Tourism Dispute Leads To Collapse Of Aruba's Coalition Government

by Mandy Robinson, Tax-news.com, London

20 June 2001

According to reports from the Associated Press agency, the coalition government of Aruba has collapsed over arguments concerning the Island's tourism industry.

The coalition disintegrated on Monday with the resignations of the transportation and tourism ministers and members of the Aruba Liberal Organization (ALO) party who could not come to an agreement over when they should make Aruba's tourism ministry a semi-private agency.

Prime Minister Henny Eman wanted the change to the tourism ministry to be made as soon as was possible. His party, the People's Party (PP), had argued that bureaucracy and red tape had delayed the plans which hampered the promotional campaigns his party had lined-up for the event.

Minister of Economic Affairs, Tourism, Social Affairs and Culture, Lily Beke-Martinez, voiced her support for privatising the ministry although she expected the process could take up to a year to come to fruition. But Transportation Minister Glenbert Croes (ALO) claimed that Prime Minister Eman wrote to his party warning that the ministry should be privatised before the end of June or Ms Beke would lose her post.

Although Holland retains responsibility for all matters relating to defense, judicial appointments, applications for citizenship and foreign affairs, Aruba retains full autonomy in all internal matters. The two parties formed a coalition three years ago after the 1998 elections in which PP won 10 parliamentary seats - a mere 1 seat short of an overall majority, and the ALO won 2 seats.

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