Dear Editor,
Over recent months we have been rather surprised by the internal shots thrown by an ex-president at his chosen President, stating: "he's a good president but not a good leader." To add to that, we have witnessed the battle for the presidency of Semsamar, where Vice President Jefrey challenged his ex-president Fleming for the first round of the elections, and then withdrew his candidacy on the second round. He accepted to step down under what conditions? Would we soon know? Would we ever know? Time will tell.
The Collectivité of St. Martin, representing the people, owns 51 per cent of Semsamar shares.
* How, then, is the 51 per cent serving our St. Martin community?
* Why is the construction of projects the main aim of the company on St. Martin?
* Why create so much modern ghetto housing?
* Why not also housing projects to suit the traditional home desires of St. Martiners?
* Who are the shareholders today?
* Who is really benefiting from Semsamar?
Mr. President of the Collectivité, can we know how you plan to ensure that the 51 per cent shares that we own better serve the people?
Do we realise that the former director of Semsamar has managed to put our politicians in a position to fight each other over said company, which is supposed to be owned by the people of St. Martin?
When will we see a policy to really begin sustainable development of our country?
There is an opposition within the ruling majority party, in the person of D. Gibbs. D. Gibbs has a project for the waterfront; Semsamar has the concession for Port Louis, and so the people would like to know whose project will prevail!
As for our official opposition, your statement simply to agree with D. Gibbs is not enough. Your people need more representation than just that.
The first President of Semsamar was L.C. Fleming, the second President was Dr. Gibbs, and the actual President is L.C. Fleming again.
Over these 20 years, did St. Martiners see any reasonable offer to acquire any shares at Semsamar? Why wasn't provision made initially to guarantee our people a minimum of shares of Semsamar? As member of the opposition in early '80s municipal council, I personally requested our former mayor to offer shares to our grass roots St. Martiners, and not to just a chosen few, when the company Semsamar was created.
Where is the vision of our elected representatives on behalf of our people? The first and the last solid land and housing projects were done more than 30 years ago in Friar's Bay. That's the type of housing policy the people need, because it's in accordance with our St. Martin identity and dignity. Yes, because when you drive through Friar's Bay residences you feel the sense of pride, dignity, honour, quality and high standard by which you can identify the true St. Martiners.
* Why was this opportunity never given to our people again?
* Is it because it disturbs some people to see what kind of wonders we can accomplish with our little means?
So they prefer to put us in the SIG, and those projects that degrade us and make us look and think that we can't acquire anything else?
It's time to implement a true policy to give back opportunities to St. Martiners with dignity and respect. It's not the time to be trying to fool us with new articles about who wants Semsamar for St. Martin people. Those are just empty words for electoral purposes in the 2012 campaign!
The people want to read about concrete land and housing policies to return St. Martin's land to its people! The land to its people! The dignity to the people! Respect the people! You can fool some people some of the time, but you should not try to fool and hurt the people so many times!
"Son of the Soil" Etienne Andrew
