Philipsburg:--- "I am not going anywhere and I did not give up my seat in Parliament to go to work in the embassy in the Dominican Republic. I am in politics because I want to work and serve my people, are some of the words the number eight candidate of the United Peoples Party Johan Janchi Leonard said on Friday as he reacted to an article published on SMN News which stated that Leonard is expected to go to the Dominican Republic as St. Maarten's representative.
Leonard said while there are rumors saying he is the one appointed to take up an appointed position in the Dominican Republic Dutch embassy no one from the United Peoples Party approached him to discuss the matter. Leonard also said that the persons who will be representing St. Maarten in the different embassies will not be an ambassador as some people perceive it to be. He said the ambassador is appointed by the State and the new country representatives are going to be employees at these embassies. "Do you really think that I am going to give up my seat in parliament to take up a position somewhere else where I have no power?" Leonard asked.
Leonard said he is the next person in line to become a senator and he has no intention to step aside since his desires are to serve the people of his island and not the citizens of any other country.
SMN News has been reliably informed that the leader of the UP as well as it board members suggested that Leonard should take up the position in the Dominican Republic because Leonard is fluent in Dutch and Spanish and most importantly he has a vast amount of knowledge on immigration procedures. Other sources say the UP insiders are trying to get Leonard out of the way since he is the next person in line to take up one of the seats in parliament the minute any of the six candidates become Ministers. However, there are those who prefer Jesus Richardson who is right after Leonard to get the seat in parliament over Leonard.
Raphael Christian, campaign manager for Johan Janchi Leonard told SMN News that Leonard did not receive the support he was expecting from the UP and others that were closely aligned to the party. "Janchi is a generous man and there are people who he assisted and supported enormously and they did not support him in the election." Christian said Leonard is accustomed of getting close to 400 hundred votes and he was expecting over 1000 persons to have supported him but that did not happen. Furthermore, Leonard campaigned and ran in this election because he wanted to become the next Minister of Justice but according to Christian God's Glory and majesty tends to suffer when someone is clean and straight. "A person that is clean and cannot be bought will never become the Minister of Justice in St. Maarten politics." Christian concluded.