SXMElections.com

St. Maarten – Mike Ferrier has terminated his membership of the Democratic Party out of disappointment over the way party-leader Sarah Wescot-Williams handled the defection of her number 2 candidate Cornelius de Weever to a coalition with the United People’s party and the subsequent decision by Wescot-Williams to follow suit.

“I cannot subscribe to abandoning all that we campaigned on and claimed to stand for prior to August 29, 2014, by joining a government that has been given life by a person, or a couple of people from within our DP-ranks who seem to be driven only by power, greed and self-interest,” Ferrier – who was the party’s public relations officer – writes in a letter to Wescot-Williams dated last Friday, October 17. “Becoming a small fry in a pond filled with so-called friendly piranha’s will not give this DP any chance of survival, let alone glory.”

Ferrier acknowledges that it would have been practically impossible for Wescot-Williams, as a one-woman faction, to make any significant difference in Parliament. “Winding down your personal political career in such a tame fashion is probably also not desirable.”

Ferrier points out that he suggested to Wescot-Williams that she reach out to the other small factions in Parliament to forge “a formidable block” in the opposition benches. “This might not only have resulted in improving the quality of life for all our citizens, but also prevent the blemishing of your good name and reputation as a woman of integrity and beyond reproach – two traits for which I  have for the last fifteen years fiercely defended and supported you.”

Ferrier notes that he first supported the DP in 1959, when he rode his bike around town with a flag that read Vote Claude.

Now he notes with sadness that the second hard-earned DP-seat in Parliament “was unceremoniously hijacked by Cornelius de Weever,” furthermore labeling this as “an unexpected despicable act of treason committed against the remaining 18 DP-candidates.” Ferrier wrote that the drastic change of the party’s course rendered all of the votes, minus the 697 for Wescot-Williams, “of no consequence.”

“How hypocritical our collective presence was in that wonderful Thanksgiving church service on August 31, led by the dynamic pastor Harrigan and organized by Leona Marlin-Romeo.”

Ferrier questions why the DP did not fire Cornelius de Weever from the party after he signed his agreement with the UP. “I also question why you may be of the opinion that either you or the DP will be given any credit whatsoever for whatever may go rich during the government of the UP/DP/Marlin-Romeo coalition.”

Lastly, Ferrier questions Wescot-Williams’s belief “that under the mum of making the call to take the DP on this 180-degree course deviation “for the good of the citizens of St. Maarten,” is what we meant with our DP-slogan Let’s Get It Right.”

Leona Marlin-Romeo mentioned 1 time
Sarah Wescot-Williams mentioned 7 times
Cornelius de Weever mentioned 3 times

Democratic Party [DP] mentioned 6 times
United People's Party [UPP] mentioned 1 time