Party rejects Nelson Oduber’s proponed Cabinet
New parliament members sworn in yesterday
A.M. Digital
10/29/2005

After the party (MEP) gave exclusive authorization the Prime Minister Oduber to form a new Council of Ministers (Cabinet), Oduber had a tough time to convince his party colleagues but finally he presented his proposed Cabinet to the party council. His first decision was to reduce the number of Ministries in Aruba from 8 to 7, and he furthermore proposed a radical change in portfolios for each Minister.

• Oduber is to remain on the Prime Minister’s seat and assume the responsibility for General Affairs;
• The present Minister of Education is to assume the position of Minister Plenipotentiary in Holland;
• The new proposed Minister of Education is ing. Edwin Jacobs who was the leader of the MEP fraction in Parliament;
• Rudy Croes will have to relinquish the Ministry of Justice and assume responsibility for Tourism and Utilities;
• The new Minister of Justice is to be Candelario “Booshi” Wever who will also have the responsibility for Public Health and Environment;
• Minister Nilo Swaen will remain as Minister of Finance but relinquish Economic Affairs;
• Minister Marisol Lopez-Tromp is to remain with the portfolio of Infrastructure and relinquish Social Affairs to get Aruba Lotto instead;
• Minister Edison Briesen is to assume responsibility for the portfolios of Economic Affairs, Transport, and Social Affairs.

Related to above we understand that the party council rejected the Prime Minister’s proposal, meaning that a new Council of Ministers could not be sworn in to assume Government responsibility simultaneously with the new Parliament.

An attempt by Parliament President Marlon Werleman to convince the Governor to postpone the swearing in of new Parliament members to Monday failed, when Governor Refunjol insisted that new Parliament members must have been sworn in not later than yesterday at 5:00 p.m. The new Parliament will officially take seat tomorrow, October 30, as prescribed by law.

Since MEP did not make a decision on the structure of the new Council of Ministers, the first 11 candidates on the MEP list, which includes most of the present Ministers, were sworn in as Parliament members. This situation, where a Minister is also Member of Parliament, may last for a maximum of three months when those involved (or the party) will have to decide on their position.

While this happened the sitting Cabinet, as outgoing cabinet, may not take any new decisions but only handle current affairs. In the meantime MEP has some additional time to decide on the formation of a new Council of Ministers for Aruba.

[English language original text]