1983 Netherlands Antilles island council elections

← 1979

29 April 1983 (ABC islands)
6 May 1983 (SSS islands)

1987 →

All 68 seats in the island councils of Aruba (21), Bonaire (9),
Curaçao (21), Saba (5), Sint Eustatius (5) and Sint Maarten (7)

Island council elections were held in the Netherlands Antilles on 29 April (ABC islands) and 6 May 1983 (SSS islands) to elect the members of the island councils of its six island territories. The election was won by the People's Electoral Movement (13 seats) in Aruba, the Bonaire Democratic Party (5 seats) in Bonaire, the New Antilles Movement (8 seats) in Curaçao, the Windward Islands People's Movement (4 seats) in Saba, the Democratic Party Statia (3 seats) in Sint Eustatius, and the Democratic Party (5 seats) in Sint Maarten.

Shooting of Betico Croes

During the campaign in Aruba, an incident occurred at an illegally organized car parade of the People's Electoral Movement (MEP) in Santa Cruz on 24 April 1983. The rally was to be held on the same day as the car parade of the Aruban People's Party (AVP), but unlike the AVP, the MEP did not have permission from the local police. When MEP leader Betico Croes began mobilizing 500 cars for the parade, a warning shot was fired by a police officer. A second shot hit Croes in the abdomen.

Croes was taken to the Dr. Horacio E. Oduber Hospital in Oranjestad, where his spleen was removed and the bleeding was stopped. Directly after the shooting, riots occurred, in response to which Lieutenant Governor Pedro Bislip ordered to close all bars and prohibit the sale of alcohol on the island until further notice. Five days later, the MEP won the election with 57.9% of the popular vote.

Results

Aruba


Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	People's Electoral Movement	20,798	57.94	13	+1
	Aruban People's Party	8,102	22.57	5	+1
	Aruban Patriotic Party	5,354	14.91	3	0
	Aruban Democratic Party	1,644	4.58	0	New
Total		35,898	100.00	21	0

Source: CBS

Bonaire


Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Bonaire Democratic Party	2,371	47.72	5	+1
	Bonaire Patriotic Union	2,184	43.95	4	−1
	United Bonaire Progressive Party	246	4.95	0	0
	New Action Party	168	3.38	0	0
Total		4,969	100.00	9	–

Source: CBS

Curaçao


Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	New Antilles Movement	23,391	33.84	8	+2
	National People's Party	23,249	33.63	7	+2
	Democratic Party	14,799	21.41	5	–1
	Workers' Liberation Front	4,503	6.51	1	0
	Social Democratic Party	1,744	2.52	0	−3
	META	1,444	2.09	0	0
Total		69,130	100.00	21	–

Registered voters/turnout		104,328	–
Source: CBS

Saba

The result was a victory for the Windward Islands People's Movement, which won four of the five seats in the Island Council of Saba.


Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Windward Islands People's Movement	470	77.43	4	–1
	Saba United Party	137	22.57	1	New
Total		607	100.00	5	0

Source: Johnson

Sint Eustatius


Party		Seats	+/–
	Democratic Party	3	+1
	Windward Islands People's Movement	2	−1
Total		5	0

Source: Algemeen Dagblad

Sint Maarten

The Island Council seats increased from five to seven. The result was a victory for the Democratic Party, which won five of the seven Island Council seats.


Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Democratic Party	3,342	66.85	5	+2
	Sint Maarten Patriotic Movement	1,443	28.87	2	0
	Partido Pro Penshonado	191	3.82	0	New
	New Electoral Movement of Antilles	23	0.46	0	New
Total		4,999	100.00	7	+2

Source: Lynch & Lynch

References

"Politieke partijen en verkiezingen". Historia di Aruba (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 September 2017.
^ "Betico Croes neergeschoten". Leidsch Dagblad (in Dutch). No. 37070. Historische Kranten, Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken. 25 April 1983. p. 1. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
^ "Religion and Politics". Statistical Yearbook Netherlands Antilles 1985. Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS). December 1985. p. 24. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
^ Johnson, Will (2006). Dreaming Big. Alkmaar: Falstaff Media. pp. 70–72, 175–176. ISBN 9077751327.
"De Sabanen hebben druk gebruik gemaakt van hun stemrecht". Amigoe (in Dutch). 10 May 1983. p. 7.
"WIPM op Saba verliest 1 zetel Onbedreigde winnaar DP op Sint Maarten". Amigoe (in Dutch). 7 May 1983. p. 8.
"Roer niet om op Bovenwindse Antillen". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Delpher. 9 May 1983. p. 3. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
^ Lynch, Edgar H.; Lynch, Julian C. (1999). Know Your Political History (Rev. ed.). Philipsburg, St. Martin: House of Nehesi Publ. pp. 42, 52, 185–186. ISBN 0913441325.

Elections in the Netherlands Antilles

General elections

Island council elections

1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007
Snap elections	Aruba (1985) Curaçao (2010) Sint Maarten (2010)

See also: Elections and referendums in Aruba
Bonaire
Curaçao
Saba
Sint Eustatius
Sint Maarten
Netherlands

Local elections and referendums in the Netherlands Antilles

v t e Elections and referendums in Aruba
General elections	1985 1989 1993 1994 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2024
Island Council elections	1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1979 1983
Referendums	1977
See also: Elections and referendums in the Netherlands Antilles

v t e Elections and referendums in Bonaire
Island Council	2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Electoral College	2019 2023
Referendums	1994 2004 2010 2015
See also: Elections and referendums in the Netherlands Elections in the Netherlands Antilles

v t e Elections and referendums in Curaçao
General elections	2010 2012 2016 2017 2021 2025
Island Council elections	1995 1999 2003 2007
Referendums	1993 2005 2009
See also: Elections in the Netherlands Antilles

v t e Elections and referendums in Saba
Island Council	1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Electoral College	2019 2023
Referendums	1994 2004
See also: Elections and referendums in the Netherlands Elections in the Netherlands Antilles

v t e Elections and referendums in Sint Eustatius
Island Council	1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2020 2023
Electoral College	2019 2023
Referendums	1994 2005 2014
See also: Elections and referendums in the Netherlands Elections in the Netherlands Antilles

v t e Elections and referendums in Sint Maarten
General elections	1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2010 2014 2016 2018 2020 2024 (Jan) 2024 (Aug)
Referendums	1994 2000
See also: Elections in the Netherlands Antilles

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