Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
MARIGOT--The Préfecture officially confirmed last night the list of candidates who will contest the September 28 election for senator of St. Martin. The deadline to declare candidacy was 6:00pm Friday.
The list has seven candidates, more than first expected. They are as follows: First Vice-President Guillaume Arnell (substitute Aline Hanson), Territorial Councillor René-Jean Duret (substitute Rosette Gumbs-Lake), President of Economic, Social and Cultural Council Georges Gumbs (substitute Carole Gumbs), Union for Democracy (UD) member Dominique Aubert (substitute Dominique Riboud), Territorial Councillor Alain Gros-Desormeaux (substitute Rollande Questel), Grand Case district representative Patricia Chance-Duzant (substitute Steven Patrick) and Boniface Hodge (substitute Marise Dixon).
The second election for the St. Martin senator will be held in the Préfecture on September 28, with the first round taking place from 8:30am to 11:00am. There will be a total of 24 votes from the elected members of the Territorial Council. A candidate needs to win by absolute majority. If that is not the case, a second round will be held at 3:00pm. In case of two candidates having equal votes, the elder of the two will be elected.
Daniel Gibbs cannot vote twice as Opposition Leader and Member of Parliament, but will be replaced by substitute René Arrondell, who will vote on his behalf.
During the "reserve" period between September 8 and 28, the services of the State, in this case, the Préfecture, do not take part in any official functions, with the exception of the First World War centennial commemoration September 12 to 14, and European Heritage Days on September 20 and 21.
In France, Senators are elected for a mandate of six years and the Senate (upper house of Parliament) is renewed by half every three years. This year, the election will renew 178 parliamentarians.
