Dear Editor,
I made the conscious decision not to run in the January 2024 election, to the disappointment of a number of my supporters. I stepped away because I wanted to reflect on my contribution over the last four years because I knew intrinsically that there was a need for change; I needed to change, the structures needed to change, the country needed to change. In the meantime I returned happily to my non-profit work in the community, on the ground where so much great work happens, because at the end of the day I see myself as a public servant whether in or out of Government.
When the Government fell, after just 17 days, I had to ask myself if I was still willing to stay out of the political arena when it seemed like the country needed all hands on deck. Not for my ego but in the name of service.
After speaking with those closest to me, who reminded me of my passion for St. Maarten, I told myself that now was not the time to watch from the sidelines but to roll back up my sleeves – to get back to work. I joined the Party for Progress, proudly, and committed to doing the very best I could during this campaign season.
I was speaking to a young woman recently who asked me, “What can you tell me that I haven’t already heard before?” I smiled and said, “You’re right! What can I tell you?” What other words can I use to relay the importance of voting for a party built on the principles of transparency and accountability? How do I try to convince you that the most important thing you can do is get up on August 19, pick up your voting card and go to your polling station and vote for the competent, experienced and honest professionals like myself on the PFP, the 8th party on the ballot?
Because of the current state of our country, the next Parliament and Government will have to work harder than ever before to begin solving the complex issues plaguing our people. As a voter, your choice will determine who those people are! And I’ll say this, you wouldn’t hire an electrician to fix your plumbing right? Vote for someone who has the expertise, knowledge, integrity and heart to lead this country out of this dark time.
There’s a quote by Nobel Peace Prize journalist Maria Ressa that goes; “Without facts, you can’t have truth. Without truth, you can’t have trust. Without all three, we have no shared reality, and democracy as we know it – and all meaningful human endeavors – are dead.” The facts are that our country and people are being compounded by multiple crises; energy, health, education and infrastructure. We are suffering because of the decisions that were made years ago but also because of a lack of urgency and action. We must take responsibility for that. We have to own our faults.
And so now we are a nation that is being forced to look at itself in the mirror; to admit to where we went wrong and to create a clear, sustainable plan forward. But how do we rewrite the narrative about who we have become? Well, we can decide that we will start by no longer selling our vote or throwing away our voting card.
We can decide that, at this very moment, even though we are sleep-deprived and upset, we will not give up hope on the country we love so much. I didn’t give up and I’m asking you not to either, for all our sakes.
Solange Ludmila Duncan
Candidate #11
Party for Progress
