Philipsburg:--- National Alliance's number two member and deputy leader Frans Richardson declared himself an independent member of Parliament on Monday. Richardson presented a letter to leader of the National Alliance on Monday afternoon informing him that he has resigned from the position of deputy leader of the National Alliance. Richardson also presented a letter to the chairlady of parliament indicating to her that he is now an independent Member of Parliament.In a press release, Richardson based his decisions on the Mohandas Gandhi. "Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position. Those words are credited to Mohandas Gandhi, "The Great Soul".
Richardson said he is inspired by Gandhi's words more than ever and as a people we cannot afford to remain complacent and stagnant. "We must progress in our development, both personally and collectively."
As a member of the National Alliance, Richardson said he has always been a staunch party supporter. He said he has towed the party's ideals and positions since joining the party in 2003. He said he supported the vision of the National Alliance.
Richardson said "Today I want to begin charting the road ahead, a road that will pave the way for the future development of the people of St. Maarten. More often than not, the road ahead can only be followed by leaving behind what we already know," the release states.
"Today I'm announcing my decision, after consulting with family, close supporters and advisors to relinquish my position as deputy leader of the National Alliance Party and become an Independent Member of the Parliament of St. Maarten."
Richardson said in doing so he strongly believes that he will be in a better position to bring forth his vision, ideas and ultimately legislation, which will benefit the people of St. Maarten without trampling on the thoughts and vision of the party he once wholeheartedly supported.
Richardson said he will support the initiatives of other members of Parliament when he feels they are in line with achieving the collective needs and goals of the people of St. Maarten. Richardson said he remains committed to using his years of experience as a contribution to the forging of the kind of St. Maarten we all want for ourselves and future generations.
"At this juncture in our history, we the Members of Parliament need to step up and raise the bar by presenting legislation that will make the people of St. Maarten feel safe and secure once again. We must foster sustainable economic development with our environment in mind.
We must make decisions, some of them will be tough, but in the long run they must benefit all the people of St. Maarten."
Richardson also expressed thanks to the National Alliance Party while he pledged to continue serving all the people of St. Maarten in his capacity as an Independent Member of Parliament.
