Ben Whiteman

Bernard "Ben" Denzil Whiteman[3] (born 20 August 1954) is a Curaçaoan politician. He was Prime Minister of Curaçao from September 2015 to December 2016. He succeeded Ivar Asjes after Asjes resigned after he lost the confidence of his party. Whiteman was sworn in as Prime Minister on 1 September 2015.[1][4] 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.[3]

For the sportsman, see Benjamin Whiteman.
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[1]
Succeeded byHensley Koeiman
Minister of Public Health, Environment and Nature
In office
31 December 2012 – 23 December 2016
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[2]
NationalityDutch
Political partySovereign People

Prime Minister

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.[5] On 29 October 2015, it was announced Whiteman would stay on until the 2016 elections.[6] The Whiteman Cabinet resigned on 9 November 2015 after losing the parliamentary majority when Marilyn Moses withdrew her support.[7] 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.[8] The new cabinet began to function on 30 November 2015.[9]

In February 2016, Whiteman revealed that in 2014 he was nearly assassinated while sitting on his balcony.[10]

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.[11][12][13]

Whiteman's successor as Prime Minister, Hensley Koeiman, was sworn in on 23 December 2016.[14]

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:[15]

Political offices
Preceded by
Ivar Asjes		 Prime Minister of Curaçao
2015–2016		 Succeeded by
Hensley Koeiman

References

  1. "Whiteman new prime minister". The Daily Herald. 2 September 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  2. "Wie is……………". Knipselkrant Curacao. 17 January 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  3. "Dr. Bernard Whiteman New Prime Minister Of Curaçao". Curaçao Chronicle. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-07-29. Retrieved 2015-09-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. Joost Pijpker (1 September 2015). "Premier Curaçao stapt op na botsingen met eigen partij" (in Dutch). NRC Handelsblad. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  6. "Whiteman premier tot aan Verkiezingen" (in Dutch). Dolfijn FM. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  7. "Regering Curaçao dient ontslag in" (in Dutch). NU.nl. 10 November 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  8. "Curaçao heeft een nieuwe coalitie" (in Dutch). NU.nl. 16 November 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  9. Joost Pijpker (1 December 2015). "Nieuwe regering Whiteman beëdigd op Curaçao" (in Dutch). NRC Handelsblad. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  10. "Premier Curaçao: 'Drugsbende pleegde aanslag op mij'" (in Dutch). de Telegraaf. 7 February 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  11. "Ongekend wanbeheer onder Wiels" (in Dutch). Antilliaans Dagblad. 27 July 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  12. "Rapport splijt coalitie" (in Dutch). Antilliaans Dagblad. 28 July 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  13. "Regering Curaçao wankelt door rapport over Marvelyne Wiels" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. 30 July 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  14. "Vandaag benoeming kabinet Koeiman". Knipselkrant Curaçao. 23 December 2016. Archived from the original on 30 December 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  15. "Kabinet Whiteman II beëdigd" (in Dutch). Antilliaans Dagblad. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
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