CALL FOR WRITE-IN VOTES TO BE ALLOWED IN CURACAO 2016 ELECTIONS
By JJosepha News
Twitter.com/JJosephaNews
Willemstad, Curacao. Saturday, August 20, and Sunday, August 21, from 8 am to 8 pm throughout four polling divisions, Curacao’s Primaries Selection Days (PSD-2016) may or may not produce a viable option to the six incumbent political parties for the representatives of the Second Staten Van Curacao on the national general election day (NGED-2016) on September 30.
After six years of political maturity as an autonomous country, in charge of its own internal affairs, Curacao faces a decision that has some political analysts commenting; "An election write-in option may be the answer for stronger candidatures, as a possible solution to lately what many in the population feel is unjust…"
However, last Monday a total of six "incumbent-old political parties", three "Incumbent-New Political Parties", one "Non-incumbent-Old Political Party" and 11 "Non-incumbent-New Political Parties" registered a total of 21 political parties and entities for the PSD-2016.
One onlooker to the August 8 activities at The Kranshi commented, "These are a lot of new political parties but still have the same old faces and the others are new faces in the same old political parties, so nothing much has changed."
The constitution of Curacao, The Election Decree, The Charter Kingdom of The Netherlands nor The Land Ordinance Electoral Regulation that are the pertinent laws governing the Curacao primaries and national election do not openly express that a write-in vote is not permitted.
Curacao’s election commissioner, Raymond "Pacheco" Romer, was asked for his comments as to where in the constitution or electoral regulation does it state that a write-in is not permitted and even though hints were drawn to Article 16, there was no return response from the 2016 election commissioner at the time of posting.
If we as a country are to stand up then constitutional reforms must be evident to allow the free speech and expression of the voting electorate and all the options available, even if it is a protest vote, blank vote, or NOTA vote, that is the sign of election maturity. Is Curacao truly ready and there yet?
According to The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum website, in 1960, when John F. Kennedy sought the Democratic nomination for president, he won the states of Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts primaries with only write-in votes, gaining the selection of his political party and then going on to win the highest government office in the United States, as the president.
Where would history have left us without such man who dared to dream the impossible?
Curacao is in a particularly precarious situation in the primaries and possibly a couple of candidates and parties looking for a John F Kennedy opportunity to make a difference in Curacao’s history.
"So instead of a vote for who is having the biggest party with the most popular bands and the most food to give away, let’s look at the facts that are on Curacao’s table; Brexit, FATCA, a projected sluggish US economic forecast, climate change, pandemic clashes in healthcare, increased terrorism and open borders and a never ending increasing national debt that’s about 40% of our national GDP and rising, in addition to the Caribbean and global perception of the country’s national image pride and integrity on the global market," one young person stated on Monday.
Note: Article 16 of the Election Land Ordinance Regulation:
Article 16
1. Each candidate must be supported by a number of electors equal to at least one percent of the sum of the numbers of the vote, which was adopted by the director in the last election of members states, rounded to a whole.
2. To support lists only the declaration referred to in Article 24, paragraph fielded candidates allowed.
3. The days of supporting candidates are on the second Saturday and the second Sunday after the day of the nomination.
4. Voters referred to in the first paragraph may only participate in support if they are included on the electoral register.
5. The same voter cannot support more than one list.
6. The preceding paragraphs shall not apply to the list of candidates of a political party which, under the last recently held election of members from one or more seats were allocated, nor the joint list of two or more political parties, whether the last election of the members of the States one of the candidates at least one or more seats were allocated.
After six years of political maturity as an autonomous country, in charge of its own internal affairs, Curacao faces a decision that has some political analysts commenting; "An election write-in option may be the answer for stronger candidatures, as a possible solution to lately what many in the population feel is unjust…"
However, last Monday a total of six "incumbent-old political parties", three "Incumbent-New Political Parties", one "Non-incumbent-Old Political Party" and 11 "Non-incumbent-New Political Parties" registered a total of 21 political parties and entities for the PSD-2016.
One onlooker to the August 8 activities at The Kranshi commented, "These are a lot of new political parties but still have the same old faces and the others are new faces in the same old political parties, so nothing much has changed."
The constitution of Curacao, The Election Decree, The Charter Kingdom of The Netherlands nor The Land Ordinance Electoral Regulation that are the pertinent laws governing the Curacao primaries and national election do not openly express that a write-in vote is not permitted.
Curacao’s election commissioner, Raymond "Pacheco" Romer, was asked for his comments as to where in the constitution or electoral regulation does it state that a write-in is not permitted and even though hints were drawn to Article 16, there was no return response from the 2016 election commissioner at the time of posting.
If we as a country are to stand up then constitutional reforms must be evident to allow the free speech and expression of the voting electorate and all the options available, even if it is a protest vote, blank vote, or NOTA vote, that is the sign of election maturity. Is Curacao truly ready and there yet?
According to The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum website, in 1960, when John F. Kennedy sought the Democratic nomination for president, he won the states of Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts primaries with only write-in votes, gaining the selection of his political party and then going on to win the highest government office in the United States, as the president.
Where would history have left us without such man who dared to dream the impossible?
Curacao is in a particularly precarious situation in the primaries and possibly a couple of candidates and parties looking for a John F Kennedy opportunity to make a difference in Curacao’s history.
"So instead of a vote for who is having the biggest party with the most popular bands and the most food to give away, let’s look at the facts that are on Curacao’s table; Brexit, FATCA, a projected sluggish US economic forecast, climate change, pandemic clashes in healthcare, increased terrorism and open borders and a never ending increasing national debt that’s about 40% of our national GDP and rising, in addition to the Caribbean and global perception of the country’s national image pride and integrity on the global market," one young person stated on Monday.
Note: Article 16 of the Election Land Ordinance Regulation:
Article 16
1. Each candidate must be supported by a number of electors equal to at least one percent of the sum of the numbers of the vote, which was adopted by the director in the last election of members states, rounded to a whole.
2. To support lists only the declaration referred to in Article 24, paragraph fielded candidates allowed.
3. The days of supporting candidates are on the second Saturday and the second Sunday after the day of the nomination.
4. Voters referred to in the first paragraph may only participate in support if they are included on the electoral register.
5. The same voter cannot support more than one list.
6. The preceding paragraphs shall not apply to the list of candidates of a political party which, under the last recently held election of members from one or more seats were allocated, nor the joint list of two or more political parties, whether the last election of the members of the States one of the candidates at least one or more seats were allocated.
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