22 March 2015

Results of Bonaire elections - Coalition to be formed

Illustration by Bonaire Reporter


Bonaireans have chosen the political parties who will represent them in the Island Council but exactly who will lead the people via the Executive Council has yet to be decided.


The Island Councils are the elected people's representatives of each of the public bodies of Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba - and previously of each of the island territories of the Netherlands Antilles. The Island Council supervises the island's Executive Council, which is composed of a Lieutenant Governor, Island Secretary and several members appointed by the Council. The Island Council may be compared to a town council. Like the town council, the Island Council is elected for a period of four years.

The number of members of the Island Council differs per island: Bonaire: 9 seats; St Eustatius: 5 seats; Saba: 5 seats

In last Wednesday’s Island Council elections in Bonaire Elvis Tjin Asjoe’ s “Movementu di Pueblo Boneriano” (MPB) beat Clark Abraham’s “Partido Demokratiko Boneriano” (PDB) by just 33 votes and the former top vote getter James Kroon/s “Union Partriotiko Boneriano” (UPB) by 462 in Wednesday’s Island Council election, but each party ended up with three of the nine seats.

None of the four other parties PHU led by Heinrich Prinsen/Michel Bijkerk (645), Lista 7 of Eric Soleana (406), Tim Magno (364) and AKB Christians (215) received enough votes for a seat, even though they needed only 75 per cent of the number required to earn a seat outright to vie for a possible residual seat.

The MPB’s “Aruba Style” campaign was the most visible campaign while the UPB and PDB got going later. Before the elections MPB leader Elvis Tjin Asjoe promised he would not work with his UPB former party. A coalition between traditional rivals PDB and UPB would be historic if it happens.

The turnout (78%) was close to the 80% considered respectable compared to the 74% in 2011. However, in Saba The voter’s turnout percentage was a staggering 91.3 per cent With the WIPM party the biggest winner..

St. Eustatius voters opted for a coalition government in Wednesday’s Island Council elections, as none of the six parties in the polls emerged with the needed three or more seats in the Island Council. Statia had a 65.5% voter turnout.

Since October 2010, when the islands of Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba became part of the Dutch Electoral Act applied to all elections on these islands, as well as in the European Netherlands. While the results from those Provincial Elections for the Senate and Water Boards will not be available until March 23 it appears that The Dutch center-right government will lose a third of its seats in the Senate (upper house of parliament).



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Analysis by James Finies, Nos Ke Boneiru Bek   


Resultado elekshon abase di enganjo i manipulashon no ta refleho demokratiko di posishon Boneiru riba struktura estatal.

E resultado di elekshon kaminda ku tres partido, UPB , MPB i Demokrat a reparti e asientonan igual den nan tres a wordu interpreta dor di analistanan ku e e mayoría di pueblo Boneriano ta di akuerdo ku e posishon aktual estatal den Hulanda. Nos semper a boga pa referéndum tuma lugar prome ku elekshon pa e simpel motibu ku Hulanda lo juda dividi, guía, kumpra i hinka e pueblo Boneriano den e trampa aki ku judansa di kolaboradornan di Boneiru. Motibunan simpel pa komprende ta pasobra e pueblo Boneriano ta bini di un kultura i tradishon folkloristiko emoshonal di vota basa riba patronahe politiko, pues favor, trabao, tereno, favor, famia, amistad, kumpramentu di voto, enganjo i manipulashon di informashon i asta leynan. I awor den e elekshon aki ta binia aserka involvimentu di e pueblo Hulandes ku su votadonan imigrando di Hulanda Oropeo repopulando nos isla Boneiru, Hulanda Karibense a influensia nos proseso demokratiko. Tambe mester tene kuenta ku e administrashon i registrashon ta den nan mes man nos i ku eksperensianan di e tantisismo kasonan direkshon di sabotahe elektoral i dimes direkshon i na favor di Hulanda i su partidonan ku e ta sostene. E partidonan UPB i MPB ku tabatin e posishon di keda den Hulanda, sigui den e direkshon aki den Hulanda subordina i sin derecho demokratiko, kontra nos derecho, i ambos ku a opone na referendum na ultimo ora un siman prome ku elekshon publikamente a deklara ku nan tambe ta pro organisa un referendum pa e pueblo porfin por duna su opinión riba e struktura ku a dune asina tantu sufrimentu i hasie infelis. Pues e votadornan ku según enkuestanan ku a wordu tene prome ku elekshon ku mas ku 60% ta kontra e struktura aki i tambe eksperiensa di kampanjadornan di e partidonan aki a eksperensia ku e pueblo en general su prioridat tabata referéndum i asta no tabata tuma sen pa kumpra nan dignidat, nan isla i nan voto pasobra ta referéndum nan ke. Dor di e deklarashonnan manipulativo i enganjoso di e lidernan politikonan di e partidonan ku semper tabata kontra referéndum, e votadornan a bolbe kere i konfia nan i no mester a kambia di partido i tradishon i vota kontra nan pa hanja referéndum pasobra nan mes partido a priminti nan ku lo organisa referéndum pa nan. Pues e konklushon ku 60% di e pueblo Boneriano a vota pa keda den Hulanda, e estado ilegal aki, ta basa riba enganjo i manipulashon di organisa un referéndum pa nan i tambe manipulashon di líder di MPB ku autonomía flexibel integra den Hulanda. Tristu ku nos lidernan ta ninga di komprende ku referéndum o e derecho di e pueblo den su totalidat pa skohe su mes struktura i destino ta su desishon so i no di ningún líder o partido ni esun ka gana elekshon ku su poder i durashon ta di kuater(4) anja, pero eskoho i desishon estatal ta solamente di e pueblo so i den su totalidat. Finalisando uniko manera ku por legalisa e struktura aki i trese pas i unión bek na Boneiru ta pa duna pueblo bek su derecho di por ekspresa su mes den referéndum i no den ningún elekshon di konseho insular.