Curaçao general election, 2012

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The Curaçao general election of 2012 was held on 19 October 2012. [1] Early elections for the Curaçao island council were necessary as the Cabinet-Schotte lost its majority in the Estates of Curaçao. The elections were the first of the Curaçao after obtaining the status of country (Dutch : land) within the Kingdom of the Netherlands upon the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in 2010. The election saw six parties obtain one or more of the 21 seats, with Sovereign People and Movement for the Future of Curaçao both winning five.

Gerrit Fransisco Schotte is a politician from Curaçao, and the current leader of the Movementu Futuro Kòrsou (MFK). In the Curaçao general election of 27 August 2010, the MFK became the second-largest party with 5 seats in the Island Council. MFK formed an island government together with Pueblo Soberano and Partido MAN on 4 September. This coalition became the first Cabinet of Curaçao when the Netherlands Antilles was dismantled on 10 October 2010. Schotte at that point became the first Prime Minister of Curaçao.

Estates of Curaçao

The Parliament of Curaçao consist of 21 members, each elected for a four-year term in a general election. The first Parliament was installed on 10 October 2010, the date of the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, and consisted of the members of the island council elected on 27 August 2010.

Dutch language West Germanic language

Dutch(Nederlands ) is a West Germanic language spoken by around 23 million people as a first language and 5 million people as a second language, constituting the majority of people in the Netherlands and Belgium. It is the third most widely spoken Germanic language, after its close relatives English and German.

Contents

Background

The Schotte-cabinet relied on a majority of 11 out of 21 seats in the Estates (the parties Movementu Futuro Korsou (MFK), Pueblo Soberano (PS) and Movishon Antia Nobo (MAN)). When Eugene Cleopa (MAN) and MFK parliamentary leader Dean Rozier decided to leave their fraction, and to stay in the Estates as an individual party, the Cabinet lost its majority. The move of Cleopa and Rozier was a result of problematic relationship with the Netherlands and charges of corruption and nepotism of the Scholte government. [2]

Elections

116857 people were eligible to vote by satisfying 3 main criteria [3] residents of Curaçao of at least 18 years of age with Dutch citizenship. The elections were supervised by observers from Aruba, Sint Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago and the Dominican Republic. [4] The final result is:

e  •  d  Summary of the results of Curaçao's 19 October 2012 general election
National party Leader(s) Votes % +/– Seats +/–
Sovereign People (PS) Helmin Wiels 19,715 22.6 5 1 Increase2.svg
Movement for the Future of Curaçao (MFK) Gerrit Schotte 18,450 21.2 5–
Party for the Restructured Antilles (PAR) Emily de Jongh-Elhage 17,179 19.7 4 4 Decrease2.svg
Partido pa Adelanto I Inovashon Soshal (PAIS) Alex Rosaria 15,286 17.7 4 4 Increase2.svg
Party MAN (MAN) Eunice Eisden 8,294 9.5 2–
National People's Party (PNP) Humphrey Davelaar 5,130 5.9 1–
Party Workers' Liberation Front 30th of May (FOL) Anthony Godett 1,790 2.1 0 1 Decrease2.svg
Democratic Party (DP) + Labour Party People's Crusade (L) George Hernandez 1,127 1.3 0–
Valid votes 87,058 99.58
Blank and invalid votes 370 0.42
Totals87,428100.00—21—
Electorate (eligible voters) and voter turnout 116,857 74.82
Source: Versgeperst.com

Formation of Government

Based on these results, PS, MFK and MAN (the 2010 coalition parties) had a majority in the estates, and decided to form a government. The parties signed a declaration to that effect (termed the Zeelandia declaration), while acting governor Adele van der Pluijm-Vrede appointed Glenn Camelia as "informateur" to advise her on a suitable majority government. [5] MFK pulled out of negotiations on 28 October, stating unfavorable comments of PS-leader Wiels on radio as the cause. [6] A majority was formed based on PS, PAIS, PNP and Glenn Sulvaran (who had left PAR to become an independent member of parliament), which formed an interim cabinet led by Daniel Hodge.

