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General elections were held in Aruba on 25 September 2009. [1] The elections were the seventh to be held for membership of the Estates since autonomy was granted by the Dutch in 1986, and resulted in a victory for the Aruban People's Party, which won 12 of the 21 seats in the Estates.
Prior to this election the People's Electoral Movement (MEP) were the governing party, holding eleven seats. [2] The main opposition Aruban People's Party (AVP) held eight with the Network of Electoral Democracy and the Aruban Patriotic Movement holding a seat apiece. [2]
The 21 members of the Estates were elected for a four-year term using proportional representation, carried out in a single nationwide constituency. Each party was allowed to place up to 29 people on their party list. [1] The party or coalition with a majority was allowed to select a Prime Minister. [2]
Eight parties and 167 independents contested the elections. [3] The Aruban Director of the Register of Population and electoral council member Sharline Luidens forbade the press from taking photos inside polling stations during the election. [4]
Pre-election polls showed the AVP were expected to win, campaigning to reduce inflation and abolish a tax on local business. [2] The AVP also pledged to address concerns over the island's oil refinery operated by Valero Energy, which had been closed since mid-July 2009 and had provided jobs for around one thousand people, as well as a recent decline in tourists visiting the island. [5] The People's Electoral Movement (MEP) pledged to diversify the economy and reduce debt and living costs. [2]
The parties were represented by specific colors during the campaign; the AVP was known as the "green party," the MEP was the "yellow party" and the independent Real Democracy Party was identified as the "red party." [3]
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
| Aruban People's Party | 26,476 | 48.03 | 12 | +4 | |
| People's Electoral Movement | 19,804 | 35.93 | 8 | –3 | |
| Real Democracy | 3,144 | 5.70 | 1 | +1 | |
| Aruban Patriotic Movement | 2,444 | 4.43 | 0 | –1 | |
| Democratic Network | 2,378 | 4.31 | 0 | –1 | |
| Aruban Patriotic Party | 611 | 1.11 | 0 | 0 | |
| United Christians Reinforcing Aruba's Potential | 139 | 0.25 | 0 | New | |
| MSI–OLA | 125 | 0.23 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 55,121 | 100.00 | 21 | 0 | |
| Valid votes | 55,121 | 98.87 | |||
| Invalid/blank votes | 629 | 1.13 | |||
| Total votes | 55,750 | 100.00 | |||
| Registered voters/turnout | 64,602 | 86.30 | |||
| Source: Overheid | |||||
A turnout of 86% was recorded for the election which proceeded without disruption. [2] [5] Governor Fredis Refunjol and his wife, Clarette, voted at the Sacred Heart School in Savaneta early Friday morning and urged all Arubans to vote as well. [3] Incumbent Prime Minister Nelson Oduber and his wife, Glenda, cast their ballots at the EPB School in Hato, on the edge of Oranjestad. [3] AVP leader Mike Eman voted in the afternoon at the Colegio Arubano, a junior-senior high school, with his wife, Doina, and his brother, Henny Eman, who was Aruba's first Prime Minister. [3] Doina Eman, who is originally from the United States, had recently acquired her Dutch passport and this was the first Aruban election in which she was eligible to vote. [3]
Polls closed in Aruba at 7:00 pm local time. [3] Early results began filtering in approximately 8:30 pm. The first results reported in were from the Noord District, which showed a marked support for the AVP. [3] Twelve election precincts in Oranjestad, the capital, were also won by the AVP early in the evening. [3] The AVP, which is identified by the color green, also won eight polling stations in San Nicolas, the site of the recently closed Valero Energy oil refinery.
Support declined for Nelson Obuder's MEP party across the island. The MEP, which is known as the "yellow party", captured its traditional stronghold of Santa Cruz, as well as precincts in portions of Savaneta and Paradera. [3] Support for the MEP ultimately dropped from eleven to eight seats in the Estates. [6]
The AVP, led by Mike Eman, claimed 48% of the vote and twelve seats in the Estates, making Eman the 5th Prime Minister-Elect of Aruba with an absolute majority of three seats in the 21-seat House. [5] The MEP won 36% of the vote and eight seats, with the final seat being won by the Real Democracy Party. [5] This meant that Nelson Oduber, the demissionary Prime Minister of Aruba, had lost control of the Estates for the first time in eight years. [5] Eman arrived at the AVP party headquarters in Oranjestad, where he was greeted by approximately 2,000 supporters dressed in green, the color of the AVP. [3] The victory was marked by AVP supporters letting off fireworks and unfurling flags in the green livery of the party. [5] In his speech, Eman thanked Aruba's Latino and Haitian communities. [6] The winning party of an Aruban election traditionally celebrates with a parade following the election. [6]
Oduber blamed the MEP's defeat on Dutch interference in Aruba's affairs, in particular referring to a recent announcement that the Dutch authorities would commence an investigation into corruption on the island. [6] [7] Oduber also singled out Valero Energy CEO Bill Klesse, accusing him of taking sides in the election against the MEP by closing the refinery shortly before the election took place. [6] In a speech carried only on Aruban Channel 22, Oduber did not congratulate the winning AVP. [6] Instead, he said that the AVP should work to fulfill its "unreal promise" to Arubans. [6]
Aruba is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands physically located in the mid-south of the Caribbean Sea, about 29 kilometres (18 mi) north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguaná and 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Curaçao. It measures 32 kilometres (20 mi) long from its northwestern to its southeastern end and 10 kilometres (6 mi) across at its widest point. Together with Bonaire and Curaçao, Aruba forms a group referred to as the ABC islands. Collectively, these and the other three Dutch substantial islands in the Caribbean are often called the Dutch Caribbean, of which Aruba has about one-third of the population. In 1986, it became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and acquired the formal name the Country of Aruba.
