Prime Minister Mike Eman, together with the Minister of Tourism, Transport, and Labor, Wendrick Cicilia, met with the “deskundigengroep democratisch deficit” (expert group on democratic deficit) of the Tweede Kamer (Dutch House of Representatives). This is an independent group of experts studying how the democratic functioning within the Kingdom of the Netherlands can become stronger and more representative for all citizens. The delegation consisted of Dr. Aubrich Bakhuis, chairman of the group, Mr. Johan Sjiem Fat, Dr. Rachnilda Arduin, Prof. Dr. Leonard Besselink, and Mr. Gytha Boerwinkel, who serves as the secretary of the working group.
During the meeting, the expert group presented and spoke with Prime Minister Eman about two documents. The first document is a memorandum outlining the direction, focus, and steps of the investigation into the democratic deficit within the Kingdom. The second document presents an introduction to the initiative and the participants contributing to the research. During the meeting, thoughts were also exchanged on the work being carried out by the expert group. As part of their investigation, the expert group formulated a total of 31 proposals aimed at reducing the democratic deficit and strengthening democratic representation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
As a token of appreciation during the encounter, Prime Minister Mike Eman presented each expert with a copy of the book “Volk van Veerkracht” (People of Resilience) by Luc Alofs and René Zwart. The publication chronicles the history of resilience, perseverance, and strength of the Aruban people, showing how Aruba managed to develop its own identity and capacity to overcome various challenges throughout generations.
The meeting is part of a series of dialogues that Prime Minister Mike Eman is holding in the Netherlands regarding the future of the Kingdom, mutual cooperation, and the need to continue working toward a more balanced, transparent, and democratic relationship among the countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
