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Clem Labega: co-founder of the Democratic Party on St. Maarten

A profile of Clem Labega, who with Claude Wathey built the Democratic Party on St. Maarten and whose name is carried by Clem Labega Square in Philipsburg.

By SXM Daily ·

Clem Labega was one of the founders of the Democratic Party on St. Maarten, the party that went on to govern the Dutch side for nearly four decades. Working alongside Claude Wathey, he helped build the political organisation that shaped the island's modern history, and a square in Philipsburg carries his name.

Philipsburg and Great Bay, Sint Maarten (illustrative)

Illustrative: Philipsburg and Great Bay. Photo: Clavius66 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Building the Democratic Party

The Democratic Party's own release marking its 70th anniversary names Labega, with Claude Wathey, as its co-founders. A biography of Wathey refers to "the Democratic Party of his friend, Clem LaBega", a sign of how closely the two men worked together. According to historian Will Johnson, who knew him personally, Labega campaigned for the party on St. Maarten in its early years. His surname appears as both Labega and LaBega; most sources use Labega.

On the ballot

Labega also stood for office himself. According to historian Will Johnson, he was a candidate for the Island Council in the elections of 1959, and a study of Windward Islands politics published in the European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies also lists him among the Democratic Party's candidates that year.

Clem Labega Square

In Philipsburg, his name is on Clem Labega Square. The Daily Herald reported in 2019 that the old Government Administration Building stands on the square, and historian Will Johnson, who counted Labega as a close friend, has written about the square that bears his name.

Why he matters

The Democratic Party that Labega helped found under Claude Wathey's leadership dominated Dutch-side politics for about forty years and steered the island's growth into a tourism economy. Labega's role in starting that party makes him one of the key figures behind the political history of modern Sint Maarten. Read more in SXM Daily's profile of Claude Wathey.

Sources

  • https://sxmelections.com/news/59962/dp-clocks-70-unveils-candidates-list-on-emancipation-day
  • https://hosting.fluidbook.com/6ed26e38b1d7e15b776721730e8a122e_St-Maarten-Service-Training-Academy/data/links/Dr-A-C-Wathey-bio_v1_170821.pdf
  • https://erlacs.org/article/download/24130/25483/62048
  • https://thesabaislander.com/2016/07/29/my-friend-clementie/
  • https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/time-capsule-buried-for-almost-44-yrs-found-in-old-govt-building
  • https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philipsburg_and_the_Great_Bay,_Sint_Maarten,_Caribbean.jpg

Source: https://sxmelections.com/news/59962/dp-clocks-70-unveils-candidates-list-on-emancipation-day

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