Today, the 2025-2026 parliamentary year of the Parliament of Aruba officially came to a close. Official figures tell a story that the people of Aruba have also experienced: a parliament that has failed you.
A parliament whose committees do not meet does not monitor government spending, does not protect the people, does not investigate or question government decisions, and does not do its job.
62% of the public meetings officially requested were never called. 75% of question hours (vragenuur), the most basic tool a parliamentarian has to question the government, were not held. Out of every 10 written questions submitted to the government, 6 went unanswered. How can a parliament exercise oversight and ensure transparency under these conditions?
The President of Parliament holds the authority to call meetings and bears the responsibility to ensure that the constitutional body they lead functions properly. Instead, they systematically chose not to call meetings, leaving the tools of parliamentary oversight idle. This is not a technical failure; it is a conscious political choice to protect a government that does not want to be scrutinized.
While this was happening, MEP did not stand still.
MEP submitted thousands of written questions, requested meeting after meeting, and sent letter after letter to ministers, the President of Parliament, and the Governor. We used every available parliamentary tool to compel the Government to provide the transparency you deserve. MEP demanded accountability from the Government, not for sport, but because this is the duty of parliament as a whole.
The results speak for themselves. The committee led by colleague Shailiny Tromp-Lee — the Finance Committee — was the most active in Parliament over the entire year, holding 15 meetings in total. When the majority chooses to remain silent and shirk their duties, the opposition chooses to keep working.
However, MEP cannot do Parliament’s job alone. Parliament is a collective body. If the President blocks the functioning of the institution, and the majority systematically votes to protect the government rather than hold it accountable, the result is a democracy failing its people.
The price the people pay
Today, the people are feeling all the consequences: decisions made without consultation, workers left unprotected, ministers ignoring the law, and a government operating without the oversight democracy demands. The rule of law is at risk when the institutions meant to check power deliberately choose not to function. This is what the official figures for the 2025-2026 parliamentary year confirm.
MEP will continue to take every necessary venue — in parliament, in court, and if necessary, at the Kingdom level. Because the people of Aruba deserve more than a passive parliament.