The board of the new political party Alternative poses with President of the Collectivité Louis Mussington and Vice-President Frantz Gumbs. (Alternative photo)
MARIGOT--Following a successful campaign in the recent Territorial Council election, the Alternative list headed by Valérie Damaseau has now become a political party following a general assembly of members on May 25.
Having secured 934 votes during the election, consolidating the Alternative political movement became an obvious choice to open a new chapter, Alternative stated in a press release. After internal consultation Alternative is now a political party, but also an association.
While the association will be closer to the population, the political party wants to be at the heart of territorial public policies in order to strengthen its members’ skills and allow them to better understand the political issues of today and tomorrow.
“With the political party Alternative, we will forge the future actors of the public and political life while working for the territory” explained party President Valérie Damaseau.
During the second round of the Territorial Council Elections, an alliance of Rassemblement Saint-Martinois (RSM) and Alternative found the opportunity to enhance Damaseau’s already proven tourism expertise and thus perpetuate the territory’s tourism economy.
Also, three elected women within the majority carry, on a daily basis, the voice and the colours of Alternative especially in the areas of tourism, sports, culture, social and education.
“I accepted this new challenge with the objective of advancing projects and stimulating new ideas,” said Territorial Councillor Audrey Gil, a feeling shared by Territorial Councillor Bernadette Venthou-Dumaine, who added, “I am honoured to be able to serve my island and be part of its development, change and evolution.
Driven by the slogan “Innovate, Preserve and Pass on”, the political party intends to invest in the territory’s social and political landscape and, to do so, it is setting up six major actions:
Local, national and Caribbean political monitoring: Analysing the actions implemented beyond the territory to establish an enlightened diagnosis on possible proposals for St. Martin.
Training: To offer programmes and workshops to provide theoretical, methodological and human foundations to future actors of public action.
Think tanks: Set up think tanks and collective work sessions to propose a more realistic approach to the territory.
Cooperation: Strengthen links with all stakeholders such as the Dutch side of St. Maarten/St. Martin, the territories of the Caribbean arc, ultra-marine and national.
Speaking out: Exchanging and sharing with the population during neighbourhood meetings, with counterparts during roundtables or with the media.
Concrete proposals: Deploying projects accessible to all and responding to a logic of the territory by the voice of three members of the party, elected within the Territorial Council or independently.
Damaseau was elected President of the party. Vice-Presidents are Alex Pierre, Audrey Gil, Jean-Raymond Benjamin and Bernadette Venthou-Dumaine. Bahia Yacine is General Secretary, Rosanna Castillo is Assistant General Secretary. Murielle Fournier is General Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer is Thierry Berte.
