Sarah plans to ‘extensively’
discuss issues plaguing DP
PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) leader Commissioner Sarah Wescot-Williams will “extensively” discuss the grievances aired by Commissioner Louie Laveist and other issues plaguing her party on her return from the Netherlands this weekend.
Laveist publicly stated Tuesday that he felt left out by fellow members of the Executive Council in decision-making and was failing to receive support for the removal of Raphael Boasman, interim Head of the Island Labour Office. Laveist claims that he has a fractured working relationship with Boasman and wants him back in his old post with the Island Government Secretariat.
Speaking from the Netherlands where she is attending a gathering of the Strong Women of the Kingdom, Wescot-Williams told Radio Soualiga 99.9FM that she had spoken about the situation to all commissioners who were on-island at present and would tackle the issues head-on as soon as she returned.
Laveist claims the budget set aside for his department and projects is being reallocated to pay for scholarships, leaving him without funds. Wescot-Williams said any decision to modify or amend budget allocation was a responsibly of all Executive Council members and must be approved during a council meeting. Any commissioner can object to any decision taken when he or she is not present in the meeting.
On the topic of Boasman’s removal, Wescot-Williams said this was not as simple as removing a political staffer appointed to work in a commissioner’s office. The process of removing or transferring a civil servant from one office to another is governed by specific procedures that must be “respected and followed.”
Wescot-Williams vehemently denied that any compromise had been struck, particularly by her, for Laveist’s vote for the reappointment of Commissioner Maria Buncamper-Molanus, who resigned three months ago amidst a conflict of interest scandal.
According to reports, Laveist had a verbal agreement within the Executive Council that if he supported the vote to reappoint Buncamper-Molanus, her recent election campaign manager Boasman would be removed from the Labour Office to make way for someone handpicked by Laveist.
Things apparently turned sour after the reappointment vote was completed, leaving Laveist with an unfulfilled bargain.
