WILLEMSTAD - Rennox Calmes, the leader of the Curaçao political party Trabou pa Kòrsou (TPK), has proposed a bill to block the issue of same-sex marriage in Curaçao. 

The level of support for Calmes' bill remains uncertain at this time. If the proposal successfully proceeds through the various advisory councils, it will require a qualified majority of two-thirds of the 21 seats in the Curaçao parliament to become law. 

Last December, a court ruling declared the exclusion of same-sex marriage as a violation of anti-discrimination laws and constitutional regulations in Curaçao. In response, the government lodged an appeal in cassation the same month. The Curaçao cabinet maintains that there is no legal obligation, at either the national or international level, to allow traditional marriage for same-sex couples. 

Under the current Civil Code of Curaçao, marriage is defined as a union solely between a man and a woman. However, the court has deemed this provision to be in violation of the principles of equality and non-discrimination as enshrined in the Curaçao constitution. 

Calmes argues that such a significant matter should not be solely determined by the judiciary, suggesting that the judge is overstepping the role of the parliament. He also claims that the Curaçao population has never expressed their acceptance of same-sex marriage. 

In a separate development, the government of Aruba filed an appeal in cassation in February regarding a related ruling by the Common Court on Curaçao, which addressed the issue of same-sex marriage in Aruba and Curaçao. The Aruban government contends that the court's decision amounts to an encroachment on the government's authority.