Many wondered what is the reason, why the government collapsed, for what seems such a flimsy excuse. The answer is because it could.
- The no-love-coalition MEP/RAIZ lasted three years, and it needed to go away before RAIZ makes any significant political gains, now that it finally started moving on important issues.
- Now is the perfect time, three months to elections will NOT allow smaller parties to organize while MEP has been in campaign mode for months. Parties have until October 18th to file their lists, with the formation official.
- December 6th, is the perfect date, it doesn’t ruin Christmas & New Year and it doesn’t infringe on Carnival.
- GOA needed 6 months of rest. As an interim government that only handles daily matters, all big decisions must wait for the refreshed crew, sworn in later, at the beginning of the second quarter of 2025.
- No need to deal with any of the ‘country package’ reforms. The new Dutch State Secretary will have to hold his horses and wait.
So what happened: Aruba’s prime minister flanked by her party’s ministers marched into the Governor’s office on Monday and announced the dissolution of the coalition, Cabinet Wever-Croes II, under the pretext that RAIZ, its coalition partner, violated their ‘marriage’ agreement.
A similar stunt was also pulled three years ago, when cabinet Wever-Croes I was dissolved.
At the time, the reason cited was the integrity of the political partner, as the head of the coalition minority party, POR, found himself answering questions about doubtful campaign funding.
The plug was pulled, we went to elections, POR, the minority party died.
We have reason to believe this is a similar playbook.
After three years of a touch-and-go partnership where RAIZ sacrificed continuously in an effort not to rock the boat, it finally stood on its hind legs and insisted.
Over the past few days we’ve been hearing how unethical and obnoxious the President of Parliament has become. He is said to be willing to violate the constitution and rules of procedure without any hesitation to serve his partisan goals. His job, was to be rolled over, by law, in a vote on Monday, at the dawn of the new parliamentary year.
RAIZ asked him to be replaced by another MEP party member, and when no new candidate’s name was filed, voted its own candidate in, as the incoming President of Parliament supported by, lo and behold, the opposition votes.
RAIZ, AVP, MAS & ACCTION21, plus an independent member of parliament, voted for the alternative, 11 to 10.
Aruba’s Prime Minister and the leader of MEP, announced her government’s resignation, at once.
That insubordination was intolerable. That loss of control, of getting all opposition parties together, could not be endured. It was an opportune moment, some say carefully planned, and party strategists seized it.
Did RAIZ think they could get away with voting for their own candidate, Kamperveen, in?
Or they simply have had it.
The frog they had to swallow by voting the outgoing President of Parliament back in, got stuck in their throats.
MEP could have put forth another candidate, but it did not. RAIZ did not want to surrender, as they have been doing all along.
(They did not topple the government over the unseen/unpublished contract with Eagle LNG, but voted for, they supported the introduction of BBO at the border, despite being told by the Dutch and the World Bank that other options are more suited.)
Was this the straw that broke the camel’s back, or a strategic move?
Will RAIZ disappear like its predecessors?
We hope not.
If MEP strategists thought it would be right to nip it in the bud, it means RAIZ was gaining momentum.
Consolation? The government in Curacao collapses more frequently.
