As you know, this New and Old Testament quote is a frequent political weapon used to coerce innocent bystanders to align themselves with one side of a perceived conflict, it’s either you are an ally or an enemy, with negative consequences implied for the enemy, thus further polarization, inevitable.
This week this terrorist strategy was used by both the MinPres and MinTvs, accusing those who did not agree with their thinking as ‘corruptions lovers,’ seeking to ‘break’ Aruba.
On Monday, in parliament, the 4th version of a minister-screening law was presented. We all agree it is important to investigate candidates and their background, BEFORE they take charge, but the law as presented fell short according to a number of parliamentarians from the opposition benches, plus an independent member, who suggested amendments, in several areas.
In Aruba that issue of looking at the under-belly of political hopefuls is especially important due to the tendency of the chosen to arrive at their new desks with an entourage of freshly appointed advisors, all family members, added to the public payroll.
The request for amendments of the minister-screening law failed. And consequently, the law never passed.
I spoke to member of parliament Daphne Lejuez who along with the AVP members of parliament suggested a number of tweaks and when ignored voted against.
The new law was flawed, she reported, it was just window dressing.
Some of the disagreement, along party lines, involved the WHEN. When to screen. Common sense dictates some kind of screening before even joining a political list, early in the game. The way the law was presented, screening occurred much later in the process, and would have never gone into effect in time to screen the current government. The language of the law also excluded any drug user from becoming a minister, including cannabis, while one of our parliamentarians is an open cannabis user, and his party enjoyed significant popular support, 4,166 votes, in the 2017 election, running on a platform that promised the legalization of medicinal cannabis.
I guess the way the law was presented aimed at preventing the head of that party, Ricardo Croes, from ever becoming a minister. An attempt to keep pot heads away. Though they are definitely part of our community.
As a respected member of the coalition, whose help was accepted in forming a government, to be so openly disrespected and slighted, was an insult hard to swallow, as it is clear Croes was tricked into a coalition agreement that no one seriously planned to keep.
MinTvs explained that down the road, of course, Aruba will legalize medicinal cannabis, use, distribution, whatever, as a good source of income, but not as an immediate priority. The world doesn’t revolve around cannabis, he explained. We can just string this guy along, he thought.
In reality, Lejuez explains, the island already has a useful screening decree, the one used to rigorously investigate MinInfra before she assumed the reigns of her ministry — Spatial Development, Infrastructure, and Environment — which means we are covered for now, not in danger of being overrun by new levels of corruption, just the usual ones.
Another law that failed to ratify was the one in support of the mythical incinerator. The process began with a levy, a new tax to be collected from residents and tourists, designed to finance trash processing, no budget, no feasibility plan, no science. The law was stopped in its tracks by the opposition, which consequently allows the current MinInfra time to investigate an alternative solution, one that is more in line with Aruba’s needs, instead of the former MinInfra’s alleged maneuverings and intrigues.
That trash processing law will have to wait until our current MinInfra completes her study and presents a proper plan of dealing with waste, and it’s time we looked at the issue strongly, because before long we will be drowning in our own junk. Pun intended. The pandemic also bought us some more time, with reduced level of garbage produced.
You’re either with us, or against us? We all reserve the right to think differently but still play on the same team. We’re not against anything at all, on the contrary we wish the MinPres a nice vacation, and a safe return!
