Mr. Bruno Magras, the last mayor of the Commune and the first president of the new Collectivity, who is a role model of a politician for small economies like ours, is to be commended, together with his predecessors since 1977 for having attained this milestone for their people. They have demonstrated a common sense of purpose, for they have never deviated from their goal focused on safeguarding the interests of their island and its people. The upcoming retirement of President Bruno Magras from political office may seem risky, as the great concern lies in the fact that outsiders' political forces can overpower the common sense of purpose of the St. Barths people, the leaders' success being truly grounded in their determination throughout the years to put 'country above self.'
'Country above self' is definitely not a defining feature of the ruling political body in St. Martin, whether majority or minority. The sense of purpose aimed at is blatantly the empowerment and betterment of the leaders' social and family standards at the expense of the people of St. Martin. They seek to neglect their professional careers and make politics, which is the business of the people, their personal business, and thence easily become the enemy and traitor of the people, as they cannot handle both their personal advancement and the advancement of the people. They dive into major conflicts of interest. This have been going on in St. Martin as long as the St. Barths politicians and people have been working towards making their island less dependent on outside entities, such as Guadeloupe, France, and Europe, thus crafting their specific kind of governance and suiting their budget to serve the interest of their people.
The widely publicized notion, promoted by outsider-dominated groups during electoral times, that St. Martin must remain a UPT (Ultra-peripheral Territory) in order to ensure its development, is the biggest fallacy and wildest illusion. This notion was clearly stated in the July 2003 ROAD MAP (Document d'Orientation) proposed by politicians and socio-professionals who were pushing for article 74. Actually, it is not the quantity of money available to politicians that ensures the prosperity of their territory; it is how they manage it in the interest of their country and its people. This calls for sacrifice, balance, and total absence of greed. Where close family is concerned, the individual politician has to balance his concerns, in order not to compromise his close family in the process of serving his country and its people, which is what political commitment is all about. Which politician do you know does just that? Comparing both the South, an OCT with much less investment money than the North, a UPT with millions more investment money throughout the last 25 years, the difference of infrastructural development only is a blatant proof that it is not the quantity of money available to politicians that create jobs for their people and economic growth for their territory.
Daniella JEFFRY
