DUTCH SURVEY FINDS MAJORITY SUPPORT FOR INDEPENDENCE FOR DUTCH 'AUTONOMOUS COUNTRIES'

Meanwhile, annexation of the more manageable Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius continues in earnest.

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PVV: “Majority Of Dutch People Wants To Get Rid 

Of The Antilles”

THE HAGUE - Most Dutch people want to get rid of the former Netherlands Antilles (Curaçao, Aruba and St. Maarten). This is according to a conclusion from the Dutch political party PVV after a survey by Maurice de Hond among more than 2000 Dutch people.

61 percent of respondents indicated that the main reason to completely sever ties with the islands is the regular financial problems, corruption, and mismanagement. For the PVV voters, it is about 88 percent, the VVD, 76 percent and D66, 45 percent.

A slight majority of 55 percent believe that the Netherlands does not have a duty to care anymore for the West Indies, resulting from the colonial past. Again, the PVV supporters with 86 percent, are the most pronounced.

47 percent of respondents finds it wrongly that the Netherlands may not unilaterally sever ties with the three countries within the Kingdom. 39 percent do agree with this.

PVV MP Sietse Fritsma finds it untenable and undemocratic that the government and parliament say that Dutch "have nothing to say" about whether to sever ties with the islands. “Citizens here must have a voice in this as quickly as possible, and we can finally say goodbye to the former West Indies.”

Fritsma wants the Minister of Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk to appear before parliament this coming Wednesday to talk about the outcome of the survey.