Aruban Prime Minister In Defeat Still Does not Understand Freedom of the Press (Oduber loses to Diario)

Aruban PM Nelson Oduber loses his court case against Diario for “insultation and slurring on his integrity”.  I know that there is a joke and at least the reference of an oxymoron within that statement.  Aruban PM Oduber, you can thank your lucky stars you do not hold a political position in the US with the thin skinned reaction you have to how the media criticizes and scrutinizes you and your party. New-flash … in a democracy the Press is not supposed to agree with a political party and carry its water, that would be called propaganda. The Press is supposed to act as a watch-guard for the people.

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Oduber’s reaction is that he will not appeal.  “I have lost enough time in this case already.  It has become clear to me that everybody can publish anything they want about the government, and not be prosecuted.  We have actually been outlawed.”

Are you joking? At this point after PM Oduber made this comment, Oduber began to sing, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”.  Oduber, your drama is astounding. You are a politician, people will always disagree with your position and question it. That is what is supposed to occur in a DEMOCRACY.

Amigoe, June 29, 2007: Oduber looses case against Diario  

ORANJESTAD – In a lawsuit that Oduber had instituted against the morning paper Diario, of which the hearing was this morning, the judge ruled that he doesn’t think that Diario has insulted Prime Minister Nelson Oduber (MEP) in an article on the Namdar-case.   

The premier demanded rectification as a result of an article that appeared in the paper on May 14th that stated that the premier ‘has declared himself as main suspect’ in the Namdar-case.  Diario refused to rectify and the premier instituted the lawsuit due to insultation and slurring on his integrity.  “I admit in Oduber’s favour that Diario does impudent assertions in the article about the involvement of the government and the government party in a bribery scandal, but those assertions are strongly put into perspective”, said the judge.  According to him, it is about an analysis of the case and not a statement of the case.

Oduber’s reaction is that he will not appeal.  “I have lost enough time in this case already.  It has become clear to me that everybody can publish anything they want about the government, and not be prosecuted.  We have actually been outlawed.”