Philipsburg:--- Minister of Labour and Health Maria Buncamper Molanus is yet to submit her letter of resignation to the governor of St. Martin Drs. Eugene Holiday and the Prime Minister of St. Maarten and Democratic Party leader Sarah Wescot Williams. SMN News contacted Minister Buncamper Molanus on Sunday evening requesting information on her letters of resignation to the Governor and the Democratic Party and she said she has no comment at this time.SMN News has been reliably informed that the Democratic Party has accepted the public announcement made by Minister Buncamper Molanus on Thursday evening during the parliamentary debate that she has made her position available to the parliament of St. Maarten as her resignation. However, the letter of resignation must be sent to the governor by the Minster which has to be confirmed by the Prime Minister. Minister Buncamper Molanus told the members of parliament she did nothing wrong when she sold the economic rights to a parcel of government leased land for three million dollars.
The Minister said she was also aware of the awkward position she placed on the shoulders of the Prime Minister and their coalition partners. Leader of the National Alliance in his response said that making her position available was "déjà vu" since the Minister who was a commissioner in 2008 did the very same thing when she was caught in a situation of conflict of interest when she accepted $25,000 from TELEM as a donation to her foundation Sky is the Limit, at the time Buncamper Molanus had also appointed her husband to the board of TELEM while she was the commissioner in charge of the government owned company. During that scandal Buncamper Molanus resigned from the executive council but was re-appointed to her position a few weeks later.
Shortly after, Prime Minister Wescot Williams said the Minister tendered her resignation and promised that what took place in 2008 will not happen again since St. Maarten is now a country and things have to be different. The Prime Minister also promised that the coalition would handle the resignation of Minister Buncamper Molanus after the holidays.
Governor Holiday when contacted on Sunday evening said he will deal with the issue at hand on Monday as Sunday was Boxing Day.
Well placed sources within the Democratic Party told SMN News that the Democratic Party had prepared their own motion of no confidence on Thursday to present to parliament against Minister Maria Buncamper Molanus but Member of Parliament Leroy de Weever refused the sign the motion claiming that he did not appoint Buncamper Molanus as a Minister. The source said De Weever said those who opted to make her Minister should be the ones to fire her.
It should be noted that the only two persons that were elected on the Democratic Party slate were Sarah Wescot Williams and Leroy De Weever. SMN News has been reliably informed that the party leader Wescot Williams did not include De Weever in the discussions when she formed the coalition with the United Peoples Party. De Weever also wanted to appoint his nephew Cornelius De Weever as Minister of Health but his proposal was rejected by the party's leader and board.
According to our sources, the motion was prepared by Member of Parliament Roy Marlin who was expecting full cooperation from his colleague in parliament Leroy de Weever. SMN News learnt that the motion could not be presented by the Democratic Party because it its mandatory for any motion or requests of parliament to have at least two signatures.
Furthermore, the leader of the United Peoples Party and their MP's refused to participate in the firing of Buncamper Molanus saying the Democratic Party should deal with their internal problems.
In an invited comment. Leader of the National Alliance William Marlin said he expects the Minister and Prime Minister to submit Buncamper Molanus's resignation by Monday December 27 so that the process of appointing a new Minister can begin. Marlin said that it is the governor who would have to decide if the Minister could continue working until she is replaced. The NA leader said if nothing happens this coming week then the matter would have to go back to parliament.
