Amigoe: Aruba’s autonomy under dispute (Wouldn’t this be interesting)

Amigoe; June 15, 2006: Aruba’s autonomy under dispute

Just when Aruba thought it had seen enough problems in dealing with the backlash of the Natalee Holloway investigation and the protests in the streets by Aruban over tax increases comes this interesting premise from Minister Alexander Pechtold (D66) of Kingdom Relations. He claims that Aruba has not complied with protocol for Independence.

He claims that at that time it was agreed that, in exchange for dropping the demand on independency, Aruba will set things right financially and governmentally. Pechtold is of the opinion that the Netherlands can now tighten up, because Aruba has not managed to comply with the protocol.

Pechtold has now brought forwards that Oduber had signed the protocol at that time. In that protocol it was agreed that the Netherlands will abandon the independency of Aruba in 1996, 10 years after the status aparte of 1986. In exchange for that, Aruba would set things straight, under the threat of Dutch interference. Pechtold is of the opinion that these old agreements are still valid and he now appeals to them.

Aruban Prime Minister Nelson Oduber (MEP) replied to these charges:

Pechtold’s position is too crazy for words and he won’t say another word about it.

That’s nonsense, says Oduber, who is of the opinion that the protocol has expired long time ago and that in fact the arrangements do no longer exist.

One never knows how such treaties or protocols are ever interpreted. It certainly makes for an interesting and most likely volatile debate between Aruba and The Netherlands.

Read the full Amigoe article:

ARUBA — Minister Alexander Pechtold (D66) of Kingdom Relations amazed the Aruban Parliamentarians by referring to a protocol concluded in 1993. He claims that at that time it was agreed that, in exchange for dropping the demand on independency, Aruba will set things right financially and governmentally. Pechtold is of the opinion that the Netherlands can now tighten up, because Aruba has not managed to comply with the protocol. According to Premier Nelson Oduber (MEP), Pechtold’s position is too crazy for words and he won’t say another word about it.

There is currently a tri-partite parliamentary deliberation in The Hague, with the future political relations within the Kingdom as the main subject. The Netherlands is in favour of a model, in which justice, good quality of government and finance will fall under a common responsibility. The unanimous position of Aruba is that the National Government of Aruba would then end up under legal restraint of the Netherlands and the Parliament is therefore against it. Pechtold has now brought forwards that Oduber had signed the protocol at that time. In that protocol it was agreed that the Netherlands will abandon the independency of Aruba in 1996, 10 years after the status aparte of 1986. In exchange for that, Aruba would set things straight, under the threat of Dutch interference. Pechtold is of the opinion that these old agreements are still valid and he now appeals to them. That’s nonsense, says Oduber, who is of the opinion that the protocol has expired long time ago and that in fact the arrangements do no longer exist.

The Aruban delegation in the Netherlands was shocked with this position of Pechtold. Most of the members didn’t know about this protocol, neither the contents.

‘STATUS APARTE’

“If the structure of the status aparte gets changed, it would mean war.” With these harsh words of the late Betico Croes, his brother Justice-minister Rudy Croes (MEP) distances himself from the new political structure for the Neth.Antilles and Aruba as proposed by the Netherlands. Croes is of the opinion that Aruba with her expertise and experience can contribute to the restructuring of the Neth.Antilles, but the way the autonomous status of Aruba is arranged, must never be disputable,

“Aruba is voluntarily collaborating with the autonomous status of Curacao and St. Maarten, but this can never happen at the expense of Aruba’s freedom, of our status aparte.” He is also of the opinion that the Netherlands should never have one-sided influence on justice, finance, and education.

Croes also mentioned the admittance ordering for Antillean- and Aruban youngsters. He is of the opinion that already with the designation ‘aliens’, the Aruban citizens fall in the category of second-rate citizens, but that this legislation will further degenerate the Aruban citizens to third-rate citizens.

“Aruban citizens are Dutch citizens by birth, but with the bad luck of being born in Aruba. They are being discrimination for that reason.”

PROTOCOL 1993

Premier Nelson Oduber (MEP), opposition-leader Henny Eman (AVP), the then Dutch Premier Ruud Lubbers (CDA) and his fellow party-member Ernst Hirsch Ballin (CDA) of the Cabinet for Neth.Antilles- and Aruban Matters (KabNA) had signed the protocol in The Hague in 1993.