Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
PHILIPSBURG--Incumbent Health Minister Cornelius de Weever has informed Democratic Party ((DP)) leader Sarah Wescot-Williams that he wants to serve as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the new government and no longer will be continuing as Minister of Health, Labour and Social Affairs as was originally the case.
De Weever was elected to Parliament on the (DP) slate in the August 29 election. News of his move comes on the heels of widespread reports circulating in the community on Wednesday about how he intends to use his parliamentary seat.
Wescot-Williams confirmed to reporters during the Council of Ministers press briefing that De Weever had informed her that he would retain his seat in Parliament, but said he had not indicated that he would be severing ties with (DP).
She also confirmed that discussions had been held over including aspects of the counterpart programme in the governing accord of the three-party coalition. De Weever has been championing the counterpart programme for quite some time now.
"The rumours that are circulating out there, I think it is important that I address it from the (DP)'s perspective. Yes, Minister de Weever and the party and I have been, not only now, discussing the two seats that we have in Parliament vis-Ã -vis the appointment of ministers that we would be entitled to as part of the current talks regarding the coalition," Wescot-Williams said.
"The minister indeed has indicated that he would like to maintain his seat in Parliament other than our premise earlier which would have been that the minister would have taken up a ministerial seat. The minister has communicated that to me and, yes, it does change things for the party in terms of ministerial candidates, but that is something that internally we would deal with and, no, there have not really been any issues as such."
She said a discussion had been held about including aspects of the counterpart programme in the coalition's governing programme.
"I can tell you that the matter of the counterpart [programme – Ed.] in connection with the law which currently provides an article on counterparts which has not yet been put in force ... because something like that requires very-well-thought-out deliberations and discussions with the community at large and specifically the business and labour sectors and yes, it was a question – it was a discussion as to [which part of that counterpart programme – Ed.] should or should not be taken up in the governing programme that is being drafted," she said.
She said (DP) would continue its discussions on the ministerial posts and the counterpart programme. "Depending on whether Minister de Weever and myself hold on or not to our seats in Parliament, it will have consequences for the party in Parliament," she said.
In response to questions as to whether (DP) was still part of the NA/(DP)/US Party coalition Wescot-Williams responded: "(DP) is still part of the ongoing discussions to form the government. That is the agreement that we reached as a party and those are still ongoing and the process will continue. Of course, now, in terms of submitting names for ministers, that could change given Minister de Weever's preference not to become a minister."
She declined to respond to questions on reports that De Weever wanted his aunt Millicent de Weever appointed as Minister of Health, noting that she would "leave that for our further internal discussions."
She said too that Minister de Weever had "not indicated otherwise," when a member of the press asked whether the minister was still part of the (DP).
Wescot-Williams said that on the heels of elections, persons should be "very open and transparent to the people of St. Maarten" as to "what is happening, how it is happening, between whom it is happening."
She said she had seen and dealt with a lot of personalities during her political career, but noted, "At this point in time the people of St. Maarten need to be well-served and all who have been elected ... need to take that in mind. That will be my guiding light as the (DP) and I will be in another setting addressing further the queries and concerns that live out there."
