Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement, founded on October 10, 2021.
PHILIPSBURG--The Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement (URSM) celebrated its first anniversary on October 10, 2022. Political leader Dr. Luc Mercelina said his party embodies change. “We will continue endorsing a vision and action plan that will ultimately prosper our people and community.”
The URSM was founded to take care of the needs, aspirations and hopes of the people of St. Maarten, Dr. Mercelina said. “URSM is a party of inclusion that respects and embraces diversity. We believe that inclusion is a method and tool to promote a unified opinion and sentiment of country identity for St. Maarten. Once in government, URSM will govern with principles, morals, integrity, transparency, accountability and especially guided by its vision.”
On the occasion of the party’s first anniversary, Dr. Mercelina congratulates the Board, the Advisory Council, the committee members, the candidates “and, of course, all URSM members and the people of St. Maarten,” he said.
URSM considers the current critical socio-economic status of the people of this country a high priority, Dr. Mercelina said. “URSM is committed to empowering St. Maarten residents to create a people-centric culture, enabling them to acquire quality healthcare and education and cultural and economic wealth. An analysis of the quality of governance over the past years justifies the launching of this new political movement.”
The party leader said it is important to realise “the destruction that has been caused by our government to our government-owned companies like our national utility company GEBE and our Princess Juliana International Airport.”
Dr. Mercelina concluded that no efforts are being made to improve the livelihood of the people of this country. “Poverty is still dominating this country,” he said. “The education necessary for our young country St. Maarten is still undefined, and the unemployment rate is still alarming high. There are no decent sports establishments for the people in the country, the school buildings are still in a deplorable state and there is no vision and action plan to enhance the capacity of social housing and affordable housing. The construction of our general hospital will financially become the historical nightmare of our country.”
According to Dr. Mercelina, all these negative developments have been contributing to the hopelessness of the people of St. Maarten. “The lack of initiatives from the side of government to bring tangible changes to improve the deplorable and critical socio-economic status of the citizens of this country – like an increase of the minimum wage, old age pension and social welfare benefits – combined with a poor education system, are exhausting the morals, principles and hopes of the citizens of our island.”
However, URSM will not give up, Dr. Mercelina said. “We will continue endorsing a vision and action plan that will ultimately prosper our people and community. We are counting on you for the change!”
