MP Rolando Brison to head USP’s list

PHILIPSBURG — Faction leader of the United St. Maarten (US) party MP Rolando Brison will head USP’s list in the #1 position for the upcoming Parliamentary Elections. Brison contested the last Parliamentary elections in the #4 slot on the USP under the leadership of MP Frans Richardson. MP Richardson, with the support of his party’s board, made the announcement on Tuesday night during a meeting with USP candidates who will also be contesting the elections.

The move is in keeping with the USP’s principle position of giving young adults an opportunity to not just find a political home within the party, but to afford them the opportunities to take on significant roles when possible. Since its inception just five years ago, USP has consistently included younger persons on its list of candidates.

“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,” MP Richardson said.

He said that St. Maarten, not just USP, has a dynamic future leader in MP 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 detail 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,” MP Richardson said.

For his part, MP Brison said the confidence being placed in him is extremely humbling. He said the USP is a very close knit group of people, a family, who has embraced him and his approaches and has given him multiple opportunities to grow within the party and, by extension, in politics on St. Maarten. He credited MP Richardson for always willing to mentor him as well as having the confidence to name him faction leader of the party in Parliament.

“It’s truly an honor to have received the confidence of the board of USP and MP Richardson to head our list in the upcoming elections. It once again proves that USP is the party that nurtures the next generation of political leaders. I’m grateful that my hard work has no gone unnoticed by both USP and the public and hope that the country joins me and my USP colleague candidates in reshaping the next generation of leadership in St. Maarten,” MP Brison said.

Regarding the upcoming Parliamentary snap-elections, Brison said: “whenever elections are held, Team USP will be ready!”