SCDF holds new election,
Arnell and Gumbs resign
~ Executive Council to appoint new five-member team ~
PHILIPSBURG--Fabiana Arnell and Mario Gumbs resigned as president and treasurer, respectively, of St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) board on Tuesday and a new seven-member board has been elected.
They were both nominated to serve on the board, but they both declined in an apparent move to bring an end to the long-running saga that has been threatening to undermine the holding of Carnival 2009 – the 40th anniversary celebrations.
Members of the new board elected Tuesday night are Stuart Johnson, Edgardo Lynch, Vida Boirard, Martin Wilson, Edwardo Radjouki, Gina Illidge and Kendall Dupersoy. They will meet later this week to vote on the new board positions.
However, The Daily Herald understands from reliable sources that the Executive Council took a decision on Tuesday to forgo working with SCDF as a whole and to appoint a five-member team to organise Carnival and to put a proper structure in place with emphasis on sustainability and professionalism.
In terms of stakeholder approval and willingness to work with a totally new board or a new SCDF board, the stakeholders opposing SCDF made it clear in their last public announcement, in statements derived from a letter to the Executive Council of which a copy was provided to The Daily Herald, that if the SCDF President and Treasurer were to continue arrangements for next year’s festivities the group of stakeholders would not be in support.
Reflecting on this, Gumbs noted that SCDF had already proven to the stakeholders that their demands were of no relevance to SCDF. However, SCDF recognised that their decision would mean either “a great Carnival” or “a not-so-great Carnival,” but Carnival nonetheless. Therefore, SCDF opted for a great Carnival in the absence of Gumbs and Arnell.
Gumbs explained that SCDF, a private entity receiving subsidy from government, by its constitution held an election every two years. However, it was abruptly decided that, within in the context of the saga between SCDF and the Carnival stakeholders opting to boycott Carnival, it was time to make room for “fresh blood.”
Furthermore, Gumbs said that as it had been presented to SCDF that the Carnival stakeholders considered the format he and Arnell had chosen to organise Carnival not to their liking, he and Arnell preferred not to hold St. Maarten “hostage.”
Gumbs said that instead of taking the “low road,” despite the board unanimously agreeing that he and Arnell should remain on the board, they would take the “high road” and remove themselves completely from the board.
He extended heartfelt gratitude to all SCDF volunteers and outgoing and former board members, all individuals who had participated in Carnival during their tenure and, most important, all sponsors who had shown good faith in Carnival and thrown their money behind St. Maarten’s largest cultural event.
Arnell said that in her love for Carnival she held in mind that Carnival was bigger than one individual, and was about the island as a whole. Therefore she wished the new board much success and called on everyone who had supported her during her tenure to continue supporting the new board to ensure a grand 40th anniversary.
It was previously announced by SCDF that a tentative schedule for Carnival 2009 had been prepared and would be made available to the public. However, Gumbs said more details had to be discussed and the schedule would be issued on the installation of the new board.
