Parliamentarian Dangui Oduber expressed strong criticism of the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Geoffrey Wever, for what he described as actions contrary to basic principles of governance and institutional respect. According to Oduber, the minister announced fiscal initiatives without first informing or consulting the Parliament of Aruba.
Oduber regretted that Minister Wever, who is trained as a lawyer, “is acting against all rules and political principles,” because Parliament is the highest organ of the country and the authority that, by law, must be informed and consulted before the implementation of fiscal policy changes affecting the population.
According to Oduber, over the past year Minister Wever has already introduced fiscal changes via the Official Gazette (Landscourant), without formal notification to Parliament. More recently, on January 12, the minister announced several fiscal initiatives during a press conference, only to later appear in Parliament during a public meeting to inform the legislative body of decisions that had already been made and could no longer be changed.
“This is a way of governing that does not respect the role of Parliament,” Oduber stated. He added that this method creates a dangerous precedent in the governance of Aruba.
The parliamentarian compared Minister Wever’s conduct with that of Minister Gerlien Croes, describing their attitude as “authoritarian” and lacking respect for the democratic process and the people of Aruba. According to Oduber, they act without consultation and without transparency, imposing decisions without due process.
Oduber also expressed concern about what he called a fundamental contradiction in the political discourse of the FUTURO party. “They promised a modern, transparent, and participatory policy, but in practice they are doing exactly the opposite,” he stated.
According to Oduber, the lack of communication and consultation with Parliament undermines the principle of separation of powers and creates a climate of institutional distrust. He concluded that this situation must be corrected and that the government must once again respect the democratic and legal path for introducing fiscal reforms—something Minister Wever is currently failing to do.