WILLEMSTAD--It looks like there will be no new Curaçao government. Both "Pueblo Soberano" (PS) and Gerrit Schotte's MFK want snap elections and these are the biggest two parties in the 21-seat Parliament with five seats each.
Governor Lucille-George Wout held consultations with the various legislative fractions. Of all the parliamentarians only those from opposition party PAR and coalition partner PAIS prefer forming a new cabinet with a different composition.
Chances for an early election are now very high. It will probably take place in February, just after the carnival season.
Attempts to establish a new majority in Parliament stranded earlier this week. "We're just going to prepare for elections," said PS legislator Melvin Cijntje.
PAR was ready to negotiate joining the PS/PAIS/PNP/Sulvaran coalition, but to no avail. "They had a whole wish list of demands and every hour there seemed to be something else. This complicated the process," said Cijntje.
One major issue with going back to the polls is the lack of a chairman of the Election Committee, which means Curaçao is actually not ready. Caretaker Minister of Administration, Planning and Service Etienne van der Horst (PAIS) was working on a new Election Committee, but this was not scheduled to be presented to Parliament until early next year, also based on recommendations in the National Integrity Assessment Report of Transparency International (TI).
Elections now likely in Curaçao
