Saba News News and Information from Saba Island, Dutch Caribbean
On July 22nd, an article was released that the Acting Kingdom Representative (RV) was finally taking action to reprimand the Executive Councils of Bonaire and Saba and called for improved transparency in the publication of decisions taken by the Executive Council.
We are pleased that the RV has stepped in, as this has been an issue on Saba for some time now. In the name of transparency, the RV talks about the information flow from late 2022, but the reality is that this has been a recurring theme for way longer than that. Last year, the previous Island Council even passed a motion on the same topic.
“During the last 4 years as an Island Council member, I have been asking questions to the Executive Council verbally and in writing. It sometimes took 7 months before I received a reply to written questions, which should have been answered within 14 days, based on the law. Questions asked in the Central Committee Meetings are often answered directly. Questions asked verbally and in writing take much more time. Many times, the Executive Council never replied to my questions. After months of requesting, an answer was given simply because the pressure was growing. Besides answering questions asked, the Executive Council does not provide the Executive Council decision lists. Therefore, the Island Council and the community are kept in no man’s land”, said Island Council Member Hemmie Van Xanten.
On July 25th, Saba’s Executive Council released their counter statements in response to Acting Kingdom Representative Jan Helmond’s letter. PEP finds those counter statements contradictory, misleading, and confusing.
The Executive Council acknowledges that there are backlogs in information flow but state to be fully committed to transparency, yet do not fully agree with the contents of the letter from Jan Helmond and confirm that the improvement plan requested will be delivered before the date indicated.
The Executive Council talks about transparency but does not engage or involve the community. Information shared is always reactive as opposed to being proactive. This should not have escalated to the level of the RV. Still, instead of admitting that they are not executing their legal duties, they make excuses. We acknowledge that there are capacity issues at the Public Entity Saba, and this is a topic that has been discussed previously. Saba has limited resources, but how long will this excuse be valid? We wonder where the Executive Council’s priorities lie. How is this being worked on? Or are we going to continue using the lack of capacity excuse?, said Island Council Member Saskia Matthew
The Executive Council also speaks about actively communicating decisions on policies, initiatives, permits, and finances with the Island Council, publicizing on the website within a week after the meeting, and engaging the public and businesses in policy development through meetings and consultations. We look forward to this “vision” becoming an actual reality, as these ambitions are yet to occur.
Transparency requires honesty. When the Executive Council is ready to truly execute in a manner that fosters transparency and good governance, they can rely on the utmost support from the PEP Fraction.
Lack of Transparency is the the shameful behavior of Dictators. The Executive Council of Saba is out of Line and out of Touch with the wonderful People of Saba. This Governor Jonathan Johnson and Commissioner Bruce Zagers have been in office more than 15 years and have reserved a spot for No Democracy on the island of Saba this is Wrong! This can not go on! Enough is Enough! Term Limits have to be made to avoid Dictatorship!
Distinguished island Council Members Saskia Levenstone and Hemmie Van Xanten are valuable in standing up for the People living on Saba! They are working for the people!
The PEP party need to reach out to the Second Chamber in the Mother Country the Netherlands who are the Face of Democracy such as Attje Kuiken, Jesse Klever, Peter Omtzig, Marjolein Moorman; to prevent these two individuals Governor Jonathan Johnson and Commissioner Bruce Zagers to continue to rob children of their future and the progress of the People living on Saba by their inaction and failed policies and lack of transparency.
“The very word “secrecy” is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it.”
President John F. Kennedy
Cristian Hassell Feliciano
“It sometimes took 7 months before I received a reply to written questions, which should have been answered within 14 days, based on the law.”
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Lazy and useless. And these guys actually get paid money to sit around in their cheap suits!
He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else. … That is why I hope that Independent MP Peter Omtzigt who is trying to accomplish Government Reform in the Netherlands does the same on Saba and in the Dutch Kingdom. The main concern on Saba is the Zagers and Johnson Government Dictatorship. Peter Omtzigt is favored to win Majority Seats in the Netherlands in Parliament.
Peter Omtzigt stated that: The Netherlands needs a new culture of governance because we are “lurching from crisis to crisis,” Omtzigt said in a video on social media. That includes a change in the way MPs are elected with the introduction of some form of regional representation and a constitutional court. He is heavily supported by Caroline Vander Plas. I hope that they can address the concern of lack of democoracy in the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, such as appointing Jonathan Johnson to a third consecutive term and Bruce Zagers to also a third Executive term on Saba. This is unconstituional and undemocractic.
