Former Island Council Registrar Els Boers says she has found that making the necessary “change in behaviour is the most difficult thing” to accomplish in the wake of the recent institutional changes accompanying the introduction of the dualistic governance system in Saba. She noted that while phasing out Netherlands Antilles …

The Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament approved on Tuesday the law proposal to amend the Constitution to incorporate the constitutional basis of Dutch public entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. The actual change to the Constitution will take place in or after 2017. All parties voted for the law …

159 Students from St. Maarten were granted study financing assistance for 2012 but the government still has concerns about students in the Netherlands taking much longer to complete studies as opposed to those within the region or in the United States. Jacobs said that the Dutch government has also observed …

Dutch caretaker State Secretary of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation Henk Bleker has confirmed his commitment to protect the coral reefs of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. However, he will not take additional measures, because the reefs are already sufficiently protected. In response to written questions submitted by now departed …

The Dutch Caribbean Police Force KPCN celebrated “Korpsdag” on Saba with a mass at Wesleyan Holiness Church followed by an official ceremony and community lunch at Sunny Valley Youth Center in The Bottom on Sunday, October 21. Acting Saba Chief of Police Wingrove Baker hosted the ceremonies in the absence …

Commissioned by the Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland a research is carried out on the effects of the information campaign that was held concerning the Second Chamber Elections. In the week of October 22nd local researchers will start with personal interviews on behalf of Research Bureau BridgeGaps on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and …

WILLEMSTAD – There is work going on in the formation of a new government, all outside the media’s watchful eye. The parliamentary elections on Friday gave the coalition of Gerrit Schotte (MFK), Helmin Wiels (Pueblo Soberano) and Charles Cooper (MAN) together a majority. The three parties have cautiously begun consultations. …

THE HAGUE–The five largest parties in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament, the VVD, PvdA, PVV, SP and CDA, consider the election results in Curaçao a call for independence. They will fully cooperate with Curaçao’s departure from the Dutch Kingdom if the people confi rm this wish in a …

SABA–The Sea and Learn activities last week were minimally perturbed by the passing of Tropical Storm Raphael. Jennifer Rahn’s presentation on “Rising Up – the story of Saba’s seamounts and pinnacles” was held Tuesday, at the Shearwater hotel with a healthy turnout. Rahn provided an extensive presentation of the formation …

SABA–Bishop Luis Secco, seconded by Father Danilo Pastor, held a Thanksgiving Mass Sunday, at the Sacred Heart Church in The Bottom. The bishop arrived on Saba Saturday, and held various meetings with parishioners on the occasion of the completion of the restoration of the Living Water Community’s Catholic rectory in …

ST. EUSTATIUS–An oil slick covered an area of approximately four square kilometres in the waters of St. Eustatius early Saturday morning, caused by a ruptured hose at NuStar Statia Terminal’s docking facility. The rupture resulted in a spill of approximately two metric tons of heavy fuel oil in Tumbling Down …

An independent Curaçao by the majority of the Chamber welcomed. This is evident from the reactions of Saturday parties at the election on the Caribbean island.” I do welcome this wholeheartedly, they get all of our support,” let André Bosman of the VVD know. ” Helmin Wiels (Independence party Pueblo …

Heleen Cornet, the island’s best-known, most prolific and most sought-after artist will showcase her work in a special exhibit at the Agora Gallery in Chelsea, New York. The exhibit entitled “Melange of Milieu” runs from November 1 until November 21 with an opening night reception to be hosted on November …

The office of the Island Governor announced that the Island Council meeting scheduled for October 4, has been rescheduled for Wednesday, October 24, at 9:00am at the Government Administration Building in The Bottom. The agenda of the meeting officially addressed the proposal to “Release Island Registrar” Els Boers, an action …

The Council of State in The Hague has advised against changing the validity of the new Dutch passport from five to ten years. The reason is that government cannot guarantee security risks can be solved during those ten years. In 2010, the Kingdom Council of Ministers decided to introduce a …