Nadine De Graf-Busby of the St. Eustatius Civil Registry (left) accepting the list of candidates for the October 21 Island Council election from party leader of the United People’s Coalition (UPC) Elvin Henriquez (right).
ST. EUSTATIUS--The United People’s Coalition (UPC) presented a small list with only three names who will be vying for a seat in the Island Council of St. Eustatius during the Island Council Election which will be taking place on October 21.
The UPC’s list of candidates is headed by #1 candidate and party leader Elvin Henriquez. Also on the UPC ballot will be
#2 candidate Carmen Nova Bonilla and #3 candidate Daniela Richardson.
UPC party leader Henriquez said he considers this election “extremely” crucial. “It is very important for our party to be part of the island government that is coming in after October 21 to help shape Statia’s future,” Henriquez said.
He stated that even though the Island Council will have a limited voice in all the government programmes and will not be able to approve the budget and appoint commissioners, he is “totally” against a boycott of the election.
“Democracy was taken away, the people’s voting power was taken away, but now that the people have an opportunity to vote, use that power.”
He said that persons are misleading the people, which will have “serious ramifications” on the entire community. “I want to urge the community to come out and vote in this election. We have to understand as a community, whether it is UPC, PLP, DP, SLAM, or whoever was in government at the time, they made a mess. The Dutch government saw the mess and stepped in to try to fix the situation.”
He stated that regardless of what is being said, Statia cannot do without the Dutch. “We cannot govern ourselves at this stage, we do not have an up-tempo economy in order to pay all our financial responsibilities, such as salaries, bills and utilities for the entire island on our own”, Henriquez said.
“Democracy needs to be given back, but everyone needs to prove that they deserve it. That is what UPC is willing to do, go to the polls, get the support of the people, sit in government, work with other parties that are serious in taking Statia to the next step, as well as making sure that the process continues whereby serious persons are appointed as commissioners who are going to follow rules and regulations we cannot live without.”
