During this meeting, State Secretary van Marum made the announcement that the number of Island Council members and Island Commissioners of Saba, Sint Eustatius and Bonaire would be increased by 2027.
Today, the Council of Ministers has approved State Secretary van Marum’s proposed bill, which states that the number of Island Council members will gradually increase from five to seven in the next elections on Saba, scheduled for March 17th, 2027.
Enhanced Representation
Typically, municipalities in the European Netherlands with the same population size as Saba has a minimum of 9 council members. To better align with this standard, the gradual increase to seven Island Council members will help enhance democratic representation. Capacity is also essential to strengthen the effectiveness of the Island Commissioners.
With this expansion, greater administrative power is given to the local government, thereby strengthening democracy.
Working Conference – March 2024
These changes were originally agreed on during the working conference of March 2024, where the Public Entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba Act (WolBES) and the Finance Act BES (FinBES) were revised. The WolBES and FinBES cover the administration and financial regulations of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba.
Following approval by the Council of Ministers, the Council of State provides an opinion and the bill is then sent to the House of Representatives.
To read more, please visit Council of Ministers approves expansion of Island Councils and Executive Councils BES | News item | Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland.
