Philipsburg: --- Commissioner Louie Laveist has made his statements official just after 9am this morning (Wednesday) when he hand delivered three separate letters to general affairs. The embattled commissioner then walked up to his office where he made copies of the letters that has its booking number and distributed it to the media representatives who were all waiting in the corridor of the government administrative building.
Laveist also approached Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards and gave him the letters, one of those letter reads. "Honorable Lt. Governor, The undersigned Louie Emmanuel Laveist member of the Island Council of St. Maarten hereby informs you with immediate effect the island council of St. Maarten can no longer rely on my support. To be clear I have withdrawn my support from the current led DP- government of St. Maarten."
The commissioner also presented a letter to this media house which is intended for the President of the Democratic Party Frank Arnell. That letter reads "Dear Frank, I herby inform you with immediate effect I tender my resignation as member of the Democratic Party.
Also leaving the Democratic Party is Commissioner Theo Heyliger who will be part of the new government under the National Alliance. SMN News have been reliably informed that the new government will consists of at least two DP former members Theo Heyliger and Frankie Meyers who resigned from the Democratic Party on June 18th 2008. Even though Meyers is not an Island Council member he would be appointed commissioner. Sources say Meyers would be occupying the seat that truly belongs to Louie Laveist. They say Laveist would return for the position if he is cleared from legal battles he is now facing. Other sources claim that councilman Leroy de Weever is also discussing with the National Alliance and he would be leaving. But the councilman is yet to fully commit to the NA. Yesterday the councilman was seen entering the government administration building where he was going to attend the meeting with the DP leader Sarah Wescot Williams.
While the Democratic Party has officially collapsed there is no word yet as to when the new governing body will take over. Sources say the National Alliance is busy working on their governing program all day today.
At the government administration building the commissioners that remains under the Democratic Party was busy in private meetings. The weekly press briefings were immediately cancelled following the developments that surrounded the governing party that is now in jeopardy.
Shortly after the letters was given to Richards copies was made and given to each commissioner who was in the building at the time. The only commissioner who did not show up to work yesterday was Commissioner Theo Heyliger.
"The Wathey family had to step in late Tuesday and make sure their nephew do the right thing by leaving the Democratic Party which was founded by Dr. Claude Wathey(father and grandfather). This is hard for the family but they have had enough and they needed to make sure Theo makes this move which is a step in the right direction." One supporter of the Wathey's told SMN News.
Source say the island leader of government began making preparations since Tuesday when she went to her office and packed her belongings away. The source said the commissioner was making sure she took what was essential to her and her party prior to leaving the space to incoming NA leader William Marlin.
In a press release from the Leader of the Democratic Party Commissioner Sarah Wescott-Williams announced that her faction has decided that the members of the Executive Council will tender their resignations.
The decision was made considering that Island Council member Louie Laveist has officially informed the Lt. Governor on Wednesday, November 12 of his decision to withdraw his support of the current Island Government.
Before officially tendering the resignations, Wescot-Williams explained that a meeting will be held with the board of the Democratic Party on Wednesday evening, or latest Friday, to apprise the members of the latest developments.
Once the board is apprised, she continued, the resignations of the Executive Council members will take place at which time a press conference will be called to inform the people of St. Maarten about the party's decision.