2012 Curaçao general election

General elections were held in Curaçao 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.

Politics of Curaçao

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]

Primary elections

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.[3]

Eight parties qualified to 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)[4]

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.[5]

Curaçao general elections, polls 2012
Parties 2010 elections[6]
% (Seats)		 August 2012 poll
% (Seats)		 September 2012 poll
% (Seats)		 October 2012 (seats)[7]
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

Results

116,857 people were eligible to vote by satisfying 3 main criteria[8] 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.[9] The final result is:

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Sovereign People19,71522.675+1
Movement for the Future of Curaçao18,45021.2150
Party for the Restructured Antilles17,17919.754–4
Partido pa Adelanto I Inovashon Soshal15,28617.584+4
Partido MAN8,2949.5420
National People's Party5,1305.9010
Workers' Liberation Front1,7902.060–1
Democratic Party–PLKP1,1271.3000
Total86,971100.00210
Valid votes86,97197.79
Invalid/blank votes1,9632.21
Total votes88,934100.00
Registered voters/turnout116,85776.10
Source: Versgeperst, KSE

Aftermath

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.[10] MFK pulled out of negotiations on 28 October, stating unfavorable comments of PS-leader Wiels on radio as the cause.[11] 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.

The interim cabinet was succeeded by the cabinet-Asjes on 7 June 2013. [12]

References
  1. "PAIS en DP/Laboral door naar verkiezingen". Versgeperst (in Dutch). 9 September 2012. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  2. "Regering Curaçao nu echt gevallen". NRC (in Dutch). 3 August 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  3. "PAIS en DP/Laboral door naar verkiezingen". versgeperst.com (in Dutch). 9 September 2012. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  4. "Alle kandidatenlijsten goedgekeurd". versgeperst.com (in Dutch). 19 September 2012. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  5. "Tweede peiling Key Research (Second poll Key Research". versgeperst.com (in Dutch). 21 September 2012. Archived from the original on 24 September 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  6. "Eilandsraadverkiezingen 27 augustus 2010, definitieve uitslag". Burgerlijke Stand, Bevolking en Verkiezingen; Government of the Netherlands Antilles. Archived from the original on 15 November 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  7. "Grote partijen ontlopen elkaar nauwelijks". Amigoe (in Dutch). 2 October 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  8. "116857 kiezers op Curaçao". Versgeperst.com (in Dutch). 19 October 2012. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  9. "Verkiezingswaarnemers bezoeken Betrian". Versgeperst.com (in Dutch). 19 October 2012. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  10. "Formation Process New Curacao Government Officially Started". Curacao Chronicle. 26 October 2012. Archived from the original on 1 November 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  11. "Schotte withdraws from discussions". The Daily Herald. 29 October 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  12. "Regering Curaçao beëdigd" (in Dutch). 7 June 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
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