MP Rolando Brison
PHILIPSBURG--United St. Maarten Party (US Party) faction leader Member of Parliament (MP) Rolando Brison will head US Party’s list in the #1 position for the upcoming early parliamentary election.
Brison contested the last parliamentary election in the #4 slot under the leadership of MP Frans Richardson. Richardson, with the support of his party’s board, made the announcement on Tuesday night during a meeting with US Party candidates who will also be contesting the election.
The move is in keeping with US Party’s principle of not just giving young adults an opportunity to find a political home within the party, but affording them opportunities to take on significant roles when possible. Since its inception five years ago, US Party has consistently included younger persons on its list of candidates, the party said in a press release on Wednesday.
“We are still a new, young party. I have always believed that you have to give young, dynamic people the opportunity to show that they can indeed lead the country one day. We cannot and should not stand in the way of this natural development. Our party is very proud of our history of inclusion of young adults. We are not afraid of that commitment, we are dedicated to it,” Richardson said.
He added that St. Maarten, not just US Party, has a dynamic future leader in Brison. “From his days at the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau to his initiatives and actions on the floor of Parliament, he has shown that he has what it takes. He prepares well, he studies, conducts detailed research, he is a people’s person and he is not afraid of challenges. The board and I are confident he will do great by our people,” Richardson said.
For his part, Brison said the confidence being placed in him is extremely humbling. He said US Party is a very close-knit group of people, a family who have embraced him and his approaches and have given him multiple opportunities to grow within the party and, by extension, in politics in St. Maarten. He credited Richardson for always being willing to mentor him and having the confidence to name him faction leader of the party in Parliament.
“It’s truly an honour to have received the confidence of the board of [US Party – Ed.] and MP Richardson to head our list in the upcoming elections. It once again proves that [US Party] is the party that nurtures the next generation of political leaders. I’m grateful that my hard work has not gone unnoticed by both [US Party] and the public and hope that the country joins me and my [US Party] colleague candidates in reshaping the next generation of leadership in St. Maarten,” Brison said.
Regarding the upcoming early Parliamentary election, Brison said: “Whenever elections are held, Team [US Party] will be ready.”
