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History and Government
History: Saba was sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1493, by Sir Francis Drake in 1595 and by two Dutch expeditions in the 1620s. In 1632, a party of Englishmen was shipwrecked on the tiny island and found it uninhabited, although there were traces of Carib occupation. Permanent settlement by Europeans did not occur until the second half of the 17th century, when the Dutch were consolidating their Caribbean empire, based on Curaçao. The settlers founded an agricultural economy with sugar and indigo as the key crops. The decline in these markets forced the population to maintain their modest prosperity through fishing and embroidery which, together with low-key tourism, remain the major sources of income.
The island changed hands 12 times between 1632 and 1816, when it was finally confirmed as a Dutch possession. As part of the Netherlands Antilles, Saba 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 but Saba registered the largest majority of 91 per cent.
At the most recent general election for the Staten 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). The PAR, which is based on the island of Curaçao, has dominated Antilles’ politics since its formation a decade ago. PAR leader Miguel Pourier, who has held the premiership for most of the last decade, continues in office.
Government: The Netherlands Antilles, Aruba and The Netherlands each have equal status within the Kingdom of the Netherlands as autonomous regions 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, based in Willemstad, Curaçao, which is responsible to the Staten or legislative assembly. Saba may elect by non-compulsory adult suffrage one of 22 members to the Staten. Routine local affairs on each island group (Bonaire, Curaçao and the Windward Islands) are managed by an elected Island Council, presided over by a Lieutenant-Governor.
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