Sarah believes best
decision was taken
PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) leader Commissioner Sarah Wescot-Williams is convinced that the best decision was to continue with the government as elected in 2007, meaning that Maria Buncamper-Molanus should be reappointed as Commissioner.
“I too wrestled with the issue, but at the end of the day I’m responsible for the DP of St. Maarten and the people of St. Maarten and my decision was taken with the people of St. Maarten in mind,” Wescot-Williams said.
Buncamper-Molanus tendered her resignation on June 18 because of conflict of interest concerning her husband being appointed to the supervisory board of directors of TelEm. He also had requested a donation from TelEm for The Sky is the Limit Foundation, which he had founded and of which Buncamper-Molanus was president.
During yesterday’s Island Council meeting 80 days after Buncamper-Molanus tendered her resignation, the DP political faction voted in favour of Buncamper-Molanus becoming Commissioner again.
The Commissioner had also had a motion of no-confidence passed against her on June 18, but a proposal for her dismissal never reached the Island Council floor.
In this regard, Wescot-Williams said National Alliance (NA) had to face the music, but had walked out, and the question remained why the party hadn’t followed through on the motion of no confidence and had the Commissioner removed from her post.
“The NA had on Monday a beautiful opportunity to show that they stand for what they say and say what they stand for. On more than one occasion NA stated publicly their intention to follow through with their motion of non-confidence,” Wescot-Williams said.
“A motion of no-confidence is an expression by a political faction. However, without their taking the other step as required by law, it means nothing more than expression of a judgement. So the question is: Why did they not use the opportunity to explain why they thought it was not necessary to follow through?”
NA leader William Marlin said that as far as NA was concerned it wasn’t really necessary to have the Commissioner resign. “When you resign you pick up your desk and move on.”
Furthermore, Marlin said, to remove the Commissioner from office NA would have needed the cooperation of at least one member of DP and that support had not been forthcoming. The evidence, Marlin said, was that yesterday all six members of the DP had cast their votes to reappoint Buncamper-Molanus as Commissioner.
Wescot-Williams did not agree with Marlin’s point of view, saying that was not what NA had told the people. “NA said they would follow through. Even the NA Minister challenged the DP, but what has come out of it? Nothing,” Wescot-Williams said.
Wescot-Williams also refuted comments that when Buncamper-Molanus had resigned she should have packed up her things and gone. “That’s not how it works. The law is clear: a Commissioner who resigns remains in office until his or her successor is appointed, and that is what Buncamper-Molanus did.”
Finally, the DP leader said a combination of factors had led to an undesirable situation at the TelEm Holding company. “We have done the necessary to make sure the undesirable nature was taken away. Buncamper resigned from the board of directors. I announced that the responsibility of TelEm, at least for the time being, will be placed under me.”
