
The Minister Plenipotentiary will make sure of having received written approval from the Executive Councils of Curaçao and St. Maarten for a Consensus Kingdom law. In case St. Maarten and Curaçao have objections to a draft Kingdom law, the Minister Plenipotentiary will state this in the Kingdom Council of Ministers, making clear that there is no consensus on that particular law.
“Central in the declaration is the constant feedback with the islands,” Wescot-Williams said.
