PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot-Williams confirmed on Friday that she will be assuming the position of the new Chairperson of Parliament.

 

DP forms part of the new eight-seat-majority coalition in Parliament. According to the Governing Accord signed by members of the new majority coalition, DP will designate the Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour VSA and the new Chairperson of Parliament.

 

Wescot-Williams said there were many goals she would like to accomplish for the Parliament of St. Maarten as Chairperson of the legislative body.

 

She said she would champion efficiency and would work towards a more independently-functioning Parliament. She said many issues that reached Parliament could be dealt with.

 

The current Chairman of Parliament is Dr. Lloyd Richardson of the United People’s (UP) party.

 

Wescot-Williams served as Chairperson of Parliament for a month and three days in 2014, after being appointed on October 10, 2014, and resigning in mid-November in reaction to UP leader and then-formateur of the now-outgoing cabinet Theo Heyliger sending the names of minister candidates submitted by former DP parliamentarian Cornelius de Weever (now an independent MP) for security and integrity screenings instead of the two names Wescot-Williams had submitted on behalf of DP.

 

Her decision to resign from her post was due to her no longer having the assurance of the support of the majority in Parliament.

 

The new coalition, which was formed this past Wednesday, comprises UP MPs Silvio Matser and Maurice Lake; National Alliance (NA) MPs William Marlin, Silveria Jacobs, Christophe Emmanuel and George Pantophlet; Wescot-Williams; and United St. Maarten Party (USP) MP Frans Richardson.

 

The new coalition was formed after the UP/USP/De Weever/Marlin-Romeo Government lost its majority on Wednesday when a surprise motion of no confidence was passed by the eight MPs who now form the majority coalition.

 

According to the Governing Accord, NA will designate three ministers in the new cabinet: the Prime Minister/Minister of General Affairs; the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Education, Youth, Culture and Sports. NA also will designate the Minister Plenipotentiary.

 

USP will designate the Minister of Justice; MP Lake will designate the Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI and MP Matser will designate the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT).

 

The Daily Herald