The Leader of the Democratic Party and Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams emphasized that the focus of the Democratic Party of St. Maarten in taking part in the 2014 elections will be on quality rather than on quantity and will place service to the country on the fore-front. During a recent press conference, when asked, the Prime Minister reiterated this point: "Let me put it as clearly and as concise as possible: the Democratic Party will not be breaking its neck just to full a list, something which other parties are doing with some individuals, whom I am afraid will place their own interest above that of the people. Maybe yes, we will have a full slate, but that will not be our focus. The focus of the Democratic Party, going into the elections will be on persons who want to contribute to this process; the process of being elected by the people for all of the right reasons. Stability, knowledge and a realistic hopefulness will be key themes going forward," stated Wescot-Williams.
The leader of the Democratic Party also reiterated that the Party is refocused and resolute about moving away from the usual political rhetoric of campaign promises that cannot be fulfilled: "Where we stand today as a political party and a country is extremely important and indeed 2014 is a pivotal year for both. 2014 will mark 60 years of the existence of the Democratic Party of St. Maarten, twenty of which I have been at its helm. 2014 will also see the election for the second Parliament of the country of St. Maarten. The DP is poised to be the first one to move out of the "starting gates" with a clear vision, not only with regard to the election but also with regard to how we should govern the country that we love so much. I want the Democratic Party to remain the party that is in tune with the people; one, which people will ask to be affiliated with. And for this to become a reality, a lot of serious work needs to be done," continued Sarah Wescot-Williams.
"We had our challenges in the 2010 elections, but as far as I am concerned, it is time to move on and truly mean something for all of the people of St. Maarten.
"We have also heard the passionate presentations from the Party’s young people to address the issues which they find important. I believe that we have to pick up the proposals of the young people and re-establish the Party’s Political Youth Forum, to educate young people about politics and the political system, and also to encourage young people to vote in order to combat the global phenomenon of voters’ apathy," concluded the DP Leader .
Prime Minister Wescot-Williams also stated that for the Democratic Party, partnerships should be about the people, not the persons.
The DP will be holding various seminars on political topics including electoral reform, governance, as well as sustainable development and other topics geared towards especially the young guard of the party:
"Saying that you have young people on your list but not educating and informing them of the way forward in the interest of St. Maarten and its people will only result in seeing some of the same irresponsible actions that we have seen within and outside of political parties."