The very low voter turnout in the recent Dutch parliamentary elections on Bonaire is a clear and sharp wake-up call for the island’s politicians.
The people did not give in or succumb to the pressure from local politicians of MPB, DP, UPB, and M21, who urged them to vote.
The heroic stance of the people demonstrates a renewed determination to continue the struggle against the oppression imposed by the Dutch Parliament in The Hague since 2010.
It also upholds the 2015 referendum, which called for Bonaire to be re-listed by the United Nations as a Non-Self-Governing Territory.
This is a message louder than any campaign slogan or press statement: the people reject the imposed governance of the Dutch Second Chamber.
A multi-layered message
This wake-up call has several layers. The low turnout shows that many Bonairians feel disconnected from both local and Dutch politics — they do not believe their vote will bring real change.
For many, not voting has become a silent act of protest.
Local leaders: hypocrisy in plain sight
There is also a striking contradiction in local politics.
Just weeks before the election, Bonairian politicians traveled to Aruba, Curaçao, and St. Maarten to condemn The Hague for making major decisions without consulting local governments.
Yet during election week, these same Bonairian politicians aggressively pressured citizens to vote for the same Dutch parties and politicians they had just criticized.
This behavior deepened the division within the Bonairian people and revealed a leadership marked by hypocrisy and lack of principle.
The low turnout was not ignorance or apathy, but a message — a rejection of the current political system, culture, and leadership.
The people are demanding honesty, accountability, and genuine representation.
It is a wake-up call for all leaders on Bonaire to reflect, reconnect, and rebuild trust.
2012–2025: Boycott as organized resistance
Since 2012, James Finies has urged Bonairians not to vote in the Dutch parliamentary elections, arguing that participation only legitimizes an imposed political status rather than expressing true democratic choice.
He organized anti-Second Chamber campaigns in 2012, 2017, and 2021, offering protest options using the Dutch ballot itself.
Videos:
2012 – https://youtu.be/OzyJXdUp-N0?si=KzvEETIc_sVKHMvF
2017 / 2021 – https://youtu.be/Kv_uVChdp00?si=0_BhdcobBPoAbtgR
These actions have helped keep voter participation around 20% for more than a decade.
Since 10-10-10, Bonaire’s status as a “public entity” has reduced local autonomy and subjected the island to unilateral decisions from The Hague.
Finies argues that by voting, Bonairians signal consent to this structure and weaken their rights and struggle for self-determination.
His call — “tira bo karchi di votashon afo” (throw away your ballot) and “no vota” (don’t vote) — is meant as political protest, not apathy.
Over time, the low participation trend shows that many people are aware.
Not voting has become a deliberate act of resistance — not passive disinterest, but an active refusal to legitimize an imposed political arrangement without the people’s consent.
Media distort the real story
Media coverage — especially in the Dutch press — with headlines claiming that “Party X or Y won on Bonaire,” does not reflect reality.
With such a low turnout, it is misleading and even deceptive to claim that any party won the support of the Bonairian people.
Many deliberately abstained as a silent protest.
Bonairians consciously stayed away from the polls, rejecting all political parties and once again rejecting the imposed system that allows the Dutch Parliament to govern them.
The real winner: the people of Bonaire
The real winner is the people of Bonaire, who have shown resilience and resistance.
They stood firm and did not give in to constant pressure, manipulative campaigns, debates, and repeated calls to vote — not only from their own government and politicians but also from Dutch officials, community figures, media, social networks, family, friends, religious leaders, private sector heads, and even the Lieutenant Governor, who, according to Finies, was used as a political instrument against the Bonairian people.
Press release: James Finies