Daniel Hodge is a Curaçaoan politician who served as the third Prime Minister of Curaçao. He was sworn in on 31 December 2012 by Acting Governor Adèle van der Pluijm-Vrede, replacing Stanley Betrian, who led an interim government in the last months of 2012. On 27 March 2013, Hodge lodged the resignation of his cabinet and continued in a demissionary capacity until a new cabinet was formed on 7 June 2013. Hodge used to be director of the Postspaarbank Curaçao. Hodge was elected as the new leader of the Partido Antia Restruktura (PAR) on June 25th 2013, replacing Emily de Jongh-Elhage who resigned in late 2012.

The interim cabinet was succeeded by the cabinet-Asjes on 7 June 2013. [7]

Ivar Asjes Curaçaoan politician

Ivar Onno Odwin Asjes is a Curaçaoan politician and the leader of Partido pro Kòrsou, and a former leader of the Pueblo Soberano party. He served as Prime Minister from 7 June 2013 to 31 August 2015. He resigned after losing the confidence of his party. Asjes was a member of the Estates of Curaçao (2010–2013) and its predecessor within the Netherlands Antilles, the Island Council of Curaçao.

Preliminaries

All prospective parties that had no seats in the Estates prior to the election, needed in order to qualify for participation in the elections to obtain 743 support votes: 1% of the number of valid votes during the 2010 elections. The vote took place on 8 and 9 September 2012 amongst the parties and saw PAIS and DP/Laboral qualify for the October elections: [8]

Party Votes Result
Partido pa Adelanto i Inovashon Soshal (PAIS) 4199 Qualified
Democraat/Laboral 1019 Qualified
PAN 449 Did not qualify

Parties

Eight Parties participated in the elections: Pueblo Soberano (PS), Partido Democraat (DP), Partido Alternativa Real (PAR), Partido MAN, Partido Nashonal di Pueblo (PNP), Frente Obrero Liberashon 30 di mei (FOL), Movementu Futuro Kòrsou (MFK) and Partido pa Adelanto i Inovashon Soshal (PAIS). The lists of these parties were approved by the Hoofdkiesraad.(English: main election council) [9]

Opinion polls

In August and September 2012, opinion polls were conducted among the potential voters indicating they would vote and who already had decided what to vote. [10]

Curaçao general elections, polls 2012

e  •  d  
Parties 2010 elections [11]
% (Seats)		 August 2012 poll
% (Seats)		 September 2012 poll
% (Seats)		 October 2012 (seats) [12]
Partido Antiá Restrukturá (PAR) 30 (8) 34 (8) 16 (3) (4)
Movementu Futuro Korsou (MFK) 21 (5) 27 (6) 26 (6) (5)
Pueblo Soberano (PS) 19 (4) 20 (5) 26 (6) (4)
Movishon Antia Nobo (MAN) 9 (2) 6 (1) 5 (1) (1)
Partido Frente Obrero Liberashon 30 Di Mei (FOL) 7 (1) 2 (0) 3 (0) (1)
Partido Nashonal di Pueblo (PNP) 6 (1) 4 (0) 1 (0) (1)
Partido pa Adelanto I Inovashon Soshal (PAIS) 3 (0) 5 (1) 21 (5) (4)
Democraat/Laboral
(Parti Democraat Laboral)		 5 (0) 2 (0) 2 (0) (1)
Others 0 (0) 1 (0) 4 (0) (0)
Source Election results University of Curaçao University of Curaçao Fundashon Pro Pueblo

Related Research Articles

Democratic Party (Curaçao) political party in Curaçao

The Democratic Party is a liberal party in Curaçao founded in 1944. The party has participated in elections for the Estates of the Netherlands Antilles and the Island Council of Curaçao until the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in 2010, obtaining a single seat in the island council in 2007.

Aruban Peoples Party political party

The Aruban People's Party is a Christian democratic political party in Aruba founded in 1942. AVP is an acronym for the Dutch name of the party.

