Opposition parties GroenLinks–PvdA and D66 say they will table a bill to allow citizens of Curaçao, Aruba, and St. Maarten to vote in Dutch parliamentary elections.
“There will soon be elections for the House of Representatives, but not everyone in the Kingdom is allowed to vote. That is unjust and outdated,” said Raoul White (GroenLinks–PvdA). “The House makes decisions that directly affect the lives of people on the islands. Their voices deserve to be heard.”
D66 parliamentarian Mpanzu Bamenga echoed the call, noting that the Council of State advised over a year ago to amend the Electoral Act so citizens in the Caribbean countries of the Kingdom can have influence in Dutch politics. “The government has done nothing, so we will take the initiative ourselves. Democracy demands decisiveness,” he said.
The parties aim for the proposed law to make the October 29 elections the last in which residents of Curaçao, Aruba, and St. Maarten are excluded from voting, framing the move as a step toward greater equality within the Kingdom.
“Democracy does not stop at the Caribbean Sea,” White and Bamenga emphasized.
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