Marigot:--- Over the past two weeks SMN News has been monitoring the various radio programs and we also took the time out to listen to the people of St. Martin (voters) that elected those that are in power and on the opposition benches to office. After listening to several persons, it is clear that the people of St. Martin are disgusted with the level of politics that is being displayed by those that postulated themselves for the 2012 elections.
Several St. Martiners found that politicians have gone to the lowest level when they either try to justify what they have done wrong or cast the blame on others. Some of the people that we have spoken to felt they were being used and misled when they were called upon to defend the former President who was ousted from his seat. "Even the name of God and the church was brought into the political arena to benefit someone who refused to accept he committed an error," one St. Martiner told SMN News reporter.
While those that were not elected in the last election used the opportunity given to them by the State Council to cast more blame and to insult the former President.
It is logical that the leader of the RRR and former President knows that he committed an error when he broke the rules of the electoral law. The former President ran in several elections before and he did not open more than one bank account before because he stuck to the law. The biggest question now is why he did what he did in 2012 and why he chose not to take responsibility for what was done rather than blaming everyone else.
Mr. Leopold James clearly expressed this sentiment in his interview with DJ Air Supply on the program 'One-on-One', on Thursday, April 18, 2013, when he accused the president of blaming everyone else and looking for excuses, rather than being a man and accepting full responsibility for his own actions.
Now that the episode of the former President is almost over, and there is a new President sitting at the helm, it is of utmost importance that the politicians, not only those that were elected but also those sitting on the sidelines get involved in a positive way by providing their ideas and solutions to the various problems St. Martin is faced with. After all, each and every one of the political parties that postulated in 2012 told the people of St. Martin that they love their country and its people. If that is indeed so then this is time to show the people how much they care and really get involved.
The Territorial Council should also put in place a committee where people from the community could voice their opinion and provide ideas on the projects they intend to work on. After all there will be no harm committed if there are more ideas and opinions on the table even though the final decision would rest with the elected. It has been said over and over that "all hands" should be placed on the deck to assist and work in the interest for St. Martin; therefore the Collectivity and its elected officials need to find a way to get all the hands on the deck in the interest of St. Martin.
The media became the target for the mistakes and ill will of those that ran for office, while media workers are performing their duties by informing the people of the day to day happenings, they are being crucified by politicians who did not get their way. Some of us were called unprofessional and told that we do not do our jobs. As a media operative, SMN News wants to remind politicians and elected officials that the French were the second nation to eradicate slavery in the year 1848 and it is time that the slave and dictatorship mentality be placed where it belongs since slavery in the French state was abolished just ten years after the British abolished slavery between 1833 to 1838. Therefore, SMN News will not allow anyone to dictate to us and treat us as if we are slaves. The news articles published will be supported by facts because on several occasions we attached documents to our articles as evidence.
Because of the recent trend and the concerns expressed by the people of this island, SMN News felt it necessary to inform the politicians on St. Martin to put their selfish desires aside and come together as one to work in the interest of the country they all said they love.
Protocol needs to be Observed --- Assist the COM with Protocol.
It should also be noted that while the French side did what had to be done by electing a new President in record time, even though they had one month to do so. Proper protocol was not followed during the election of the first female President (leader) of French St. Martin. As a media operative, we noticed that the extra-ordinary Territorial Council meeting had no chairman to officially open the meeting that would have established that Jean Philippe Richardson is the person that took the seat that was made available in the Territorial Council through the State Council, and to officially establish the election committee for the election of the President. What we saw on Wednesday afternoon is that the oldest and youngest member of the TC opened this meeting and proceeded with the election of the president. Another observation is that former President Alain Richardson who was sanctioned by the State Council and removed from his seat chose to intervene in the meeting and place the "Echarpe" around the neck of the newly elected President, it is now left to be seen how the State will accept the intervention of the former president. However, what we at SMN News believe is that someone with knowledge of protocol should step in and offer their services and or advice to those that are supposed to be representing St. Martin. Let us not be put to shame once more.