PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic, and Transportation (TEATT) Ludmila de Weever has decided to take up her seat in Parliament. “After careful consideration during this delicate time and after close consultation with the many who keep St. Maarten’s best interests at heart, I decided to accept the parliamentary seat in accordance with article 105, paragraph 2 of the Electoral Ordinance,” Minister De Weever stated.
On April 21st the Central Voting Bureau (CVB) informed the minister that she was elected to Parliament and had the option of choosing to take up her seat. Minister de Weever notified the United People’s (UP) party, the Prime Minister, as well as the CVB yesterday of her intention to move to Parliament and take up a productive and active role in the legislative branch of government.
“As minister, I served my country with humility and dedication during its most severe economic crisis in generations. There was no guidebook for this pandemic. No one in recent memory has had to contend with something of this magnitude, but we put our heads together and worked hard. I can say I gained valuable experience in the process. A lot of hard work was done in helping restore economic activities and many tough, but necessary, decisions in the best interest of our people were made, such as re-opening air travel from the US as early as August last year. Today, as hotel occupancy rates begin to rise we can see some of those decisions paying off, paving the way for a steady recovery,” Minister De Weever said.
“In Parliament, I will ensure that the work of recovery we set out on continues. To those I’ve met and reached out to during these difficult times, I will continue to represent our country with all the powers and privileges of Parliament behind me. The work goes on,” Minister De Weever continued.
In the meantime, it has been agreed that Minister de Weever will hold both positions temporarily in order to have a smooth transition. “The work done over these 13 months would not have been possible without the support of every worker in the Ministry of TEATT, and all ministries that contributed to the recovery of our economy under the stewardship of Prime Minister Jacobs. The work we started will continue and for that I will be always be grateful,” Minister De Weever concluded.
