On January 30, the Partido Patriotico Arubano (PPA) sent a formal letter to the President of Parliament, requesting a session to discuss the trajectory of the Kingdom Act. Only seven, almost eight months later, was any attention given to it. Instead of holding the meeting in accordance with parliamentary rules, it was decided to ignore the law entirely and not call for a public meeting.
PPA took the leadership
While others remained passive and took no initiative, merely observing who would engage in a struggle for the rights of our ancestors, the PPA faction organized a series of consultation rounds with business, labor, and various institutional representatives. These took place in June, July, and August, where during highly interactive sessions, the concerns of each group were heard.
“When we saw that the Government and the coalition were preparing to travel to the Netherlands for the IPKO without ever consulting local institutions, PPA acted immediately. We presented a Minority Note and shared it with the factions in the Netherlands as well as with all relevant institutions in Aruba. PPA is the only party, even today, that has clearly and explicitly stated its position on the Kingdom Act HOFA,” said party leader Otmar Oduber.
Government remains silent
While some other parties followed PPA’s steps, the coalition supporting the government has remained without a firm position — without dialogue and without transparency toward the people regarding the real situation.
Through its program on Telaruba, PPA provided the opportunity for a deep and professional debate with experts, using legal and constitutional arguments to reaffirm that PPA stands for a National Front. “This is not an issue of PPA, AVP, MEP or FUTURO — this is an issue of the people of Aruba,” said Oduber. He warned that the current leaders are selling out our autonomy for financial gain and personal privilege, betraying the moral principles and struggles of our ancestors who fought for the freedom we enjoy today.
Two paths: stand together or surrender our autonomy
Otmar emphasized that next Monday’s meeting will be the second consultation session with business, labor, and other relevant institutions, recently organized by PPA parliamentarian Eduard Pieters.
During this session, two possible paths for Aruba concerning the Kingdom Act HOFA will be discussed:
1. The Parliament of Aruba rejects the law and informs the Netherlands that there is no consensus, as prescribed within the Kingdom structure. For this to happen, a majority in the Aruban Parliament is required.
2. Following the Kingdom procedure, Parliament can draft a report detailing the changes and demands Aruba wishes to propose in order to safeguard its autonomy.
But for PPA, the position is clear: “This law must be stopped. You cannot issue yourself a ‘brevet van onvermogen,’ a certificate of incapacity as a government and parliament. The Kingdom Act HOFA undermines Aruba’s constitutional autonomy and contradicts the very essence of our Status within the Kingdom,” Oduber said.
An unacceptable law
“All Dutch professors and experts, including members of the Dutch Senate and House of Representatives, have declared that the Kingdom Act HOFA is unacceptable and poses a direct threat to Aruba’s autonomy. Their analyses confirm what the PPA faction and party have been saying since January.
HOFA is unacceptable, and they have all clearly stated that this law will limit the independence we hold within the Kingdom regarding our autonomy. Everything we have presented to the government factions has been ignored — that’s why you don’t hear AVP or FUTURO talking about this issue. The only thing they say is that now, since Parliament has taken up its role, negotiations and discussions can begin on this topic, so the government can no longer remain silent,” said Oduber.
At this crucial moment, PPA calls on all parties and citizens of Aruba to unite. This is a time to show courage, create unity, and take national responsibility. This is not politics — this is our dignity as a people. Aruba cannot allow others to write our destiny. We must choose dignity over dependency.
Press release: PPA