URSM board to Emmanuel, media blitz won’t be built on defaming PM

GREAT BAY--The Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement (URSM) has taken note of the recent statements made by Mr. Christophe Emmanuel regarding Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina and the nomination process for the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS). While URSM respects the right of all political voices to express their views, we reject in the strongest terms Mr. Emmanuel’s labeling of the Prime Minister as “unbecoming” and suffering from “Trump syndrome.”

“The irony is staggering,” the URSM Board stated. “Here is a former Member of Parliament who once made headlines not for elevating debate, but for language and behavior that went viral on social media and left many Sint Maarteners embarrassed by the level of discourse in their highest legislative body. For him now to pretend to be the defender of decorum is nothing short of hypocrisy.”

The Board further noted, “Prime Minister Mercelina’s remarks on ‘crab mentality’ were never intended as an insult to the people of Sint Maarten, but as a cultural metaphor highlighting a longstanding tendency that some in our society unfortunately tend to subscribe to — pulling one another down instead of lifting each other up. For Mr. Emmanuel to twist this into an attack on the population is not only misleading but also reckless.”

The Board asked, “Where was Mr. Emmanuel’s energy when, during his tenure as a sitting Member of Parliament, former Minister of VROMI Egbert Doran insulted the Ombudsman and women in general? Where was his voice when former Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion ignored a court order to begin the CBCS board process? Why was there silence then, yet outrage now?”

These questions highlight what many already recognize, selective outrage that is less about principle and more about political convenience.

The Board stressed that democracy thrives on debate and differing opinions, but it also requires responsibility. A leader cannot engage in divisive theatrics one day, and then accuse others of being unbecoming the next, simply for using a cultural expression. That is double-speak at its finest. In truth, it was Mr. Emmanuel’s very conduct in Parliament that set a precedent for the kind of rhetoric he now seeks to condemn. Sint Maarten remembers those outbursts, and they cannot be erased.

The Board added, “It seems the former MP’s new media blitz is nothing more than an attempt to claw his way back into elected office. But let it be clear: this will not and cannot be done at the expense of defaming the Honorable Prime Minister or anyone else for that matter.”

By contrast, Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina remains focused on substance, not spectacle. He is committed to governing with transparency, integrity, and accountability. He does not need to spin or distract, because his record and his leadership speak for themselves.

The Board concluded, “The people of Sint Maarten deserve a higher standard of debate than recycled theatrics and empty noise. Mr. Emmanuel had his chance as a Member of Parliament to show this same energy but he did not. That is why today, his sudden outrage rings hollow. The Prime Minister’s focus is on building solutions, not trading insults. We encourage all leaders to put aside political showmanship and contribute constructively to our country’s progress.”

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