History and Government
History
St Eustatius was sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1493, although not settled until the 17th century, when the Dutch were consolidating their Caribbean empire based on Curaao. Within 100 years, the island was the most important transhipment port in the New World, visited by as many as 3000 ships a year, with as many as 200 anchored at the same time. The island has changed hands 22 times since settlement, with the French, Spanish and British ever eager to wrest it from the Dutch. It was an important supply port for the American settlers during the American War of Independence; indeed, the Dutch administration of St Eustatius was the first state to recognise the United States of America, on 16 November 1776. This act provoked the British to send a fleet (under Admiral Rodney) to exact revenge and, in 1781, the island was virtually laid bare by British guns. Rebuilt by the Dutch, it continued to be an important trading centre until the advent of larger ships sent it into obscurity. As part of the Netherlands Antilles, St Eustatius (also known as Statia) gained partial independence from The Netherlands in 1954. The issue of the Antilles’ constitutional status never left the political agenda, however, and was the subject of a referendum on the three Windward Islands in 1994. All three voted to remain within the Antilles, with St Eustatius registering a majority of 86 per cent. At the most recent general election for the Staten – the local governing body of the Antilles – held in January 2002, the socialist Frente Obrero Liberashon (Workers’ Liberation Front) won the largest number of seats but was excluded from office by a four-party centre-right coalition led by the Partido Antia Restruktura (PAR, Party for the Restructured Antilles). PAR, which is based on the island of Curaao, has dominated Antilles’ politics since its formation a decade ago.
Government
The Netherlands Antilles, Aruba and The Netherlands each have equal status within the Kingdom of the Netherlands as regions autonomous in internal affairs. The Dutch monarch is represented locally by a governor, while the Netherlands Antilles are represented in the government of the Kingdom by a Minister Plenipotentiary. Foreign policy and defence matters are decided by a Council of Ministers of the Kingdom, including the Plenipotentiary, and executed under the authority of the governor. The internal affairs of the Netherlands Antilles are administered by the central government of the Netherlands Antilles, based in Willemstad, Curaao, which is responsible to the Staten, or legislative assembly. St Eustatius may elect by non-compulsory adult suffrage one of 22 members to the Staten. Routine local affairs on each island group (Bonaire, Curaao and the Windward Islands) are managed by an elected Island Council, presided over by a Lieutenant-Governor.
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