Information from The Hague indicates that MEP parliamentarian Edgard Vrolijk stated that Aruba’s delegation, according to the AVP, is entirely new to politics. However, what is most important is that when developing new political agreements, countries must respect the Statute, regulations, and agreements already in place.
The CAS islands (Curaçao, Aruba, St. Maarten, and the Netherlands) signed an agreement in 2022 to ensure all parties remain aligned regarding the Consensus Rijkswet. It was agreed that each government must involve its parliament at every stage—beginning, during, and at the end—before submitting any Consensus Rijkswet proposal.
Vrolijk emphasized that before delivering any proposal to the Rijksministerraad, the government must first secure parliament’s consensus. Since parliament is the head of government, it must have the authority to debate and decide whether to support government plans for Aruba. Unfortunately, according to him, the Government of Aruba failed to comply with this requirement.
He noted that the Consensus Rijkswet is a new mechanism requiring higher standards and broad consensus. At the recent IPKO meeting, Dutch Council of State member Paul Comenencia confirmed concerns already raised in Aruba. The AVP-Futuro government’s actions, Vrolijk said, have stained the process and undermined principles and regulations that should have been respected.
Furthermore, online consultations in Aruba and remarks in the Netherlands confirm that the process was flawed. The President of the Parliament of St. Maarten, Sarah Wescot-Williams, also strongly stated during IPKO that cooperation must be built on mutual respect and transparency.
Vrolijk argued that Aruba could make needed changes through national legislation without relying on a Rijkswet, but collaboration remains crucial. He lamented that AVP-Futuro attempted to downplay the issue and mislead the Aruban community, even though the facts showed otherwise.
The process, he concluded, was executed poorly, disregarding the agreements made in 2022 at IPKO. Aruba’s Parliament must not become a mere rubber stamp; it deserves respect as the guiding institution for governance.
