Marigot:--- The committee that is supporting Robert Romney planned to take stronger measures to ensure that St. Maarten be given justice and that Romney remains on St. Martin to complete the work he began in bilingualism and education on St. Martin.Aline Choisy, Lenny Mussington, Louis Jeffry and President of the MOCSAM Julien Gumbs said that they are ready to block the streets of St. Martin and to make sure the Rectorat respects St. Martin's wishes.
"We are ready to do whatever it takes and right now we are busy informing our people of the current situation so they can join and support the efforts of the committee" said Aline Choisy. Choisy said teachers are planning to strike on Tuesday and they are working towards incorporating the Romney affair in the strike.
Fourth vice president Louis Jeffry said he already made contacts with all the media in Guadeloupe to highlight the current issues facing St. Martin, while the unions are also took up Romney's case.
Aline Choisy said it is her belief that violence would increase in the schools since many persons are unhappy with the current situation, she also acknowledged that Romney did not receive the full support of all the teachers and principals of the schools on St. Martin. "There are some who wants him out saying he did nothing, but I am urging people to go to Romney's office so he can show you the amount of work he did including an exchange program between the Dutch and French side for teachers and students without the means." She said Romney does not even have a secretary and that the person who is currently working in his office can be removed anytime the Rectorat wishes.
At press conference on Wednesday members of the committee produced documents to show that the Rectorat has published Romney's position as vacant even though they never formally notified Romney that he was going to be removed. Choisy said the President of the Collectivity of Saint Martin wrote the Rectorat and to date he did not receive a response, a clear indication that the Rectorat has no respect for St. Martin and its people. She further explained that she personally met with the Deputy of Saint Martin Mr. Victorin Laurel who promised to intervene on St. Martin's behalf in Paris while he would also demand an explanation from the Rectorat. Choisy said the vacancy was published two days after the May 5th protest march.
Asked if the Collectivity of St. Martin received a response from the Ministry fourth vice president Louis Jeffry said to date no one responded to them. However, he assured that the case is going much further since he is not giving up.
The committee also provided an Arête which showed that the Rectorat has appointed the Principal of the College Mireille Choisy of Saint Barths as the representative of the Rectorat in St. Barths. Choisy said Romney is still waiting on his decree from the Rectorat while all that was given to St. Barths is what the teachers on St. Martin held a strike for last year. Lenny Mussington said Robert Romney is a competent son of the soil who understands the predicament of education on St. Martin and thus he is calling on the community of St. Martin to support Robert Romney and to defend education on St. Martin.
The committee members said that they believe that Romney was set up to fail since he was not given the required materials and manpower to function over the past year. They said the Rectorat never gave Romney any monies for office supplies and he has been spending his own monies to get the job done.
Furthermore, the MOCSAM said that what is happening today with Romney is history repeating itself when it comes to locals being appointed to top positions. Gumbs said just last year they fought against the decision taken by the Collectivity and the Sous Prefecture when they appointed Laurent Fuentes as St. Martin's representative at the Social, Economic, and Cultural Council even though Rene Arnell received more votes. He said the MOCSAM has been speaking out against the injustice and they took the streets on more than one occasion but this time stronger measures will be implemented.
