Bill to expand island councils and executive boards BES to House of Representatives

The bill to expand the island councils and executive boards of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba will be submitted to the House of Representatives. The Cabinet, after consulting the Council of State, approved the proposal by State Secretary Van Marum of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.

If the law passes, the number of Island Council members will gradually increase in the elections of March 17, 2027. Bonaire will gain two more (from 9 to 11), while Sint Eustatius and Saba will increase from 5 to 7. The number of Provincial Executive members will also grow: on Bonaire from 3 to 4, and on Sint Eustatius and Saba from 2 to 3. Increasing the number of Island Council members and Provincial Executive members is part of the revision of the Public Entities Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Act (WolBES) and has been brought forward quickly.

Growing along
The island councils and executive boards are being expanded because the number of council members and provincial executives has not been adjusted to reflect population growth since 2010. Furthermore, the number of representatives and administrators on Saba and Sint Eustatius is lower than the number of representatives and administrators in municipalities of a comparable size. The islands themselves indicated that there are too few provincial executives to handle the large workload. This bill will give the islands greater administrative power to address key challenges.

State Secretary Van Marum: “I’m pleased that we can send this legislation to the House of Representatives sooner rather than later. With this bill, we’re not only strengthening democracy but also increasing resident engagement. We’ll also continue to support local government officials and thus contribute to a better future for the residents of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba.”

The content of this message was prepared by:
Council of Ministers
Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations