Union Farm: --- An emotional yet intelligent Jeffry Richardson former executive assistant to former commissioner Roy Marlin and Louie Laveist at a press conference on Saturday gave some reasons why he decided to found the Concordia Political Alliance (CPA). Richardson said while he called the press conference at a place he called ground zero, the party will be officially launched on August 15th where all the candidates who will be postulating the upcoming election will be presented.Richardson said the time is now and there is no turning back since the people on St. Maarten has been neglected by elected officials. Jeffry said since he has been moving around the island he met with several persons who are suffering, especially the families that are living in the emergency homes in Union Farm. The houses he said needs to be repaired while the roads are hardly accessible. "This is a forgotten corner on St. Maarten and there are people who don't even know this place." Richardson said the reason why the island has so many gangs is because there is nothing for the youths to do. "There is no place they can socialized, no sporting facilities are here. The current government and those that were there before did not give the youths an opportunity for them to fulfill their dreams. The CPA he said intends to make changes that are structural to St. Maarten while their main objective is to strengthen and preserve St. Maarten's Cultural identity.
Politicians he said is not listening to their people who elected them to office. Richardson said it is time for everyone to place their hands on deck to change the current situation. He said the people have to now put their hands together for St. Maarten since Unity is Strength.
The youths he said cannot find jobs, no recreational center, no homes can be found while government is not doing anything to assist these people, one of the reasons he said crime is escalating. Richardson said people are being victimized depending on which party they vote for, a trend he intends to stop. The CPA founder said they do not want to be part of the "lump" of the past but their mission is to be the future of St. Maarten. Change he said can only come if the people are ready to make that change. His party's mission is to conquer the current situation where people are neglected. He said government is supposed to work for and to empower their people.
Richardson also said that the CPA will be focusing on being the representative for the native St. Maarteners and they would strive to give natives an equal opportunity in their country.
Jeffry Richardson resign from the St. Maarten Nation Building Foundation now that he has decided to enter the political arena. He presented his resignation to the President of the SNBF on Saturday during his press conference.
Supporting the CPA is president of the St. Maarten Nation Building Foundation Drs. Leopold James. James in his speech said he is proud of Richardson whom he said has stepped up to the plate to make a difference. He said Richardson has decided to take on a responsibility to form a political party that is long overdue for those people whose ancestors has formed the basis for St. Maarten and have been forgotten for decades. He also commended Jeffry for the way he has decided to form his party which is among the ordinary and working class people of St. Maarten. James said doing so has showed that the CPA has a solid foundation which would give the natives an alternative and a clear choice.
The members of the island council took sharp criticism from James who failed to say what and who are St. Maarteners in the constitution for country St. Maarten.
James said the elected officials on St. Maarten betrayed their country when they adopted the constitution for country St. Maarten. James said the leader of the National Alliance has turned his back on the St. Maarten people when he asked "What is the St. Maarten people who is St. Maarten people."
James said all the other political parties on St. Maarten are the same as they are all in the same political system, this he said was proven when they denied and rejected the St. Maarten people. "Each and every island council member betrayed the St. Maarten people at a moment when it mattered. A moment when our people needed to be protected and defended every one of them betrayed the St. Maarten people." He said these are these people who want to lead a country but when push comes to shove they abandoned the people they ought to be representing or defending. James said all those persons who have chosen to align themselves with the National Alliance, the Democratic Party and the United People's Party has the blood of the natives on their hands which cannot be washed off, simply because those people has betrayed their ancestors who built the island.
James said now the people have a choice with the CPA from the current "lump" that has the same political hybrid under different political parties. He said any party that does not want to build on solid foundation and has decided to abandon their people, those political parties cannot include others who have denied their own. James also presented the founder of the CPA with an identification card which would align him with his native ancestors.
