Marigot:---- Leader of the RRR party Alain Richardson in a press release said as a member of both the Territorial and the Executive councils and as President of the opposition faction (RRR), wish to thank the local press for the information it brought to the councillors, members on the visit of a St-Martin's delegation to Paris, on its composition and on the disastrous results of such visit.
The faces and depressed look of President Gumbs, Vice-president Gibbs and Chief Administrator Averne in the pictures published in the press this week are there as proof of the disastrous results , the humiliation, failures and of the uselessness of such visit because it was simply rushed into and badly prepared. As a proof again of this unpreparedness, the Collectivité's communication department when questioned during the visit was unable (not unwilling) to provide any information on the program of the visit, the composition of the delegation and to give a daily account on the visit.
Richardson wants to know if the visit to Paris by a delegation of nine persons (LC Fléming, F. Gumbs, D. Gibbs, P. Aliotti, L. Fuentes, F. Giraud, JP. Fischer, P. Averne, B. Castagnède) necessary just to hear a State secretary and other Civil servants announce the unilateral decisions of the State?
In these times of crisis and of « lack of budget » (which was the sole argument used by the State to justify its decisions), I am convinced that the State representative on the island (the Prefet délégué) could have transmit the message. This would have permitted some substantial savings for the Collectivité.
Was it necessary to go to Paris to hear the announcements: - no we will no longer be building the jail we originally committed to built on St-Martin ; - no we will not be sending the 3rd judge originally scheduled to St-Martin (use modern technology and have a Judge from his office in Guadeloupe intervene by Visio conference in order to have criminals be prosecuted through the immediate procedure).
Let it be known that the solution proposed (using Visio conference equipment) with no uncertainty costs much less than 10% of the cost of the visit.
Was it necessary to go to Paris to hear that the amount of the compensation funds will be merely 280 000 € (in other words peanuts)? (Let it be known that the ousted President M. L.C Fleming estimated that the Collectivité ought to be receiving as compensation funds more than 10 000 000 € and he was counting upon his "contacts and friends" in Paris to have this amount increased), He even stated that "I will call upon President Sarkozy to arbitrate in our favour".
"I am surprised by the great deception expressed by the delegation, because it is the Presidents Fleming followed by his successor Gumbs assisted by Vice-president Javois-Guyon-Firmin and other technicians who negotiated and took actively part in the work and the meetings of the commission in charge to do the evaluation of the net cost of the transfer of competencies to the Collectivité of St-Martin." These persons because of their involvement for many months in this process ought to have gotten some kind of indication and or clue a long time ago of what to expect.
Stating today and doing as if they are only now understanding that "that this is the way the system works, that it is the State services that communicate the data and it is also the Sate that validates them" President Gumbs ; and "it is unfair because the State in this process is at the same time a player and the referee" Chief Administrator Averne, is really shocking and scary because they are the persons who have been negotiating for St-Martin with the State of France, the Department and Region of Guadeloupe.
In all of this there is a clear indication that it is only now that the results are in, that our negotiators are becoming aware of the rules and of whom they were negotiating with. In these conditions, it is urgent that these persons inform and present to the people of St-Martin what they have been doing, what they have presented as arguments, what was their negotiation strategy during this process in the interest of St-Martin.
Was it necessary to go to Paris just to hear, as the ousted President and now Senator Fléming has reported in his press release published in the press, that if St-Martin presents a comprehensive request with projects ready to be implemented (roads, sewage networks and other public infrastructures) it can be eligible for funding from the State secretariat for overseas territories?
Is it conceivable, since it is announced that the purpose of the visit was to seek funding, that the delegation went to Paris without the said comprehensive investment and development plan? Such plan as a matter of fact should have been the result of a large reflexion and consultation locally and have the unanimous support of the Territorial Council giving it political and consensual weight.
Let me make it also known that during the discussions (end of 2006 beginning of 2007) of the organic law on the floor of the National Assembly M. BAROUIN the then Minister of Overseas Territories made a commitment on the behalf of the Government of France to assist and accompany St-Martin (Plan d'accompagnement).
The situation is critical :
- there will be soon no more "octroi de mer" (12 000 000 € lost)
- close to no compensation funds (an average of 5 000 000 € less compared to the 2008 budget)
- the justice system not been given the basic means to function effectively and efficiently yet we face a most crippling and urgent crime situation.
Mister the President tell us what are your intentions? (Where do we go from here ?)
