Parliamentarian Mike de Meza explained that his amendment is aimed at correcting a legal system that, in his view, is unjustified and creates a discriminatory situation based on Article 39 of the Charter of the Kingdom.
De Meza indicated that although the introduction of the Charter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands already recognizes the constitutional rights of the six Dutch Caribbean islands, this legal protection has not been applied to ministers and members of parliament on the Caribbean islands in the same way it is applied to politicians in the Netherlands.
According to de Meza, the lack of equal application of the law creates legal inequality that cannot be sustained within a democratic and constitutional context of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The parliamentarian emphasized that his amendment is fundamental to restoring justice and uniform legal protection for all Dutch Caribbean islands.
However, his own faction—his AVP colleagues—does not support Mike de Meza’s amendment. It is evident that Mike de Meza is no longer considered part of AVP and is acting independently, guided by his own principles and values. Meanwhile, the remaining AVP group is seen as succumbing to fear of standing up for their principles and/or losing their political positions, despite having sworn to work for the wellbeing of Aruba. Instead, they are yielding to a government described as a weak and unstable coalition that lacks mutual trust.