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Clyde chides Central Govt about Lt. Governor issue
by The Daily Herald
Posted: Nov 6, 2009 13:30 UTC
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STATIA - The Central Government has shown disrespect and disregard for the decision of Statia’s Island Council on proposed candidates for the Lt. Governor’s post by insisting that the Executive Council now make a decision on the matters, said opposition Island Councilman Clyde van Putten.
The Island Council in August had approved two candidates for the post: attorney Frederick Gibbs who is practising in Aruba and resident judge Monika Brown-James. These were sent to the Central Government for vetting and submission to the Dutch Government for approval and appointment but the process was stalled somewhere.
According to van Putten of the Progressive Labour Party (PLP), a third candidate was thrown into the mix and no one, including Democratic Party (DP) Statia, could give a good explanation for this. The third candidate is Gerard Berkel, the island’s current acting Lt. Governor.
“I understand that this suggestion had come from within the Federal Government circle but no one seems to know what is going on. The Island Council made a decision and that should be respected,” the island councilman said while in transit on St. Maarten.
He has had meetings with Governor Frits Goedgedrag on the matter and was promised that he would be informed about the progress of the appointment but it has now been over a month and no word has been received.
“Now we have learnt that the Prime Minister [Emily de Jongh-Elhage] has put the matter back with the Executive Council for a decision. But the island council has already made a decision on this matter. An Island Council decision is sacred and should not be just put aside,” Van Putten said.
PLP has requested an Island Council meeting on the issue and expects a debate on Monday. The appointment of a capable and qualified Lt. Governor is of high importance in view of the constitutional change Statia is going through, the island councilman said. “We need someone with the necessary legal background and managerial skills. This is important now and not a matter to be played with.”
Van Putten said it was disrespectful of the prime minister and the entire Central Government for deferring the decision on the candidates to the Statia Executive Council. “The prime minister would not disregard a decision of the Curaçao island council this way so why is it done to Statia? All I can say is there seems to be some hidden agendas in Curaçao.”
He also laid some of the blame for the flip-flopping on identifying a candidate to succeed Lt. Governor Hyden Gittens in the lap of the DP Statia. Van Putten said there are many problems within the party and these are spilling over with this issue that is very critical to Statia’s future at this juncture in its history.
The PLP leader hopes to get clarity and a way forward on the appointment of a new Lt. Governor in next week’s Island Council meeting.
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