Nel Oduber admits he’s under pressure
If MEP cannot make sacrifices, don’t ask the people to do so
A.M. Digital
11/03/2005

Over the week-end the talk of the town was the Government formation. Many are aware that Nel Oduber has 11 keys to the formation in his own party, and that he has to take into account each one of the 11 Parliament members who are exercising a lot of pressure on his Government formation.
Although it was the very party that gave Nelson Oduber the “carte blanche” to form the Government, that same party is now presenting him with a “red card” to abandon the playing field.

Oduber admitted last Friday that he intended to form a Government with 7 Ministers, and now it’s 8 anyway. Why the change? Oduber said that there are 11 Parliament Members and if they cannot approve the change”: 11-1=0.

Oduber does not feel that this is pressure. He says that each member is defending its own interests, they have a pool of voters backing them up and now they feel that they have the right to continue with the job that they started being a Minister.

After the elections Oduber declared that the Minister’s positions do not belong to a person but to the party. Today the 11 elected MEP members prove that the contrary is true. The MEP party leader’s defense is saying that MEP is democratic party where everybody has voice. He is not an “I’m the boss here” leader but respects everybody’s opinion.

According to Oduber maybe his proposition was too revolutionary and there are people in Aruba that are not sufficiently mature to accept far reaching changes. With this the very Prime Minister is admitting that those that are fighting for a position are giving their own benefit priority over the benefit of the people. Oduber expressed that he is there to serve the interests of the people, and that this is the last time.

The general opinion in the community is that if MEP and its leaders are not prepared to make sacrifices to solve the financial situation of the country, they should not ask the people to do so. If this Government comes with financial measures then the community does not have any reason to accept that. Some labor unions already called the Government formation a circus.

[English language original text]