GREAT BAY, St. Martin — Dr. Rhoda Arrindell will be contesting the parliamentary election here on January 9, 2020, as the number 5 candidate on the list of the United Peoples Party (UPP).
The former MP and Minister for Education, Culture, Sports, and Youth Affairs launched her campaign on Saturday, November 23, said Raymond Helligar, chairman of “The Committee to Elect Rhoda Arrindell to Parliament.”
Also launched on Saturday was “The Committee to Elect Rhoda Arrindell to Parliament.” According to the committee, its role is to “seek the general public’s support, not only financially, but also with ideas and other immaterial ways to sustain the candidate during the campaign; and to bring better awareness to voters regarding the process.”
“We are establishing this committee to change the way we do politics by making the candidate accountable to the people,” said Helligar, elected to chair the committee by its members at Saturday’s meeting.
“We’re bringing a change where the people call the shots,” said another committee member. “This is the first step for the change that the masses have been crying out for because you now have somebody who will be directly accountable to you.”
The committee chose to support this candidate because she is a person who has consistently tackled issues such as the border workers pension and other subjects related to cultural heritage.
Rhoda Arrindell as the UPP candidate 5 is of the highest integrity. She has a proven track record in a short time as minister, when she initiated such programs as the “Get off the Block, Get on the Bus, Get Busy” (GB3) and the legislation to make Emancipation Day a national holiday, said Helligar.
This is the reason the committee believes that candidate 5, Rhoda Arrindell, must get to Parliament to continue the work she has started and to move the nation forward.
The public is invited to contribute whatever monetary amount they can, 1, 2, 5, or more in any currency accepted on the island. The contributions will go toward the financing of the campaign, which includes radio and TV announcements and interviews.
The Committee to Elect Rhoda Arrindell to Parliament has taken on this role of fundraising in order to free up the candidate to focus on the message. With the public’s support the candidate will not be forced to solicit campaign funds from self-interest entities.
The committee pledges to be completely transparent and totally accountable for every cent contributed. Throughout the campaign, the committee will update the public with a detailed account of amounts received and how the money is spent.
Photo: Rhoda Arrindell, UPP candidate 5, in the St. Maarten Parliament election 2020.
