WILLEMSTAD — The interim-cabinet can expect a motion of no-confidence on November 2^nd. A proposal for a parliamentary inquiry into the bribing of several parliamentarians and the governor’s role with the formation of the interim-cabinet will be introduced. Chairman of the Parliament Ivar Asjes (PS) announced this during a 2½-hour press conference yesterday.

The chairman of the Parliament said the group of 12 has the governor as godfather, According to Asjes, who is convinced that the current coalition will secure a majority on October 19^th, Governor Frits Goedgedrag entered the political arena by appointing Mendes de Gouveia to form the interim-cabinet. For that reason he wants to employ the strongest means available to the parliament to scrutinize the governor’s actions. Asjes: “Just like the queen he can do no wrong owing to his role as head of the government, but he is not above the law.”

The chairman of the Parliament has a different opinion on the parliamentary impasse than the governor. Asjes regrets that Goedgedrag had ignored all of his arguments. In a document of 50 pages the chairman of the Parliament explained the past events in detail, but Goedgedrag chose not to respond. That the governor now states the esteem of the Parliament took a severe blow because public meetings of the Parliament had been cancelled, is nonsense said Asjes.

“The argument that Asjes closed the doors of the Parliament is not true”, said Asjes, referring to the closing and opening of the parliamentary year. The group of 12 had refused to show up. There was no quorum for the meetings of the central committees because these meetings were boycotted, said Asjes.

Political failure

The group of 12 will learn a historic lesson with the elections of October 19^th, according to Asjes. “This group is so stupid”, said Asjes. He thinks the PAR, PNP, FOL and independent parliamentarians Dean Rozier and Eugene Cleopa lack political strategy insight. He predicts a political failure when the population goes to the polls.

He has no doubt whatsoever that he is the legitimate chairman of the Parliament. The governor never gave his opinion on this matter either. Asjes, who has filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor on possible bribery of several parliamentarians, said he understood yesterday that the attorney general ordered an investigation. Asjes thinks the group of 12 is tainted.

The chairman of the Parliament also queries the screening process of the five candidates for the interim-cabinet. He understood that Mendes de Gouveia made the five names officially known to the governor yesterday. “According to reports, the five will be sworn in on Friday or early next week”, said Asjes. A screening usually takes several months. The last screening of Minister Carlos Trinidad took three months. “This case will begin and end with the screening”, said Asjes. “When we introduce the motions of no-confidence on November 2^nd, we’ll be in the same boat again. The result will not be peace in the Parliament as the two parliamentarians who kept their seat had hoped for.”