The Party for the Restructured Antilles is a political party in Curaçao. Since 2016 it has participated in elections as the Partido Alternativa Real. With six seats the party is the largest party in the Estates of Curaçao, following the 2017 elections. With eight seats, PAR was the largest party in the first Estates of Curaçao, established in 2010 upon the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.

The Labour Party People's Crusade is a political party in Curaçao founded in 1997. By obtaining 1019 registrations of support, the party qualified for participation in the Curaçao General Election of 2012 on 19 October in a combined list with the Democratic Party (DP), named Partido Democrat Laboral. The group obtained 1.2% of the votes which was insufficient for a seat.

Partido MAN is a political party in Curaçao founded in 1971, which has five of the 21 seats of the Estates of Curaçao after the Curaçao general election of 2017. In the elections preceding the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles the party gained two seats as well and joined the coalition government.

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Sovereign People is a political party in Curaçao founded in 2005, which became after the Curaçao general election of 2012 the largest party in the Estates of Curaçao.

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The Movement for the Future of Curaçao is a political party in Curaçao, founded by Gerrit Schotte in 2010, which has 5 of the 21 seats in the Estates of Curaçao after the 2017 elections.

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Ben Whiteman politician

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José Manuel Norberto Jardim is a Curaçaoan politician, he was Minister of Finance from 31 December 2012 to 23 December 2016. Jardim has served under four out of six Prime Ministers of Curaçao. Before becoming Minister Jardim was secretary general of the Ministry of Finance between October 2010 and April 2012.

Jaime Córdoba is a Curaçaoan politician of the Sovereign People (PS). Between 23 December 2016 and 29 May 2017 he was Minister for Social Development, Work and Welfare. He was a member of the Estates of Curaçao between 2010 and December 2016, and served as Vice-President of the Estates between 2012 and 2015. Since December 2015 Córdoba serves as political leader of Sovereign People. He was leader of the party in the Estates from December 2015 until his appointment as Minister.

Elmer Raynold "Kadè" Wilsoe is a Curaçaoan politician. He was Minister of Justice in the Gerrit Schotte cabinet from 2010 until 2012 for Pueblo Soberano (PS). Between 2012 and the October 2016 elections he was a member of the Estates of Curaçao for PS.

Hensley Felix Koeiman is a Curaçaoan politician who was Prime Minister of Curaçao between 23 December 2016 and 24 March 2017. A member of the Partido MAN, he was Minister of Social Affairs, Employment and Welfare in the Gerrit Schotte cabinet. Afterwards Koeiman served in the Estates of Curaçao from the 2012 general election until his appointment as Prime Minister. Since 29 May 2017 he has been Minister of Social Affairs, Employment and Welfare in the Eugene Rhuggenaath cabinet.

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References

  1. ↑ "PAIS en DP/Laboral door naar verkiezingen". Versgeperst (in Dutch). 9 September 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  2. ↑ "Regering Curaçao nu echt gevallen". NRC (in Dutch). 3 August 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  3. ↑ "116857 kiezers op Curaçao". Versgeperst.com (in Dutch). 19 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  4. ↑ "Verkiezingswaarnemers bezoeken Betrian". Versgeperst.com (in Dutch). 19 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  5. ↑ "Formation Process New Curacao Government Officially Started". Curacao Chronicle. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  6. ↑ "Schotte withdraws from discussions". The Daily Herald. 29 October 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  7. ↑ "Regering Curaçao beëdigd" (in Dutch). 7 June 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  8. ↑ "PAIS en DP/Laboral door naar verkiezingen". versgeperst.com (in Dutch). 9 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  9. ↑ "Alle kandidatenlijsten goedgekeurd". versgeperst.com (in Dutch). 19 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  10. ↑ "Tweede peiling Key Research (Second poll Key Research". versgeperst.com (in Dutch). 21 September 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  11. ↑ "Eilandsraadverkiezingen 27 augustus 2010, definitieve uitslag". Burgerlijke Stand, Bevolking en Verkiezingen; Government of the Netherlands Antilles. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  12. ↑ "Grote partijen ontlopen elkaar nauwelijks". Amigoe (in Dutch). 2 October 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
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