aruba, curaçao, and sint maarten regulate the governance of their respective countries, but are subordinate to the charter for the kingdom of the netherlands. the netherlands is ruled by the provisions and institutions of the constitution for the kingdom of the netherlands that also constitutes and regulates the institutions of the kingdom that are mentioned in the charter. the constitution is also subordinate to the charter. the provisions in the charter for some of these institutions are additional and are applicable only for those affairs of the kingdom, as described in the charter, when they affect aruba, curaçao, or sint maarten directly. in cases where affairs of the kingdom do not affect aruba, curaçao, or sint maarten, they are dealt with according to the provisions laid down in the constitution. in these cases the netherlands, the jurisdiction ruled directly by the constitution for the kingdom of the netherlands, acts alone, according to its constitution and in its capacity as the kingdom of the netherlands. the other three countries cannot do the same for affairs of the kingdom that only pertain to them and not to the netherlands proper. in these cases, the provisions of the charter prevail.