Marigot:--- The head of communications for the Collectivity of St. Martin it is understood is not performing her duties. SMN News learnt that members of the president’s cabinet are having constant problems with the employee who was recruited from Guadeloupe. It is also understood that several department heads had huge arguments with Collette Erivan whom they said is always getting in their way.
Several employees of the COM said the woman who once worked at the Chamber of Commerce in Pointe Pitre Guadeloupe would find herself doing everything else except the job she was hired and is paid over Euros 4000 to do.
The historic research committee in France (Comite de Liaison et d’Application des Sources Historiques) once contacted Erivan for information regarding May 28 and she took weeks before responding with incorrect information. Besides that, Erivan withheld information regarding a visit from the Dutch side to the French side.
Sources say members of the president cabinet are at war with Erivan because she presents herself in all meetings and most of the time gets in the way of progress. SMN News also learnt that Erivan had an argument with someone in the communication department and the person went to senator Fleming’s office to lodge a complaint.
Former president of the COM and now Senator Louis Constant Fleming including the current president Frantz Gumbs said on several occasions that they neglected to communicate with the people of St. Martin since they were elected. Both men promised to enhance communication over a year ago.
The COM spent thousands of Euros to prepare a new office over Forum Caraibe for communications, which is of no use to the Collectivity.
They have since hired three new employees in the department of communication, yet communication from the Collectivity is a nightmare. When the UPP took office some two years ago, they eliminated the “Our News”. The political appointees from UPP went as far as taking away the fax machine and other equipments from the department. SMN News learnt that the two hosts of “Our News” had a struggle with the vice president of communication Louis Jeffry who finally agreed to allow the news program back on the air about a month ago. SMN News learnt that even though Erivan is head of communications she has nothing to do with the half hour television program that is produced by staff of the communication department.
During the Victor Schoelcher fete this year, Erivan fought with Grand Case residents over food, she even went as far as telling the locals that she was the one that organized the day’s activity. Sources say Louis Jeffry had given the employee he recruited a warning letter for her actions.
