Marigot:--- Presidential hopeful and President of the newly formed Union for Democracy Daniel Gibbs submitted his letter of resignation to the Union Mouvement Popilaire (UMP) on October 6th 2011, exactly one year after resigning from the Union pour les Progres.In a press release issued by Gibbs, it said that Gibbs had been a member of the UMP since 2006 and a founding member of UMP St. Martin and President of Friends of Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007.
The first vice president said in his resignations letters "no engagements to accompany St. Martin in its new status was respected." He felt that the State has abandoned St. Martin due to the fact that they have shown no interest. Gibbs also mentioned the bad administration by the Territorial Council which he said has left St. Martin in economic turmoil. Gibbs also expressed concerns about the non- democratic functioning of UMP St. Martin.
Gibbs added that the direction imposed by the President of the Federation, and the family-run office, excludes all possibilities of managing efficiently the engagements taken on by the UMP-UP list in 2007.
"These are engagements to which I have always been faithful to on my part," he said. "In February, I asked for a meeting to express my concerns but my request was never answered."
He said in his opinion UMP of St. Martin is no longer the political party that it could be because it is "entirely in the hands of one man who is only representing himself. There is no advantage in having connections with a metropolitan political party because little can be achieved and St. Martiners cannot count on metropolitan parties to advance what is important for St. Martin."
