Curaçao: Parliamentary Election, 5 October 2016

At stake in this election:

• 21 seats in the Staten van Curaçao (Estates of Curaçao)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: King WILLEM-ALEXANDER (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor Lucille A. GEORGE-WOUT (since 4 November 2013)
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Bernard WHITEMAN (since 1 September 2015)[1]
• Assembly: Curaçao has a unicameral Staten van Curaçao (Estates of Curaçao) composed of 21 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• Members of the Estates of Curaçao are directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms.

Note: To be eligible to contest parliamentary elections, political parties that are not represented in parliament are required to compete in a pre-election round of voting and must receive at least 1% of the valid votes cast in the previous parliamentary election.

Last Election:

• Elections were last held on 19 October 2012. Pueblo Soberano and Movementu Futuro Korsou won 5 seats each, Partido Antia Restruktura and Partido pa Adelanto/Inovashon Soshal each won 4, Movishon Antia Nobo won 2, and Partido Nashonal di Pueblo won 1.

Main parties in the election:

• Partido Nashonal di Pueblo (PNP)
  • Leader: Humphrey DAVELAAR
  • Seats won in last election: 1
• Pueblo Soberano (PS)
  • Leader: Jaime CORDOBA
  • Seats won in last election: 5
• Partido Alternativa REAL (PAR)
  • Leader: Zita JESUS-LEITO
  • Seats won in last election: 4
• Partido Adelanto Inovativo Solidario (PAIS)
  • Leader: Alex ROSARIA
  • Seats won in last election: 4
• Movementu Futuro Kórsou (MFK)
  • Leader: Gerrit SCHOTTE
  • Seats won in last election: 5
• Partido MAN (Movementu Antia Nobo)
  • Leader: Hensley KOEIMAN
  • Seats won in last election: 2
• Partido Demokrat
  • Leader: Geraldine SCHEPERBOER-PARIS
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Un Kórsou Hustu (A Just Curaçao)
  • Leader: Omayra LEEFLANG
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Partido Alianso Sosial (PAS)
  • Leader: Charles COOPER
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Movementu Kousa Promé
  • Leader: Rene ROSALIA
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Partido Pro Kórsou
  • Leader: Ivar ASJES
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Kórsou di Nos Tur
  • Leader: Amparo DOS SANTOS
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Movementu Progresivo
  • Leader: Marilyn MOSES
  • Seats won in last election: 0

Population and number of registered voters:

·         Population: 148,406 (July 2015 est.)

·         Registered Voters: 116,857 (2012)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 77,393 (July 2015 est.)

·         Is Curaçao a signatory to CEDAW: N/A

·         Has Curaçao ratified CEDAW: N/A

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 5 (23.81%)

·         Human Development Index Position: N/A

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Curaçao a signatory to CRPD: N/A

·         Has Curaçao ratified CRPD: N/A

·         Population with a disability: 22,260 (est.)