ORANJESTAD, Aruba (18 June 2001) -- The coalition governing Aruba has collapsed amid long-simmering disputes over tourism, the backbone of the Dutch Caribbean island. The coalition fell apart with the resignations Monday of the transportation and tourism ministers, members of the Aruba Liberal Organization party, over how quickly to make the island's key tourism ministry a semi-private agency. The People's Party of Prime Minister Henny Eman favors making the tourism ministry a semi-private agency as soon as possible. His party had complained that bureaucratic delays made it difficult to run promotional campaigns. Tourism Minister Lily Beke supports privatizing the ministry, but said the process could take up to a year. Transportation Minister Glenbert Croes said Eman warned their party by letter that the ministry must be privatized by the end of June or she would be removed. | | The two parties formed a coalition in 1998 after elections in which the People's Party won 10 seats in the island's parliament, just short of the 11 seats need to form a government. The Liberal Organization won two seats. The opposition People's Electoral Movement won nine seats in the December 1997 elections. The 1997 elections were called after a coalition formed by the same two parties collapsed in a fight over whether citizens should be extradited to face drug charges in the United States. Under law, the island now must hold a vote for a new government within 90 days. Aruba, an autonomous department of the Netherlands with about 90,000 residents, was due for new elections in December. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
