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Democratic Party Sint Maarten Democratische Partij Sint Maarten | |
---|---|
Leader | Sarah Wescott-Williams |
President | Hasani Ellis[1] |
Founder | Claude Wathey Clem Labega[2] |
Founded | 1954[3] 22 January 2023 (refounded)[4] | (original)
Dissolved | November 2017 (refounded in January 2023) |
Split from | Curaçao Democratic Party (original) United Democrats (2023) |
Merged into | United Democrats (2017) |
Youth wing | Professional Young Persons |
Ideology | Social liberalism Progressivism[5] |
Political position | Centre to centre-left |
Colours | Red |
Parliament of Sint Maarten | 2 / 15 |
Website | |
www.dpsxm.com | |
The Democratic Party Sint Maarten (Dutch: Democratische Partij Sint Maarten) is a political party in Sint Maarten. The party was long associated with its powerful leader, business tycoon Claude Wathey. Wathey stepped down from his leadership post in 1992. The party was dissolved in 2017 and refounded in 2023.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, which hit the island hard on 6 September 2017 and paralyzed the economy, the Democratic Party and the United People's Party decided to merge to form the United Democrats.[6]
Five years later, on 10 January 2023, a party congress was announced to take place on 22 January. Party leader Sarah Wescott-Williams cited Sint Maarten's "personal (individual) political system" as a cause for political instability and described the upcoming congress as "more than the usual annual council meeting of the party" and a "regeneration meeting".[4]
Election | Leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1955 | Claude Wathey | 365 | 66.97% | 4 / 5
|
New |
1959 | 392 | 63.84% | 4 / 5
|
0 | |
1963 | 613 | 71.73% | 4 / 5
|
0 | |
1967 | Unopposed | 5 / 5
|
1 | ||
1971 | 1,234 | 59.44% | 4 / 5
|
1 | |
1975 | 2,081 | 5 / 5
|
1 | ||
1979 | 2,126 | 50.50% | 3 / 5
|
2 | |
1983 | 3,342 | 66.85% | 5 / 7
|
2 | |
1987 | 5,036 | 74.19% | 7 / 9
|
2 | |
1991 | 2,837 | 32.88% | 3 / 9
|
4 | |
1995 | Sarah Wescott-Williams | 4,323 | 45.81% | 5 / 11
|
2 |
1999 | 5,601 | 54.42% | 7 / 11
|
2 | |
2003 | 4,919 | 48.38% | 6 / 11
|
1 | |
2007 | 6,635 | 49.48% | 6 / 11
|
0 |
Election | Leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Sarah Wescott-Williams | 2,340 | 17.11% | 2 / 15
|
4 | Coalition |
2014 | 2,398 | 16.54% | 2 / 15
|
0 | Opposition (2014-2015) | |
Coalition (2015-2016) | ||||||
2016 | 1,813 | 12.76% | 2 / 15
|
0 | Coalition (2016-2017) | |
Opposition (2017-2018) | ||||||
2018 | Merged into United Democrats | |||||
2020 | ||||||
Jan 2024 | Sarah Wescot-Williams | 1,970 | 13.64% | 2 / 15
|
2 | Coalition |
Aug 2024 | 2,069 | 15.12% | 3 / 15
|
1 | TBA |