Food for thought: how we choose our Potential Candidates

By Roberto Achken Richardson

We need to see the realities as they are after being elected to the Parliament of Sint Maarten.

Obtaining Seats after the outcome of any Election is primarily dependent on a Political Party’s ability to receive as much valid votes as they are able to.

The culture in achieving this on Sint Maarten, primarily has to do with,

1. the popularity of your candidates.
2. the sizes of the families of your candidates, along with the ability of your candidates to in one way or another be able to attract these family votes.
3. whether we would want to accept that reality or not, the financial capability and financial support for these candidates plays a key role in achieving this as well.
4. belonging to, or being a part of any business, social or community organization serves as an asset also.
5. as is the case in Sint Maarten, falling into any dutch nationality naturalized category based on Country of origin and their voting numbers can make all the difference in giving a Political Party the edge in obtaining more votes and more allocated Seats.
6. Focusing and catering to categories such as the Young People, the Seniors, as well as the Religious Denominational Community has huge political benefits.

And so we can go on and on.

But the huge realities, advantages, and at times disadvantages can be seen and experienced once these 15 Elected Members of the New Parliament are sworn in and begin to serve.

Because it all boils down to competence, knowledge, experience, background, and also very important, Love for Country and your People.

And if most of the above are missing in any Elected Representative, failure to represent the People of Sint Maarten well will become noticeable on the horizon of their inception as role of being a Parliamentarian.

These individual Elected Representatives and their ability to properly represent the People of Sint Maarten is immediately exposed, and that is what we have been experiencing on Sint Maarten, whether we were an Island Territory with Elected Island Council Members, Appointed Executive Council Members, as well as having  Members of Parliament and Ministers in the Former Netherlands Antilles Constellation.

Or while being now in this Constitutional Structure of Country, having an Elected Parliament and Appointed Council of Ministers.

The above is all very serious FOOD  FOR THOUGHT in how we choose our Potential Candidates, for whatever reason to run on the List of our Political Parties, to eventually having to face the consequences and realities of not being able to give the People of Sint Maarten the Right, Proper, Competent, and Best Representation that they deserve.

Achken Roberto Richardson-IAM