National Alliance Towards 2007 Island Elections

Sunday, February 25, 2007 the final new candidate will be introduced to the National Alliance party by its leader, senator William V. Marlin. We have had the privilege and pleasure to experience four dynamic new candidates who pledged to contest the island elections under the banner of the National Alliance - the winning team! Senator William Marlin, a trust worthy political leader, himself a dynamic person who gets the job done, has attracted serious new candidates to join the staunch candidates and will present on March 1, 2007 the winning list.

Mr. Marlin is bent on recapturing the Saint Martin House. The Saint Martin people is committed to supporting him in this effort. This movement of serious people coming to the National Alliance is an apparent indication of that support. The people of Saint Martin have realized that they can not maintain or allow the DP government to mismanage the impending Country Saint Martin. During the last Eight years the DP government has not been able to put the necessary structure in place to enable the realization of Country Saint Martin. Now, at the 11th hour, just before islands elections - thanks to the negotiated financing of the Harbor by the National Alliance leader, senator William Marlin (at that time the SPA leader) the DP government is desperately using the resulting revenues. Actually, it a frantic effort, since it is only a face-lift of the Saint Martin House we notice. This is done at random and conveniently for themselves, rather than with a vision of Country Saint Martin, where the focus is on attracting and developing able human resources, educational infra-structure, stimulating entrepreneurial ambition, instilling respect for and a consciousness of patrimonial values and a sense of pride in being a Saint Martin person and/or resident.
Having taking note of our present situation, our candidates, I am sure, are aware of the daunting charge and responsibility when having been elected to office in the Saint Martin House on April 20, 2007. Looming gigantically over us is the highly important challenge of establishing the Country Saint Martin; it is the crux of this island council election. Information about this election and the electoral process is of serious importance to the effectiveness of our campaign and our constituency. Therefore, the following data, I like to share with you, is very useful for our eligible voters and the general public alike.

This is an excerpt of an announcement, made by the chairman of the Main Voting Bureau, the hon. Lt. Governor, Franklyn Richards.

"Since the last federal government elections of 2006, here on St. Maarten, the Executive Council has designated 14 polling districts and respective polling stations, at which voters may cast their ballots. Allow me today to mention the number of persons eligible to cast votes at the respective polling stations:

• District 1: L.B. Scot Sports Auditorium, located on Longwall Road (Philipsburg) - 1733
• District 2: Sundial school, located on Ch. E.W. Voges street no. 12 (Philipsburg) - 1805
• District 3: Genevieve de Weever school, located at Hope Estate Road (Hope Estate) - 1654
• District 4: Sister Marie Laurence school, located at Ellis drive no. 1 (Middle Region) - 1602
• District 5: Conference and Community Center, located at Zorg en Rust (Dutch Quarter) - 1270
• District 6: Milton Peters College, located at L.B. Scot road in South Reward - 1588
• District 7: St. Peters Hillside school, located at Grapefruit road 25 (St. Peters) - 1434
• District 8: St. Maarten Academy, located on L.B. Scot Road - 1539
• District 9: Celebration Palace, located on Bush road (Cul-de-Sac) - 942
• District 10: Raoul Illidge Sports Complex, located on Welgelegen Road (Cay Hill) - 955
• District 11: Charles Leopold Bell School (former named Leonard Connor School), located on Union Road (Cole Bay) - 1513
• District 12: Leonard Connor school, located on Venus Road (Cay Bay) - 1296
• District 13: Simpson Bay Community Center, located at Simpson Bay road no. 62 (Simpson Bay) - 643
• District 14: Belvedere Community Center, located at Belvedere Estate Road (Belvedere) - 1177

For clarity sake let me mention here that since the last Federal government elections of 2006, the House of detention, in which a voting bureau is situated, falls under district nr. 2, namely that of the Sundial school.

The total number of persons eligible to cast votes in this year’s island council elections at the closing of the voters register on January 30, is 19.151. Comparing the eligible voters of the island government elections of 2003, which was 17.159, to those at the closing of voters register, which is 19.151, you will find that the eligible voters have increased by a percentage of 11.6. In the island government elections of 2003, 64.4% of the eligible voters turn out to vote and in the federal government elections of 2006, 60% of 18.091 eligible voters turn out to vote.
Allow me, then to use this occasion, to call on all eligible voters to come out on election day this year and cast their votes, as together, we determine the future course of St. Maarten, at this most important time in our history, when we are actually pursuing a new status, that of country St. Maarten, within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
In accordance with article 40 of the Island Council Voters Regulation (Publication Sheet 1979, No. 2), every employer is obliged to provide his or her employee, who is eligible to vote on Friday, April 20, 2007, at least four (4) consecutive hours off from work, between the hours of voting, in order for that employee to cast his or her vote. This obligation does not exist if the employee has four (4) consecutive hours off from work, within the hours in which he or she can cast his or her vote.
Allow me, once more, to advise all persons eligible to vote in the upcoming elections, to carefully look at their voting cards, before election day, and to acquaint themselves with the polling station in their respective district, at which they will be expected to cast their votes. Voters should walk along with a valid ID and their voting card when going to their designated polls."

NOTICE: The subsequent posts will feature: The official launching of this blog - The Simartn Sentinel; the National Alliance slate of candidates, submitted on March 1, 2007 and highlighting every candidate personally after wards.