Just a little synopsis of the political background in Aruba.
Should you go there on vacation, you may need this list of names if you encounter any difficulties, doncha know.
EIU ViewsWire, New York: Mar 22, 2005
Aruba: Political structure
Official name
Aruba
Form of government
Parliamentary democracy with control over internal affairs, including aviation, customs, communications and immigration; the Netherlands is responsible for external affairs such as citizenship, defence and foreign affairs
The executive
Council of Ministers responsible to the Staten (parliament)
Head of state
Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard of the Netherlands, represented by a governor; responsibility in the Netherlands lies with the Ministry of Internal Affairs
National legislature
The Staten has 21 members elected by adult suffrage every four years through proportional representation
Legal system
Court of first instance on the island, appealing to a High Court of Justice operated jointly with the Netherlands Antilles; High Court justices are appointed by the Dutch crown in consultation with the Council of Ministers
National elections
September 28th 2001; next election expected to be in September 2005
National government
The MEP has a majority of 12 of the 21 seats in the Staten
Main political organisations
Government: Movimento Electoral di Pueblo (MEP)--12 seats
Opposition: Arubaanse Volks Partij (AVP)--six seats; Partido Patriotico Arubano (PPA)--two seats; Organisacion Liberal Arubano (OLA)--one seat
Other: Aliansa Democratico Arubano (Aliansa); Conscientisacion pa Liberacion di Aruba (CLA); Accion Democratico Nacional (ADN)
Governor-general: Fredis Refunjol
Prime minister & minister of general affairs: Nelson Oduber
Deputy prime minister & social affairs & infrastructure: Marisol Tromp
Key ministers
Education & administrative affairs: Walfrido Croes
Employment, culture & sport: Ramon Lee
Finance & economic affairs: Nilo Swaen
Justice: Rudy Croes
National health & environment: Booshi Wever
Tourism & transport: Eddy Briesen
Central Bank president
Robert Henriquez
Aruba prosecutor says judge told son: No body, no case
Thursday, June 30, 2005; Posted: 12:07 p.m. EDT (16:07 GMT)
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/30/aruba.missing/
One Month, And Still No Natalee
ORANJESTAD, Aruba, June 30, 2005
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/06/30/world/main705394.shtml
No body, no clues, no case
Natalee, where are you?
Updated: 11:38 a.m. ET June 30, 2005
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8417771/
No body, no case, father told arrested teenagers
Published: Thursday, June 30, 2005
Associated Press ORANJESTAD, Aruba - The father of a Dutch teenager arrested in the disappearance of a young U.S. woman told his son and his two friends that "when there is no body you don't have a case," Aruba's attorney general said Wednesday.
Paul van der Sloot, a judge in training in Aruba, gave his 17-year-old son Joran van der Sloot and two Surinamese brothers legal advice the day after 18-year-old Natalee Holloway disappeared, district attorney Caren Janssen told MSNBC in an interview.
"They spoke about the situation that when there is no body you don't have a case, and that was already in the first day after the disappearance," Janssen said.
Janssen said that the elder van der Sloot had obstructed the investigation by asking a friend of Joran, who had been interrogated by police, what he had told them.
Paul van der Sloot, 52, was arrested last Thursday in the disappearance but released Sunday when a judge ruled there wasn't enough evidence to hold him.
Janssen told MSNBC that he was arrested because investigators believed he was also a suspect in the disappearance. (If the prosecutors thought that PVDS was a suspect, why did they not question him while he was in custody? According to PVDS's Dutch interview yesterday PVDS stated that he was not questioned while in custody. Texkat)
Janssen also said that a month after Holloway's May 30 disappearance, investigators had found nothing concrete to suggest she was dead.
Joran van der Sloot and his Surinamese friends, brothers Deepak Kalpoe, 21, and Satish Kalpoe, 18, were arrested June 9. No one has been charged.