PPA party leader, former MP, and former minister Otmar Oduber appeared this morning, October 12, 2026, at the Parliament of Aruba to submit an official manifesto addressed to the President of Parliament and all faction leaders. In his address, Oduber emphasized that he is taking this step as a Dutch citizen and on behalf of equal rights within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, denouncing what he considers a stance of legal discrimination and inequality between politicians in Aruba and those in the Netherlands.
Oduber made it explicitly clear that this action is not for his own person or his current legal proceedings in cassation/Hoge Raad: “Otmar Oduber is already in the mill… this is not about me. But it does matter to shed light on something that is discriminatory and unjust.” He highlighted that he is not opposed to investigating politicians when there are serious indications of fraud, but stressed that such investigations must occur under the same legal safeguards that exist throughout the Kingdom to protect officials against disproportionate or arbitrary accusations.
Key Points of the Submitted Manifesto:
Enforcement of the Law: Formally demand that the Government execute the legislative amendment passed by Parliament aimed at guaranteeing the same legal protection for Aruban officials as those in the Netherlands.
Government Transparency: Compel the Government to clarify the legal, constitutional, or procedural reasons that have prevented this law from coming into force for nearly a year.
Independent Study: Conduct an independent legal-constitutional study regarding equal legal protection for political figures between Aruba and the Netherlands.
Safeguards Against Injustice: Establish legal and institutional safeguards to prevent criminal investigations against politicians from being initiated without an objective basis or being applied disproportionately.
Respect for the Separation of Powers (Trias Politica): Remind Parliament that it must command respect: if the legislative branch approves a law by majority vote, the Government is obligated to execute it to uphold the integrity of our democracy.
Respect for Aruba’s History and Autonomy
Oduber made an appeal to history, recalling the struggle of the founders and generations of traditional parties (AVP, MEP, and PPA) who fought for Status Aparte and Aruba’s right to stand on its own feet with equality within the Kingdom.
He strongly criticized what he considers a colonial attitude on the part of the Netherlands, referencing the millions in funding allocated to investigating politicians in the Caribbean while the exact same procedures are not permitted in Europe. Oduber concluded by reaffirming his stance: “We are not saying there shouldn’t be an investigation; there can be any kind of investigation, but it must be done on the basis of equality.”