WILLEMSTAD – The preliminary results of Curaçao’s 2017 elections are in. The biggest winner with 18,362 votes is PAR headed by Eugene Rhuggenaath. It was the first time he participated as political leader.

 

The MAN led by former Prime Minister Hensley Koeiman came in second with 16,071 votes, followed at third place is current coalition party MFK of Gerrit Schotte with 15,710 votes.

 

Other parties that received enough votes for a seat in Parliament were “Kòrsou di Nos Tur” (KdNT) of businessman Amparo dos Santos with 7,438 votes, “Pueblo Soberano” (PS) with 4,029 votes, newcomer “Partido Inovashon Nashonal” (PIN) of former PNP Minister Suzanne Camelia-Römer with 4,185 votes and “Movementu Progresivo” (MP) of Marilyn Moses who had Julian Rollocks as campaign manager with 3,885 votes.

 

Notably the historic People’s National Party (PNP) did not receive enough votes for a seat in Parliament. This will be the first time the green party is not represented in Parliament since it was established about 70 years ago. The same thing had already happened earlier with the other traditional party the Democratic Party (DP).

 

The preliminary results indicate that PAR will have 6 seats in Parliament. MAN 5 seats, MFK 5 seats, KdNT 2 seats, PIN 1 seat, PS 1 seat and MP 1 seat.

 

PAR and MAN will likely form the new governing coalition with 11 out of 21 seats, but are expected to expand that minimal majority by adding PIN.