Real Alternative Party

Real Alternative Party
Partido Alternativa Real
Echte Alternatieve Partij
AbbreviationPAR
LeaderEugène Rhuggenaath
Founded1993
HeadquartersParera, Willemstad
IdeologyLiberalism
Christian democracy
Political positionCentre
ColoursYellow
SloganEksperiensia i stabilidat ("Experience and stability")
Estates of Curaçao
4 / 21
Website
www.par.cw

The Real Alternative Party (Dutch: Echte Alternatieve Partij; Papiamento: Partido Alternativa Real, PAR), formerly the Party for the Restructured Antilles (Dutch: Partij voor Geherstructureerde Antillen, Papiamento: Partido Antiá Restrukturá) until 2016,[1] is a political party in Curaçao. With four seats the party is the second largest party in the Estates of Curaçao, following the 2021 elections. With eight seats, PAR was the largest party in the first Estates of Curaçao, established in 2010 upon the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.[2]

Netherlands Antilles

The party was formed in the wake of constitutional referendums held on the islands in the Netherlands Antilles in 1993, when a majority had voted against the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles. At the legislative elections in the Netherlands Antilles, 18 January 2002, the party won 20.6% of the popular vote and 4 of the 14 seats in the Curaçao constituency in the 22-seat Estates of Curaçao.[3] Its leader Etiënne Ys became prime minister of the Netherlands Antilles. When the party won five[4] and six[5] seats respectively in the Netherlands Antilles general election in 2006 and 2010 its leader Emily de Jongh-Elhage became the last Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles.

In the island council of the island territory of Curaçao the party won five[6] and seven[7] seats respectively. In the last island council the party obtained 8 of the 21 seats. The island council continued as Estates of Curaçao upon the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in October 2010.

Curaçao

On the formation of the second Whiteman cabinet in November 2015 the PAR joined the government for the first time in five years.[8] PAR remained part of the government until December 2016.

Election results

Election Votes % Seats +/– Position Government
1995 24,055 34.2
8 / 21
 Increase 8 Increase 1st Coalition
1999 15,948 22.6
5 / 21
 Decrease 3 Steady 1st Coalition
2003 13,710 20.4
5 / 21
 Steady 0 Decrease 2nd Opposition
2007 20,862 28.0
7 / 21
 Increase 2 Increase 1st Coalition
2010 22,474 30.0
8 / 21
 Increase 1 Steady 1st Opposition
2012 17,179 19.7
4 / 21
 Decrease 4 Decrease 3rd Opposition
2016 11,949 15.1
4 / 21
 Steady 0 Steady 3rd Coalition
2017 18,362 23.2
6 / 21
 Increase 2 Increase 1st Coalition
2021 11,778 13.9
4 / 21
 Decrease 2 Decrease 2nd Opposition

References

  1. ^ "Verslag Verkiezing Staten Curacao 2016" (PDF). Election Council (in Dutch).
  2. ^ "Eilandsraadverkiezingen 27 augustus 2010, definitieve uitslag". Burgerlijke Stand, Bevolking en Verkiezingen; Government of the Netherlands Antilles. Archived from the original on 15 November 2012.
  3. ^ "Totaaluitslag 2006". Main Electoral Office, Curaçao (Conseho Supremo Elektoral) (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  4. ^ "Totaaluitslag 2002". Main Electoral Office, Curaçao (Conseho Supremo Elektoral) (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  5. ^ "Totaaluitslag 2010". Main Electoral Office, Curaçao (Conseho Supremo Elektoral) (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  6. ^ "Verkiezingsuitslag 2003". Main Electoral Office, Curaçao (Conseho Supremo Elektoral) (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  7. ^ "Eilandsraadverkiezingen, 2007". Main Electoral Office, Curaçao (Conseho Supremo Elektoral) (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  8. ^ "Kabinet Whiteman II beëdigd" (in Dutch). Antilliaans Dagblad. Retrieved 21 December 2015.