By Alex Rosaria
It is useful to compare last week’s election results with the 1967 Curaçao Island Council (KI) elections, where the Democratic Party (DP) secured 13 seats and governed alone.
In 1967, DP won 57% of the votes cast and 51% of all eligible voters. By contrast, Movementu Futuro Kòrsou (MFK) won 55% of the votes cast but only 40% of all eligible voters in the latest election. Voter turnout also differed significantly: in 1967, 12% of eligible voters abstained, while this time, 31% did not vote.
DP’s landslide victory in 1967 reduced its opposition, the PNP-Curaçaosche Onafhankelijke Partij (PNP-COP), from 12 to 6 seats. Similarly, in the recent election, MFK’s main opposition, PAR, saw its representation cut in half, from 4 to 2 seats. DP’s dominance extended beyond the KI elections, as it had also won the 1966 elections for the Parliament of the Netherlands Antilles, securing absolute power.
History teaches us lessons
History reminds us to be cautious about absolute power in governance. Curaçao experienced unprecedented social unrest on May 30, 1969, despite DP’s stronghold on power. The official report on the May 30 events concluded that government policies were not sufficiently assessed for the general welfare and that purely political considerations were often prioritized.
According to Alex Reinders’ “Political History of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba (1950-1993)”, government oversight mechanisms, particularly the General Audit Chamber, were inadequate during that period. Reinders highlights how political favoritism in government appointments became widespread.
May 30, 1969
The role of opposition and society
The strength of opposition plays a crucial role in holding power accountable. In 1967, DP faced little effective opposition, as the successful PNP-COP alliance lost direction following the death of Da Costa Gomez in 1966. Meanwhile, internal conflicts and fragmentation weakened PNP under the leadership of Juancho Evertsz, making it difficult to maintain party discipline.
Curaçao’s future depends on the behavior of its leaders and parliamentarians, the strength of institutional checks and balances, and the stability of political parties. However, perhaps the most decisive factor will be how the people react – whether they passively leave politics in the hands of elected officials or organize themselves as informed and engaged citizens who actively participate in decision-making that affects their well-being.
~ Alex David Rosaria (53) is a freelance consultant active in Asia and the Pacific. He is a former Member of Parliament, Minister of Economic Affairs, State Secretary of Finance and UN Implementation Officer in Africa and Central America. He is from Curaçao and has an MBA from University of Iowa (USA). ~
