His Excellency
Ben Whiteman
5th Prime Minister of Curaçao
In office
1 September 2015 – 23 December 2016
MonarchWillem-Alexander
GovernorLucille George-Wout
Preceded byIvar Asjes
Succeeded byHensley Koeiman
Minister of Public Health, Environment and Nature
In office
31 December 2012 – 23 December 2016
Prime MinisterDaniel Hodge, Ivar Asjes, himself
Preceded byStanley Bodok
Succeeded byZita Jesus-Leito
Leader of Pueblo Soberano (pro tempore)
In office
31 August 2015 – 14 December 2015
Preceded byIvar Asjes
Succeeded byJaime Córdoba
Personal details
Born
Bernard Denzil Whiteman

(1954-08-20) 20 August 1954 (age 69)
NationalityDutch
Political partySovereign People

Bernard "Ben" Denzil Whiteman (born 20 August 1954) is a Curaçaoan politician who served as the 5th Prime Minister of Curaçao from September 2015 to December 2016. He also was the Minister of Public Health, Environment and Nature since 31 December 2012 in the Asjes-Cabinet and the Hodge-Cabinet before taking the post, retaining the position after becoming prime minister.

Early life

Bernad Denzil Whiteman was born on 20 August 1954.[1][2]

Political career

Early political career

On 31 December 2012 Whiteman became Minister of Public Health, Environment and Nature in the cabinet of Daniel Hodge.[1] In April 2013, as Minister of the Environment, he stated he wished for Curaçao to join the Dutch Caribbean Exclusive Economic Zone.[3] He retained his position in the cabinet of Ivar Asjes.[1]

In February 2016, Whiteman stated that in 2014 he was nearly assassinated while sitting on his balcony.[4]

First Whiteman cabinet

Whiteman was sworn in as prime minister on 1 September 2015.[5][6] He succeeded Ivar Asjes, who resigned after he lost the confidence of his party. Whiteman took on the post of prime minister with the intent of staying in office for three months, to allow his party to search for a successor.[7] Whiteman retained the ministerial position he held in the Hodge and Ajses cabinets after becoming prime minister.[1] On 29 October 2015, it was announced Whiteman would stay on until the 2016 elections.[8] The Whiteman Cabinet resigned on 9 November 2015 after losing the parliamentary majority when Marilyn Moses withdrew her support.[9] One week later, Whiteman announced he had formed a new coalition, with the entry of the Party for the Restructured Antilles (PAR) into the coalition. The PAR held two seats in the Estates and was allowed to designate the new Minister for the Economy.[10] The new cabinet began to function on 30 November 2015.[11]

Second Whiteman cabinet

Ministry Minister Period Party
Prime Minister Ben Whiteman 30 November 2015 – 23 December 2016 Sovereign People
Minister for Education, Science, Culture and Sport Irene Dick 30 November 2015 – 23 December 2016 Sovereign People
Minister for Social Development, Work and Welfare Ruthmilda Larmonie-Cecilia 30 November 2015 – 23 December 2016 Sovereign People
Minister for Justice Nelson Navarro 30 November 2015 – 23 December 2016 Partido pa Adelanto I Inovashon Soshal
Minister for Governance, Planning and Service Etienne van der Horst 30 November 2015 – 23 December 2016 Partido pa Adelanto I Inovashon Soshal
Minister for Finance José Jardim 30 November 2015 – 23 December 2016 Independent, representative for Glenn Sulvaran
Minister for Traffic, Transport and Urban Planning Suzanne Camelia-Römer 30 November 2015 – 23 December 2016 National People's Party
Minister for Economic Development Eugene Rhuggenaath 30 November 2015 – 23 December 2016 Party for the Restructured Antilles
Minister for Health, Environment and Nature Siegfried Victorina 30 November 2015 – 23 December 2016 Sovereign People

Source:[12]

A fourth report on the functioning of the Curaçaohuis, the office of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Curaçao, Marvelyne Wiels, was highly critical. The report, and the fact that it had yet not been shared with the Estates of Curaçao, led coalition parties in the Second Whiteman cabinet to voice severe criticism in July 2016. Alex Rosaria, leader of the Partido pa Adelanto I Inovashon Soshal, called the issue "a dark cloud over the Whiteman cabinet". The leader of the PAR, Zita Jesus-Leito, asked for the voluntary resignation or Wiels or else her dismissal by Whiteman.[13][14][15]

In November 2016 he faced criticism after several Ministers signed financial agreements although they were not allowed to do so, public servants who voiced criticism were transferred or faced displinary action.[16]

Whiteman's successor as prime minister, Hensley Koeiman, was sworn in on 23 December 2016.[17]

Post Prime Minister

In October 2018, Whiteman succeeded Jaime Córdoba as leader of Pueblo Soberano.[18] As of August 2023 he remained leader of the party although it was no longer represented in the Parliament of Curaçao.[19]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Dr. Bernard Whiteman New Prime Minister Of Curaçao". Curaçao Chronicle. 1 September 2015. Archived from the original on 2 October 2015.
  2. ^ "Wie is……………". Knipselkrant Curacao. 17 January 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  3. ^ "Curaçao Joins EEZ Management". dcna.org. 17 April 2013. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Premier Curaçao: 'Drugsbende pleegde aanslag op mij'" (in Dutch). de Telegraaf. 7 February 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Whiteman new prime minister". The Daily Herald. 2 September 2015. Archived from the original on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  6. ^ "Curacao prime minister resigns | Caribbean News Now". Archived from the original on 2017-07-29. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  7. ^ Joost Pijpker (1 September 2015). "Premier Curaçao stapt op na botsingen met eigen partij" (in Dutch). NRC Handelsblad. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  8. ^ "Whiteman premier tot aan Verkiezingen" (in Dutch). Dolfijn FM. 29 October 2015. Archived from the original on 25 August 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  9. ^ "Regering Curaçao dient ontslag in" (in Dutch). NU.nl. 10 November 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  10. ^ "Curaçao heeft een nieuwe coalitie" (in Dutch). NU.nl. 16 November 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  11. ^ Joost Pijpker (1 December 2015). "Nieuwe regering Whiteman beëdigd op Curaçao" (in Dutch). NRC Handelsblad. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  12. ^ "Kabinet Whiteman II beëdigd" (in Dutch). Antilliaans Dagblad. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  13. ^ "Ongekend wanbeheer onder Wiels" (in Dutch). Antilliaans Dagblad. 27 July 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  14. ^ "Rapport splijt coalitie" (in Dutch). Antilliaans Dagblad. 28 July 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  15. ^ "Regering Curaçao wankelt door rapport over Marvelyne Wiels" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. 30 July 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  16. ^ "Ministers Curaçao frauderen met miljoenen" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. 15 November 2016. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022.
  17. ^ "Vandaag benoeming kabinet Koeiman". Knipselkrant Curaçao. 23 December 2016. Archived from the original on 30 December 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  18. ^ "Ben Whiteman gekozen tot nieuwe leider Pueblo Soberano". curacao.nu (in Dutch). 8 October 2018. Archived from the original on 12 December 2023.
  19. ^ "According to PS leader Ben Whiteman, all hope for a reopening of the refinery has faded". Curaçao Chronicle. 8 August 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
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