Marigot: --- For the past weeks residents of French St. Martin have been hearing that the State Council may well annul the August 7th election where Frantz Gumbs was elected President due to procedural errors. So far the president has remained mum on the issue since he too would be removed from his seat like his former president and now senator to pave the way for another internal election.
Senator Louis Constant Fleming when asked about this on Air Supply Radio Show which was aired on La Voix St. Martin yesterday confirmed that the State Council already mentioned that they may well annul the August 7th Presidential election. Constant-Fleming said that even though it was mentioned there has not been any official notification from the State Council.
The senator also said if that should happen then the possibility would exist for Gumbs to be re-elected to his presidential position. Fleming did not mention how possible that would be knowing that his team is slowly falling apart. Since it has been rumored that Marthe Ogoundele Tessi may be reinstated to her position it is said that Ogoundele who was not attending council meetings over the last year is now back. It is not clear if she is rebuilding her image which was destroyed by the UPP group so that she can run in the re-election or if she made up with her team. SMN News asked Ogoundele Tessi if she made up with her team. The former Vice President said she never left the party despite the turmoil and public embarrassment. She said the reason she was not attending the council and other meetings in the past was because she was busy with her teaching job.
However, it is clear that that the Vice President for economic affairs and the President of the Tourist Office is at odds. Both persons who are from the UPP team does not have the best relationship with those in charge especially after listening to the last week's budget debate where is said that the VP of Economic Affairs will be keeping the promotional budget for the Tourist Office even though he does not visit after and former director was officially fired.
SMN News is bombarded with emails concerning the amount of overseas trips the VP in question and at whose expense. Some of the emails are even questioning the disappearance of the 600,000 Euros from the tourist office and if an official complaint was filed against the culprits. They are also asking about the audit that was done at the tourist office and why it has not been made public. In one of the emails the writer suggested that the senator may be awarded with the post presidential seat that is now available thus he is turning a blind eye to the mis-management of the COM and the misappropriation of government funds at the Tourist Office. This media house already ran several articles outlining some of these issues including the possible annulment of the August 7th election.
