On National Alliance list for Sept elections 

PHILIPSBURG--Civil Registry Department (Census Office) Head Leona Marlin-Romeo and Social Insurance Bank SVB control practitioner Dr. Lloyd Richardson will run on the National Alliance (NA) list in the early Island Council elections on September 17.

NA leader William Marlin introduced the first-time candidates during separate ceremonies at the capacity-filled Philipsburg Mutual Improvement Association (PMIA) Hall over the weekend.

The candidates said they had decided run with NA because, among other things, that party stood for integrity and had a vision. "It is a party that holds God high ... and a party whose intention is to be honest with the people and it is a party that stands for integrity," Richardson said as he announced his candidacy on Sunday.

In welcoming the new candidates, Marlin said politicians made a "tremendous sacrifice" to serve their country "because they have a commitment" and a desire to help their people.

"They are not getting involved because there is some personal or financial gain awaiting them around the corner, but because they love their country and they want to put their country first and they want to join a team," he said at the Sunday evening ceremony.

Marlin said Marlin-Romeo had taken on the challenge of improving the circumstances at the Civil Registry, which has had many challenges. "She put her shoulders under it and she has turned things around," he said adding that, as with other government departments, there was still more work to be done.

He said Richardson is a man of the people, who had waited until the time was ripe and when asked by the party had signalled his willingness to work for the people of St. Maarten.

The candidates' immediate and extended families turned out in numbers to show their support and were presented with NA T-shirts and caps bearing the party's "Forward Together to Country St. Maarten" campaign theme and the party logo.

'I am ready'

In a rousing speech Richardson said he was ready to serve St. Maarten in any capacity to champion health issues and to continue the work he had started many years ago to take substance abusers off the street and rehabilitate them to be useful to society.

Richardson is one of the founders of Turning Point Foundation. It was established in 1990 and has had an uphill battle over the years to carry out its work in the community. "We are still struggling to bring it to what it should be."

He spoke passionately about helping substance abusers. He said local and Central Government authorities had been approached on many occasions to assist the foundation. He said substance abusers were troubled, non-productive and cost money. Much effort is needed to help them turn their lives around.

"I am prepared to continue this fight, but to continue it with authority," he said, adding that he wanted to be able to make decisions that could make a difference.

He also spoke extensively about his heritage, and said he had chosen to run with NA because of what NA stood for, noting that at one point he had been asked by every political party to run on their slates, but he had declined the invitations from the others.

"I've realised that party's leader and the full force of its members place the people of this society before their pockets," said Richardson, who has served over the years in several capacities in community groups, including the Jaycees, Kiwanis, Chairman of the Task Force for the Adventist School and the project for Health, Welfare, Education and Youth.

Richardson, who has been at SVB since 1981, said his mother is Grenadian and his father from St. Maarten.

Part of the solution

Marlin-Romeo, who listed concerns such as crime and education reform as issues she would champion, said she had joined the NA to be "part of the solution" (see related story).

"Over the past couple of months, I have been extremely humbled, as many people from different communities and from different political parties have encouraged me to run for office. With this incentive, I went on a quest enquiring about the issues that touch our community the most and what they wanted to see improved.

"After speaking with my family, close friends and carefully considering this important decision to step into the political arena, I have decided to take part in this historical election," she said.

She said based on her experience, background, knowledge, and awareness of the current and upcoming challenges and developments of St. Maarten, she was a "strong candidate" to "contribute to the efforts already started by the NA."

Marlin-Romeo holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a minor in French from Adelphi University in New York. She also holds a Master's degree in International Relations from University of Amsterdam.

She worked at St. Maarten Student Support Services' (S4's) predecessor SSNA in the Netherlands for some time before returning to St. Maarten to serve as head of the Civil Registry. In the Netherlands, Marlin-Romeo mentored St. Maarten students who travelled there for tertiary studies. She said this experience had equipped her with knowledge that would enable her to champion policies that would benefit students abroad.

"My current position as head of the Census Office has given me a better insight in the rapid growth of our population and the consequences thereof which I will be focusing on during my campaign.

"This position has also provided me with a vast knowledge, experience and insight as to how government functions and as such what improvement is key/necessary for St. Maarten to take in order to be better prepared come 10-10-10 and after," said the first-time candidate, who grew up in Sucker Garden and is a graduate of the Methodist Agogic Centre (MAC) and St. Maarten Academy.

"I stand here today as a National Alliance candidate to state that it is clear that now more than ever we need committed, competent, innovative, solution-driven young professionals to take on the challenges that St. Maarten will face."

Marlin-Romeo said she would be taking her message to all corners of the neighbourhoods in the coming weeks leading up to the election and would be working as hard as possible to earn the confidence of the citizens of St. Maarten.

She stressed that NA stood on the solid support of its team. "I can now stand here and boldly state that I am ready. ... TEAM stands for Together Everyone Accomplishes More. And this is what we will do together as a team. We will win this election," she said to rousing applause from attendees and supporters.

Marlin-Romeo is the daughter of Marius Romeo of Middle Region and Marilyn Thomas of French St. Martin. She was raised by her stepfather Leonardo Mathew and is the wife of Richard "Richie" Marlin.

The NA will introduce four additional candidates this evening. William Marlin said all of its current Island Council members, ministers and former state secretaries would be part of the line-up on the party's slate.