WILLEMSTAD – Former Prime Minister Stanley Betrian has issued a strong warning over what he describes as a growing disregard for the rule of law in Curaçao, amid ongoing debate about government spending and oversight.
In an opinion piece published recently, Betrian criticized attempts to question or discredit the findings of the General Audit Chamber Curaçao (ARC), particularly in discussions within Curaçao Parliament and the broader public sphere.
According to Betrian, recent efforts to place reports from SOAB (Government’s Accountant Bureau) on equal footing with ARC findings reflect a “dangerous imbalance” in how the government approaches legal and financial accountability.
He stressed that the issue goes beyond differing interpretations, arguing that budgetary law is clear and non-negotiable. “The law is not an opinion,” Betrian stated, emphasizing that government spending without prior approval from Curaçao Parliament constitutes a violation of established legal frameworks.
The former prime minister underscored that ARC, as an independent constitutional body, is tasked with assessing the legality of government actions, while SOAB serves only as an advisory entity working on behalf of the government.
“An advisory report cannot replace a legal assessment,” he argued, warning that selectively using favorable reports while dismissing independent oversight risks undermining democratic control.
Betrian also pushed back against criticism directed at ARC, stating that the institution does not engage in politics but instead determines whether laws have been followed. Attempts to portray its conclusions as subjective or optional, he said, amount to weakening the foundation of the rule of law.
The debate comes amid heightened political tensions over government finances, including questions about expenditures made without proper parliamentary authorization. Betrian noted that the central issue is not whether spending was justified, but whether it complied with legal limits set by Parliament.
“If those limits are not respected, the problem is not political—it is constitutional,” he wrote.
Betrian concluded by warning that neither political rhetoric nor alternative reports can alter the legal reality. Government actions, he said, must remain bound by laws established by Parliament, regardless of shifting political narratives.