I hope that his party Nieuw Sociaal Contract, may serve Rich and poor, black or white, native or immigrant and that Human rights and equality can be upheld.
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority, still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority.
Lord Acton
If democracy is to have breadth of meaning, it is necessary to adjust this inequity. It is not only moral, but it is also intelligent. We are wasting and degrading human life by clinging to archaic thinking.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Cristian Hassell Feliciano
Mr. Hassell,
allow me to react on your submitted letter.
Neither the governor nor the commissioner are appointed by, as you wrote, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.
You also wrote that both appointments are unconstitutional.
My question is: can you indicate on what basis you think these appointments are unconstitutional. Obviously with reference to relevant law(s) and articles.
Thank you in advance.
Chris Meijvogel.
Mr. Chris Meijvogel I do appreciate your concern: As in the Case with Jonathan Johnson, hence,The island Governor of Saba is the representative on Saba, an island of the Netherlands, of the Dutch head of state (King Willem-Alexander), under responsibility of the minister of the interior and kingdom relations. The governor is appointed by the monarch for a period of six years. (Wikipedia)
In the Case of Bruce Zagers he ran for office under the WIPM party and got the most votes due to that he was running with the winning party but he has been serving for more than 15 years in the same position in the Executive Council and Jonathan Johnson too. If the WIPM party supports Dictatorship that is for their own self-fish and greedy benefits but it is not right!
*** To answer your question: This is Unconstitutional because it is NOT DEMOCRATIC. Giving one man so many years to head a Government and a people is Not Democratic! This is called Authoritarianism and Dictatorship and the Netherlands is in the European Union, the EU stands for Democracy, as well as NATO!
The The European Union describes its values as being ‘Human Dignity, Freedom, Democracy, Equality, Rule of Law, and Human Rights’. Democracy is a cornerstone of the project that is the European Union and has been since its inception.
Limit the commissioners Terms to only 8 years and term for Lieutenant Governor 12 years. This is to ensure that there are more opportunities for other Sabans and Dutch citizens residing on the island to be able to also have an opportunity to serve in the Leadership of the island Dutch territory and a say in its future.
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority, still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority.
Lord Acton
They have also been called out by the Honorable Dutch State Representative Jan Helmond for Lack of Transparency in the Executive Council and No transparency this is the shameful behavior of Dictators, this is Unconstitutional. The Executive Council of Saba is out of Line and out of Touch with the wonderful People of Saba. This Governor Jonathan Johnson and Commissioner Bruce Zagers have been in office more than 15 years and have reserved a spot for No Democracy on the island of Saba this is Wrong! This can not go on! Enough is Enough! Term Limits have to be made to avoid Dictatorship!
The wonderful people in the Netherlands are against this!
This objective of imposing Term Limits is good also to avoid Dictatorship (individuals serving more than 15 years as Lt. Governor and another individual as Commissioner on Saba, it is Wrong! This is not Democracy!
In United States The governor holds the office for four years and can choose to run for reelection.
The Governor is not eligible to serve more than eight years in any twelve-year period. This Democratic standard for Governor
in the United States can be also upheld in the kingdom of the Netherlands Soley to prevent Governors from becoming Dictators in the respective Dutch Islands.
I think also that Democracy serves best the very idea of it as that more citizens get to serve and participating by having a voice in the leadership of the country.
This is the absolute beauty of Democracy participation, Inclusion and opportunity for all by imposing Term Limits on the Lt. Governors office and Commissioner’s Office.
Also in the Dutch Kingdom having the Ministry of Foreign Affairs set up the Standards of who is Eligible or Qualifies to Democratically run for the office of Governor.
Democracy is never a final achievement. It is a call to an untiring effort. Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put up a wall to keep our people in. There is an old saying that the course of civilization is a race between catastrophe and education.
President John F. Kennedy
If democracy is to have breadth of meaning, it is necessary to adjust this inequity. It is not only moral, but it is also intelligent. We are wasting and degrading human life by clinging to archaic thinking.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Cristian Hassell
Quote: “Unconstitutional because it is not democratic.” unquote.
That’s a nice find but complete nonsense.
Writing a lot of text, venting your ideas, does not mean that what you write is right or true.
Unfortunately you don’t answer my question.
As a final remark: Dutch constitutional law is not based on Wikipedia. Luckily not.
Chris Meijvogel.