The party was long associated with its powerful leader, business tycoon Claude Wathey.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, which hit the island hard on 6 September 2017 and paralyzed the economy, the Democratic Party and the United People's Party decided to merge to form the United Democrats.

Party leader Sarah Wescott-Williams cited Sint Maarten's "personal (individual) political system" as a cause for political instability and described the upcoming congress as "more than the usual annual council meeting of the party" and a "regeneration meeting".

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