Marigot:--- Members of the RRR party that are members of the Territorial Council surrounded President Alain Richardson on Saturday morning as he explained the members of the media at an extra-ordinary press conference, the reasons why the Commission nationale des comptes de campagne et des financements politiques (CNCCFP) rejected his political campaign accounts. President Richardson said he was called on March 27th, 2013 where he was informed of the decisions taken by CNCCFP. However, the State Council will take a final decision within 30 days. He said the CNCCFP has taken severe actions by the proposal they made to the State Council who has to take the final decision.
President Richardson said that the RRR group had two accounts for their 2012 political campaign; one of the accounts is a USD account and the other is a Euros account. Both of accounts were opened at one of the French banks and they were not working simultaneously. President Richardson said that the USD account was used to pay two bills amounting to $6,900.
The law clearly states that political parties can only have one account for political campaign funding to be audited. President Richardson said that based on the law of 2011, the council did not identify any fraud committed by his political party; he said his lawyers argued that the CNCCFP refused to consider the reality and economic situation of St. Martin where both currencies are accepted and French Banks allow businesses, citizens, and political parties to open USD accounts on the French side. Another argument the RRR attorneys presented is that the council did not consider the jurisprudence based on the law of 2011. The CNCCFP gave the State Council three punishments for the RRR President, the first is that the President must resign from his position as President of the Collectivity, the monies the RRR spent on the 2012 election campaign will not be refunded by the State, and the State Council must also impose a 15 months punishment where the President is deemed ineligible during that period of time. The State Council will pronounce its final decision within 30 days, President Richardson told media workers during the press conference.
President Richardson in his remarks also stated that St. Martin is under the attack and its time that the people reunite. He said if the State Council refused to accept the reality of St. Martin where both the dollars and Euros are accepted then all persons, including businesses that opened the USD accounts in the French banks are acting illegally.
President Richardson said that the RRR submitted its accounts on time, they followed all the rules and regulations set by the State. Political parties can spend up to Euros 25,000.00 and the RRR submitted its expenses amounting to Euros 22,000.00. According to President Richardson, RRR was transparent with its spending therefore in his view they have not broken any rules. The only thing that CNCCFFP is using to reject the RRR financial account is fact that the RRR had two accounts for his political campaign one of which was a USD account.
The only thing is that the RRR had two accounts instead of one account. One of those accounts was a dollar account that is considered as a sub-account was opened at the same time at the same French bank. "Those accounts were opened in February when the RRR announced their candidacy for the 2012 elections." President Richardson in his explanations said that the Euro account was used in February and March 2012 during the entire election campaign, while on April 10th, 2012 the USD was used to pay two bills while the last bill was paid in the beginning of May 2012 from the Euro account. President Richardson insisted that the CNCCFP refuses to accept the monetary, economic, and financial realities of St. Martin. The CNCCFP also refuses to accept that St. Martin is the only territory that uses both currencies on a daily basis.
SMN News asked President Richardson if this is the first time he opened two accounts for his political campaign, President Richardson responded in the affirmative.
Click here to view the decision of the CNCCFP.
