News item | 08-03-2024 | 5:00 PM
Mrs. MAU (Alida) Francis becomes the Lieutenant Governor of St. Eustatius. State Secretary Van Huffelen of Kingdom Relations and Digitalization has nominated her for appointment in the Council of Ministers.
Alida Francis (58) was born on St. Eustatius and has been government commissioner of St. Eustatius since February 2021 and was deputy government commissioner in 2020. She previously worked as a senior communications advisor and spokesperson at the Caribbean Netherlands National Agency and was Director of Tourism for the island territory of St. Eustatius. Mrs. Francis studied journalism at the School of Journalism in Tilburg.
The appointment takes effect on the date on which the Royal Decree phase 3.0 of the St. Eustatius Restoration Facilities Act comes into effect. On this day, the administrative intervention on St. Eustatius will be ended at the same time. This also means the end of the term of the (deputy) government commissioner.
The appointment of the governor marks the final return to democracy on the island since the intervention in 2018. This means that from that moment on, St. Eustatius itself will be responsible for carrying out its administrative tasks. The (acting) Kingdom Representative will also have a number of additional powers until the Act expires on September 1, 2024.