The faction leader of PPA, Eduard Pieters, emphasized that the recent meeting with the Raad van State (Council of State) ratifies the position that the PPA party has held from the very beginning regarding the arrival of the “Consensus Kingdom Law on Government Finances Aruba” (Consensusrijkswet overheidsfinanciën Aruba – HOFA). According to Pieters, both the Raad van Advies (Advisory Council) and the Raad van State have proven PPA right that Article 38, as it is currently formulated, is not well-presented and undermines our Constitution.
During the meeting with the Raad van State (RvS), PPA requested the floor when HOFA was being discussed, particularly to analyze the advice currently on the table. Pieters recalled that PPA has always advocated for bringing clarity to this matter. The faction leader explained that Aruba’s Raad van Advies (RvA) had already requested to “schrap” (scrap/delete) the way the article was stipulated, while the RvS indicated that the article needs changes to make it clearer.
Concentration on the quantitative aspect of the norms
The RvS advised amending Article 38 so that it concentrates on the quantitative aspect of the norms stipulated in the local draft law, which is the Landsverordening waarborging houdbare overheidsfinanciën (National Ordinance guaranteeing sustainable government finances). This advice already calls for a very major change in Article 38. However, it still undermines Articles V.1 and V.2 of our Constitution.
Article 38 is not good according to the RvA and RvS
“When you bring such advice forward, it simply means that Article 38 regarding the HOFA Kingdom Law is not good,” Pieters declared, adding that this proves PPA right once again before the two institutions, which are “High Councils of State” (Hoge Colleges van Staat), that issued advice on the law. Rather than simply criticizing the situation, Pieters emphasized that PPA took advantage of this meeting to use its role proactively. After evaluating both advices, Pieters stood up and presented more possibilities and alternatives to try to solve this issue.
PPA faction presented a solution
According to the MP, the ultimate goal can remain the same, but one can walk “different paths” to reach the objective without harming the country’s Constitution. Pieters emphasized that it is good for the institutions to “listen and receive” these suggestions and carry the message further within the political world in The Hague. Pieters stated that their role is not only to come up with sharp points and criticisms, but that they always structurally bring “solutions” to the table.
