Otmar Oduber on politics

I had coffee with Otmar Oduber the leader of POR and the former MinTour at the Plaza Café this week, under the watchful eye of owner/businessman/supporter Harry Koeman.

Why don’t you write nicely about Oduber, Harry wanted to know.

I sipped my cappuccino. There is nothing I enjoy more than telling the government to do less. Stick to education, infrastructure repair and construction, health care and trash collection and I would be very happy!

Glenbert Croes, on the MEP list, was seated inside the café in the air-conditioning, with some of his collaborators. At some point Glenbert stopped at our table to chit chat. Apparently, the plan is to forge a coalition, immediately after the upcoming elections, with Evelyn Croes as the leader of the MEP party, and Otmar Oduber at the helm of POR.

I greatly appreciated the invitation to chat with Oduber, in spite of my frequent needling of his time in government. Our conversation was a testimony to his considerable gift as a politician, tolerating criticism and remaining both friendly and inviting.

What did we talk about?! Plenty of topics which will be revealed over time. One conversation was especially poignant. When I rolled my eyes at the mention of his PR machine, documenting his every move he explained, and I am paraphrasing:

All ministers have the power to give — a home, a piece of terrain, a job at KIA, or a trip to the doctor overseas — to their loyal voters, asphalt, streetlights, a water sports license, you name it, favoritism is a form of government.

The ministers in Aruba reward their voters BUT as the MinTour I couldn’t do any of that, I had nothing to give, but hard work. I am a fighter, a pusher, a doer, and I document my activities for my voters, so that they hear/see how much I go to war on their behalf, every day. I have nothing but my brand, my sweat, to give to the people supporting me.

He later outlined his plans to privatize as much government as he can, so that departments may work independently, breaking the chain of ministerial dependency, empowering department-heads to make decisions instead of waiting for the ministers. He cited the airport reorganization, how he pushed for ANSA, the private sector entity created to replace the government as the employer at Reina Beatrix.

Interesting conversation. To be continued.

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April 15, 2017
Rona Coster