DAWN BEACH--Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende's brief trip to the Dutch Windward Islands became even briefer on Sunday due to the threat of Hurricane Earl, the first storm system to threaten the island so far for the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

The prime minister arrived aboard Dutch Royal Airlines KLM's regularly scheduled flight from Amsterdam around midday Sunday and proceeded to The Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort and Spa for several meetings. His original agenda had him staying overnight followed by visits to Saba and St. Eustatius. Those two islands will become Dutch Public Entities when the Netherlands Antilles ceases to exist on 10-10-10.

Balkenende flew a day early to Curaçao aboard the Dutch Coast Guard plane. He left Sunday afternoon just before Princess Juliana International Airport closed down at 5:00pm until further notice on the orders of the Emergency Operating Centre (EOC), headed by Acting Lt. Governor Reynold Groeneveldt.

While on St. Maarten, Balkenende had a private meeting with Leader of Government Constitutional Affairs Commissioner William Marlin and two other separate meetings with the Executive Council and future governor of Country St. Maarten Eugene Holiday. All three meetings did continue as planned although time was limited.

All meetings centred on the constitutional change process that should come to an end on October 10 with the dissolution of the Antilles and the emergence of the new countries-within-the-Dutch-Kingdom St. Maarten and Curaçao.

The meetings with Marlin and the Executive Council had also as a backdrop the September 9 Round Table Conference (RTC) in The Hague that will vet the readiness of St. Maarten and Curaçao to become countries in the kingdom, a status similar to Aruba. Marlin is expected to head the delegation to The Hague that should also include former Constitutional Affairs Commissioner, now opposition leader Island Councilwoman, Sarah Wescot-Williams, and advisors.

Preparing the Executive Council were Groeneveldt, Marlin, Commissioners Hyacinth Richardson and Xavier Blackman, and Programme Manager for Country St. Maarten ,former Lt. Governor, Dennis Richardson. Absent were Commissioners Theo Heyliger and Frans Richardson.