The islands have the right to organise a constitutional referendum at any time, but the options have to be realistic, Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk confirmed during the handling of the 2014 draft budget of Kingdom Relations in the second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament …

Mr H. A. Seferina and Mr. S. R. Hodge will be deputy judges at the Court of First Instance in St. Maarten of the Common Court of Justice. The National Council of Ministers decided to nominate them at the proposal of the Minister of Security and Justice. Mr. Seferina (1975) …

Joep Dohmen (NRC) writes that  Lt. Governor Lydia Emerencia of Bonaire sent a message  to Minister Plasterk ( Interior, Labour) that she resigned this morning. She did so after a majority of the island Council had expressed not to have  confidence in her last Tuesday. According to Emerencia , the …

The Director of Tourism Office Glenn Holm officiated at an awards ceremony Wednesday evening, at the Eugenius Johnson Centre in Windwardside, reports The Daily Herald. During the ceremony Saba’s winners in the “CN Expo” Competition were recognised. Organised by the Caribbean Netherlands Government Service (RCN) on Saba, St. Eustatius and …

The Daily Herald writes that Health Commissioner Bruce Zagers calls on the community to mark World AIDS Day this Sunday, December 1, by wearing a red ribbon as a symbol of solidarity in the global campaign to halt and mitigate the impact of the Human Immunodefi ciency Virus (HIV). He …

The Daily Herald writes that Commissioner Bruce Zagers issued a prompt message Wednesday evening, addressing the car-tire fire set ablaze near the Fort Bay landfill. The toxic smog that engulfed the village of St. John’s Wednesday, led to the closing of the two schools in the compound above the landfill. …

The Police of the Dutch Caribbean announced that on Wednesday November 27, around 10:20 AM, a call by STENAPA St. Eustatius came in about a diver who became not well. The diver was rushed by an ambulance to the Hospital of St. Eustatius. The diver died in the hospital. The …

MP Van Laar (PvdA) asked minister Plasterk as some sort of  question: The Labour Party is committed to social progress in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. The fight against poverty is what the Labour Party sees as the highest priority. The answer was: The government recognizes the importance of …

MP : Hachchi ( D66 ) asked the question: Can the minister  streamline the appointment of the Rijksvertegenwoordiger (Kingdom Representative) to that of a Commissaris van de Koning (Commissioner of the King) ? The answer was: There are major differences in the position and the role of  the Commissioner of …

Saba Business Association chairman and newly elected board member of the Saba and St. Eustatius Chamber of Commerce Wolfgang Tooten decried the attempt to strip all non-Dutch residents of their voting right in the local Island Council elections. This writes The Daily Herald. The alleged dilemma posed by Dutch Minister …

Community based organisations on Saba involved in the protection of children’s rights announced an open house day for parents and children this Friday, November 29, at the Voogdijraad building, on Paris Hill Road in The Bottom. Community leaders, parents, legal guardians, youth, children and involved family members welcome this opportunity …

The Daily Herald writes as follows. “We talk a lot with each other in the Kingdom, but often don’t understand each other. We project our prejudices without really listening to each other. Sometimes, I am surprised how little we truly know each other.” Words of the Leader of the Dutch …

The police reported that a big fire raged Wednesday morning in the port of Saba. The police, the fire department and the ambulance-service went to the location of the incident. In the meanwhile the fire is under control. From within the police-force, the Duty officer – calamities was used. Because …

The appointment procedure of the State Representative in the Caribbean Netherlands should be more transparent, is the opinion of D66 . The reason behind this remark is the impending departure of Wilbert Stolte. The current representative is controversial because of its share of the administrative problems on Bonaire. D66 is …

The Daily Herald announces that women’s Medical Student Association of the Saba University School of Medicine will organise a Saba-Palooza fundraising event this Thursday afternoon, November 28 at the Johan Cruyff Court in The Bottom. Everyone is invited to participate in this outdoor activity-filled afternoon that, according to the organizers, …