MARIGOT: --- The MOCSAM headed by Julien Gumbs is calling on all residents on St. Martin to come out in full force and support their protest march which is planned for Friday May 1. Gumbs told reporters at a press conference yesterday that the people of St. Martin need to demand respect from its elected officials. "The theme for this Friday's march will be "RESPECT" for the people, the island and their monies" Gumbs said. While the march will not be dealing directly with politics the organizers plan to address the annulment of the August 7th election where Frantz Gumbs was elected president.
Gumbs said they intend to ask the elected officials to do the honorable thing and step down if they are not able to properly manage the affairs of the people. He said for the past two years there are several issues which the MOCSAM brought to the forefront but nothing has been done by those in authorities to correct the matter.
Gumbs said just recently the State refused to grant the COM a decree on the vignette tax which was collected last year, he said the COM has to modify their request and to date it has not been done, yet they are forcing people to pay this road tax.
He said two months ago the MOCSAM held a march and they presented the President with a list of their grievances but to date he is not able to get a meeting with President and his cabinet to discuss the pertinent issues. Gumbs said some two weeks ago the ousted president told him the reason he would not grant him a meeting is because his points are too political. "I personally don't know what the ousted president means by that but I need him to know that the MOCSAM does not intend to give up and he would be seeing more of these marches which would progress each time.
One of the issues to be addressed on Friday by the MOCSAM is they intend to form a committee which would serve as a shadow behind a PAF police who has been suspended last week. The officer who hails from Martinique has filed a complaint against one of his colleagues whom he said has been using racial slurs against other black colleagues working in the PAF.
The officer an assistant brigadier Achille Thiver said he has been suspended by the management of the PAF after they learnt he went public concerning the racism that is taking place within the PAF. Thiver said he went on SOS radio on April 6th where he spoke of the insults his colleagues has to face simply because they are black. The management of the PAF felt Thiver betrayed the service when he went public with matters they consider to be internal.
The officer said he filed a complaint with the justice system which is now being reviewed. While he is not the only one to file a complaint he is the only officer that has been suspended from duties. Thiver said on February 16th 2008 one of his colleagues ordered another colleague whom he said is black to bring him a coffee. He said his colleague refused to do as was asked and when she did not pay any attention to the sous brigadier he told another black colleague to give the order which was also refused. After seeing that the officers would not comply with his orders he said his colleague said if he was responsible for the abolition of slavery it would not have happened.
He said the female colleague was also insulted when she was called "hey Spanish, hey Spanish" how did you came to St. Martin was it by boat. Thiver said the young woman wrote a complaint and filed it with the Directress of the Departmentale de la PAF but these persons have failed to take action.
However, Thiver did not gave up he took action by filing a judicial complaint against his colleagues as well as making the matter public.
Gumbs said he felt Thiver did not buckle to pressure and congratulated him for the brave steps he took. He said the local people of St. Martin should come out in full force and support Thiver since racism is existing on St. Martin for a very long time. "We need to stop this kind of behavior because it's hindering the youths from joining the PAF. It has been over ten years now locals are given contracts to work with the PAF but when that contract is up there is no future for our people with the police force." Gumbs said.