The board of the Aruban Patriotic Party (PPA) deems it necessary to publicly state its position following the Joint Court of Justice (HOF) ruling in the case of Mr. Otmar Oduber and the ongoing process through the appropriate legal avenues.
Following the HOF verdict, the PPA board held a meeting with Mr. Otmar Oduber, during which he requested two weeks to make a decision—in accordance with our Rule of Law—on proceeding to Cassation to pursue his legal rights. The board granted him that time, and we are now aware of the decision taken by Otmar Oduber.
PPA respects the institutions of the Rule of Law and naturally respects the appellate court’s verdict, as respecting a judicial decision is an institutional and democratic duty.
At the same time, respecting a verdict does not imply that an individual, political party, or organization must forfeit the right to state that it does not share the conclusions reached in the ruling, or to consider it legitimate and fair to pursue all available legal avenues to defend its position.
Otmar Oduber has publicly stated that while he respects the judges’ decision, he does not accept it or consider it fair, and will continue his defense and the pursuit of his rights before the Court of Cassation. PPA recognizes and supports his right in this matter.
For our organization, this situation can never erase his political trajectory or the support he received from thousands of citizens at the ballot box. In the last election in December 2024, Otmar Oduber received 2,419 personal votes, making him the highest vote-getter on the PPA list and the sixth overall vote-getter in Aruba. Meanwhile, the party as an organization gathered 3,538 votes, securing a seat in Parliament after a 20-year absence from Aruba’s legislative body.
PPA considers it vital to separate three elements that must not be confused: respect for justice, the right to defense, and the political standing of an individual or party.
Our organization knew from the outset that Mr. Otmar Oduber was undergoing a legal process to clear his name in court, and we supported him then to join PPA and serve as political leader on the PPA ballot. We were not alone in this stance; the public also overwhelmingly supported Mr. Otmar Oduber and PPA. Today, nothing has changed: we will continue to support Otmar Oduber through the upcoming stage as he continues to seek his rights, while fully respecting the institutions and procedures established by law.
We do not ask for privileges. We do not ask for impunity. We defend a fundamental principle of any democratic society: that every person has the right to defend themselves, to legally challenge a decision, and to ensure their case is handled in accordance with the guarantees established by law.
PPA will closely monitor the next steps of this process and keep our supporters and the people of Aruba responsibly informed.
Aruban Patriotic Party (PPA)
On behalf of the Board