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LOCAL Tuesday 10 sepTember 2024

Yesterday, Raymond Kamperveen registered the shortest

presidency of Parliament in the history of Aruba

Despite yesterday seeing
Members of the armed forces during a
images of members of the ceremonial parade for the opening ceremony
military practicing their pa- for Parliamentary Year 2023.
rade and other prepara-
tions for the ceremony of
inauguration of a New Par-
liamentary Year, which was
programmed for today, the
retirement of the government
of Aruba means that no New
Parliamentary Year will be in-
augurated today.

At the same time, this means
that the newly elected presi-
dent of Parliament, Raymond
Kamperveen, lost his position
barely a few hours after be-
ing elected yesterday. With Prime minister Evelyn Wever-Croes, of the MEP-party, speaks
this, Kamperveen holds the to reporters after handing her request for the retirement of
her cabinet to the Governor of Aruba.
record for the shortest presi-
dency of Parliament in the by Open list Party-list propor- Bischoff system (a variant of
history of Aruba. tional representation. Seats the D'Hondt method).
are distributed between
Aruba elects a legislature on parties that have gained at Aruba has a multi-party sys-
the national level. Parliament least one full quota (1/21, or tem, with two or three strong
(Staten) has 21 members, approximately 4.76% of the parties and a third party that
elected for a four-year term vote) using the Hagenbach- is electorally successful. In Governor of Aruba, His Excellency Mr. Alfonso
Boekhoudt gives a speech during the opening
ceremony for Parliamentary Year 2023.

2021, the MEP-party won the an agreement on the presi-
general election and formed dency.
a coalition government with
the Raiz-party, which had a Yesterday morning, after the
mandate until 2025. voting for the new president
of Parliament took place,
Every year, the members of giving the presidency to
Parliament vote for a new leader of the Raiz-fraction,
president for Parliament. Raymond Kamperveen,
This year, the senior coali- prime minister Evelyn Wev-
tion partner MEP wanted to er-Croes and the rest of her
extend the presidency of Ed- MEP ministers in government
gard Vrolijk, while the junior requested to the Governor of
coalition partner requested Aruba to retire from their po-
anyone but Vrolijk. This re- sitions. This means that Aruba
sulted in a political standoff no longer has a government
within the coalition, with both – replaced by a caretaker
parties announcing late at government – and new elec-
Mr. Raymond Kamperveen (far left) in Parliament with vice- night on Monday that they tions are to be held on the
prime minister of Aruba, Mr. Ursell Arends and member of were “ready for elections” 6th of december 2024.q
Parliament Misha Raymond. if they couldn’t come to