MARIGOT: --- CHRISTOPHE COELHO head of the cabinet of Prefet Delegue Dominique LaCroix said there is no decree on the extension of the mandate of Laurent Fuentes on the Social, Economic and Environmental Council. The response came after Rene Arnell raised concerns on the process.
Coelho said there is a bill that was sent to parliament but he does not know when that bill would come up for debate and voted on. Coelho acknowledged that Fuentes the appointed representative for St. Martin on the council has until September 2009 on the council. He said they are aware the present of council has decided to extend the mandate of all the councilors for another year since there is a constitutional reform taking place.
The council wants to keep the present members on until September 2010 to continue discussions on the reform. However, he said when the bill is passed it will legalize the extension of the mandate of the present council.
Asked about the results of the election which closed off on June 1, Coelho said the consultations with the associations had to be placed on hold now that the reform is taking place. He said when the time comes for a new candidate the Prefet Delegue will nominate a new candidate and at that time it will become public knowledge.
On May 7th the Sous Prefecture sent out a request to 33 associations that were selected to give their support to one of three candidates that postulated for the seat on the Social, Economic and Environmental Council (CESE). The Associations were given until June 1 to send in their letter of support. The candidates were Rene Arnell, Laurent Fuentes and Jean Mark Dufftel.
Rene Arnell in an interview with SMN News said despite receiving this information late he managed to make contact with all the associations, most of whom agreed to endorse him as their candidate. Arnell said he was sure he won the election since he already has some of the letters of support that was sent to the Sous Prefecture. He said to date he did not get the results from the Prefecture instead he is reading in the news that there has been an extension of the mandate. Arnell said this is the second time he won the election and the state is not respecting the wishes of the people. He further explained that if the State had no intention of respecting the desires of the people they should not have consulted with them.
More annoying is that several of the associations that supported Arnell in his bid to serve his island said they would like for the Prefet Delegue and the Collectivity of St. Martin to tell them what Fuentes has achieved for St. Martin during the past year in Paris. “All we know is Fuentes is travelling to and from Paris but we are yet to see the fruits of his labor. We also know of the amounts of monies Fuentes is getting to be on that council but to date the people of St. Martin has gotten nothing in return.”
Arnell said he made contact with the Sous Prefecture on Monday and he was told that no decision has been taken by the Minister of Interior Affairs as yet. Even though there is some kind of notification on the extension of the mandate of the present council, there is no official document indicating that would happen.