Council unanimous in refusal of VIA

September 08, 2008 11:00 AM

The island council of Curacao has meanwhile committed her support to the government of the Netherlands Antilles and the deliberative body Caribbean Dutch Citizens (OCaN) if they decide to tale legal proceedings against the Netherlands’ intentions to store personal information of Antillean young persons in a Reference-index Antillean citizens (VIA).

Charles Cooper, leader of opposition party MAN spoke of a ‘David star rule’, referring to the David star that the Jews had to wear on their clothing during World War II.
On the initiative of Norbert George (DP), the council added the issue to the agenda of the public meeting on Friday afternoon. This issue was the first to discuss after the so-called question time.
After the question time that started 30 minutes later than planned due to technical problems, the chairwoman adjourned the meeting for 20, 15, then 10 minutes. This was necessary to get the parties in line for ‘a unanimous signal’ against the developments around the VIA-rule. The State Council has given positive advice on this rule on Wednesday, which is for many people discriminatory.
According to reports, it was FOL-leader Anthony Godett that suggested sending Europe a council decision regarding this situation, instead of a motion.
“That’s logical”, said council member and lawyer Aldebert Rooijer of the NPA, “an island council decision has more power in political-judicial sense, because it represents a concrete decision of the highest governmental body of the island, while a motion is ‘just’ a wish of the council."

(National Newspaper Amigoe)

6 September, 2008