Aruba's first inhabitants were the Caquetio Indians from the Arawak tribe, who migrated there from Venezuela to escape attacks by the Caribs. Fragments of the earliest known Indian settlements date back to about 1000. Due to Aruba's mostly distant location from other Caribbean islands and strong currents in the sea which made canoe travel to the other islands difficult, the Caquetios remained more tied to South America than the Caribbean.
Gilberto François "Betico" Croes was an Aruban political activist who was a proponent for Aruba's separation from the Netherlands Antilles. This eventually occurred in 1986, but following a car accident on 31 December 1985, Croes lapsed into a coma and never became conscious to see his accomplishment. He is best remembered as "Libertador" (liberator) and as father of the Aruban people.
The Aruban People's Party is a Christian-democratic political party in Aruba founded in 1942. AVP is an acronym for the Dutch name of the party.
The People's Electoral Movement is a social democratic political party in Aruba. following the 2001 general election for the Parliament of Aruba the party won 52.4% of popular vote and 12 out of 21 seats. in the 2005 general election, the party won 43% of the popular vote and 11 out of 21 seats thus won the election and remained in power. in the 2009 general election, MEP lost 2 seats and won 36% of the vote, subsequently losing the election.
Fredis Jose Refunjol is an Aruban politician and who served as the 3rd governor of Aruba from 2004 to 2016. Originally a teacher, he has served as a government official for the past twenty years, starting as a member of the Parliament of Aruba.
Democratic Network is a progressive, green political party in Aruba. Since the 2017 Aruban general election it has one seat in the Estates of Aruba and is part of the government coalition under Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes.
The Parliament of Aruba is the unicameral legislature or parliament of Aruba. The parliament has 21 members, elected for a four-year term by proportional representation. Each member holds their seats until the parliament is dissolved, which is every four years by a general election. The leader of the party which gains a majority of seats usually becomes the Prime Minister.
Jan Hendrik Albert "Henny" Eman is an Aruban retired politician. He was the first Prime Minister of Aruba from 1 January 1986 to 9 February 1989 and again from 29 July 1994 to 30 October 2001.
Francisco Walfrido "Frido" Croes was an Aruban politician and schoolteacher who held the office of Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba from 2005 to 2009. Prior to that, he served as a member of the Estates of Aruba from 1989 to 1994, and as its President from 2001 to 2004. He also served as Minister of Education from 2004 to 2005.
Michiel Godfried "Mike" Eman is an Aruban politician who served as the 3rd Prime Minister of Aruba from 2009 to 2017. His political career began in 2001, but Eman has been involved in politics in one way or another since his childhood. His grandfather, father and brother were all prominent politicians in their lifetimes, with Henny Eman having preceded him in office (twice) as Prime Minister, including as the first to hold the office after Aruba's status aparte in 1986.
Jan Hendrik Albert "Henny" Eman was an Aruban politician and founder of the Aruban People's Party who led the movement for Aruba's autonomy from Curaçao. His grandson went on to become the first Prime Minister of Aruba.
Antonito Gordiano "Mito" Croes was an Aruban politician of the Aruban People's Party. He served as Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as member of the Estates and government minister of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.
Evelyna Christina "Evelyn" Wever-Croes is an Aruban politician and current Prime Minister of Aruba, serving since November 2017. She is the first woman to hold this office. She is a member of the People's Electoral Movement (MEP) and has been the leader of the party since 2011.
Guillfred Francis Besaril is an Aruban politician of the People's Electoral Movement. He has been Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba since 20 November 2017. He previously served in the Estates of Aruba between 2013 and November 2017, the last month as president.
Danguillaume Pierino Oduber is an Aruban politician serving as Minister of Tourism and Public Health in the second Wever-Croes Cabinet. He previously served as a member of Parliament
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