MARIGOT:--- The first Vice President of the Collectivity of St. Martin Guillaume Arnell was elected senator of St. Martin on Sunday after two rounds of election. Arnell received 11 votes from of the 24 votes that were cast.
Arnell succeeds Louis Constant Fleming, the first person to represent St. Martin in the French senate. Fleming had resigned from his post since December 2013 after serving six years.
Several candidates postulated for the senate elections which created a real confusion because most of the candidates that postulated came from the majority in the current Territorial Council.
During the first round no one was elected because none of the candidates received an absolute majority which is 13 votes. However, that was not necessary in the second round. The candidate that got the most votes was elected as St. Martin's senator. The senate election was held at the Prefecture and was presided by Judge Gerard Égron-Reverseau who is President of the Tribunal in the Palais de Justice of St. Martin.
Seven candidates postulated in the first round two of which withdrew their candidacy in the second round. Those that withdrew are René-Jean Duret and Boniface Hodge. Gros-Desormeaux (RRR) eight votes, Dominique Aubert (Union for Democracy) four votes, no votes for Georges Gumbs and Patricia Chance-Duzant, and one blank vote.
It was indeed a tight election on Sunday as Arnel and Gros-Desormeaux tied in the first round, as they both received 7 votes. Jean Rene Duret got two votes, Dominique Aubert six votes, while the other candidates Boniface Hodge and George Gumbs did not get any votes and one blank vote was cast.
It is not clear how Arnell will serve as senator of St. Martin because he held on to his post as first vice president of the Collectivity and maintained all his portfolios.
