I did not have to do any study, it all appeared in my mail box, gains and losses and analysis. So I posted some charts on my FB and wrote small blurbs to accompany them.
Here are my blurbs clumped together
Accion21: Party Leader Miguel Mansur landed 2019 votes, very good for a newcomer with a message of change and an interesting personal story. #2 on the list Daphne Lejuez was rewarded for her good work in parliament with 500 votes, up from 196, in 2017. We hope she gets right back into the next assembly. If Miguel gets into the coalition government, becomes a minister, his parliamentary seat will go to her. Zoe Conijn would have been the most popular candidate on the island if dogs and cats could vote, she is the saint guardian of animals.
PPA: A party with a social message and a promising leader, Lisette Malmberg. I hope they take a page out of the Raiz handbook and work hard for four years and land 2 or 3 seats in the next election in 2025. Not sure about the separation of church and state here.
RAIZ: Ursell Arends earned it, working with his eyes on the goal for the last four years. He picked a good list of candidates who helped him, and campaigned well. Geoffrey Wever gave up a lucrative career to become a leader in our community and I wish him good luck as our new Minister of Justice or Minister of Finance, he is very capable. Ursell could take a crack at Tourism, he is an expert in the field.
UPP: Representing San Nicolas, this party did not get much support. And I am going to say something not many people will like: San Nicolas residents should have voted for this option, for example, or any other, instead of being forever bound to AVP. Their loyalty to AVP is unjustified and a switch is loooong-overdue. San Nicolas people should know better by now!
MAS: What shall we say, that hasn’t been said? MLT is the true winner of this election. A one-woman army. She proved her point that Arubans are against corruption and want it eradicated. Should she go back to the Spatial Development and Infrastructure portfolio? Will GOA let her finish what she started there, or should she send a member of her party, a lower ranking one to do the job, and this way, they can never get rid of her, since she will be sitting comfortably in parliament? The winds of change are captained by MLT, who standing up to Otmar Oduber proved she cannot be bullied. Voters forgot old imperfections and animosities in order to give her a clear charter to continue her work. Remember the three ‘small’ parties received 13,565 votes, they are the third largest party on the island.
HTC: This was just an anecdote, soon forgotten.
MEP: Almost everyone on the MEP list lost voters’ confidence, except MinPres, she is the only qualified leader here. The 2021 election sends a clear signal, we no longer need autocratic ministers, do-all and know-all, this was yesterday. Look at the numbers, we don’t like your style, you have to change. We now need consensus seeking leaders who will bridge polarity and bring us together, making the necessary changes to reach sustainability. Throw the Chavez handbook away, we don’t need people to decide for us, and work for us. We can do all the work ourselves. Be less xenophobic and like immigrants more. The job of the new government is to support us, create the backdrop against which entrepreneurs, artists and thinkers can thrive. Stop spending our money to increase your popularity, it doesn’t work. And looking at the number tells me that the so called Heir to the Throne, Dangui Oduber, should be worried, because his popularity slipped and his future as the next leader of the party looks shaky. Ursell Arends has almost as many votes, 1,939. And we certainly should not reward #3 in the next government with the Spatial Planning and Infrastructure portfolio, that should go to MAS. And we could refresh the Minister of Finance position with a new candidate. Glenbert Croes, with all the great gestures and the money he threw at voters with his own brand of unemployment, FASE, lost a substantial number of followers. Endy Croes grew in popularity? I don’t get it, but his name does appear frequently in Solo Di Pueblo.
AVP: Numbers don’t lie. We are not crazy about your politics. Gerlien Croes seems to be the future of the party, she was featured everywhere and gained votes nicely. Beware, AVP is known to groom candidates then bite their heads off. The old guard, #2 and #3 can also be replaced, they have nice businesses to return to in the private sector, and don’t need to stay in the public arena since their future is secure. #29 slipped in popularity but since #1 asked voters to specifically vote for him, he shows a considerable following, from KIA, jail, Berguenza total. The good news? Michael Lampe can now go back to music 100%
RED: Take a look at Ricardo Croes, which we will miss, he is funny and quirky, he took it upon himself to be the GOA clown and performed well. He had to opportunities to resign and save his dignity, once when legalization of weed was postponed and/or poopooed, anyway, did not go the way he wanted, the second at the Serlimar discussion. He swallowed his pride and stayed. MLT left kicking and screaming. Look who was rewarded by voters. Looking at the list I have to ask, who will have the courage and leadership to assume education, in the footsteps of Rudy Lampe? The poor minister was bashed. I hear many of his ideas were excellent but as a weak communicator he failed to implement them. And so frugal. He was such a frugal conscientious minister, I have to say thank you for that, and look forward to a good manager and peace-maker in his place.
