WILLEMSTAD - Steven Martina steps down as party leader of the MAN. He also returns his seat in parliament to the party. He has been in parliament since last year's election. It is not known why Martina is leaving.
The party says in a press statement that it has started the process to find a new party leader. Giselle McWilliam is mentioned in the corridors.
The MAN party has two seats in parliament, the vacant seat will now be made available to former party leader and former Prime Minister Hensley Koeiman.
On 2 June 2017, Martina was sworn in as Minister of Economic Development in the Rhuggenaath cabinet. On February 21, 2019, Martina resigned temporarily after announcing that he was a suspect in a criminal investigation by the Public Prosecution Service due to a conflict of interest.
MP Giselle McWilliam took his place. The decision of the Public Prosecution Service not to prosecute, taken in October 2019, paved the way for Martina to return as minister. On May 22, 2020, he resumed his post as Minister of Economic Development.
A week earlier, he had been the only candidate elected as political leader of MAN in an online vote. Martina succeeded Hensley Koeiman, who had resigned from the party leadership in the fall of 2019.