PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — On Monday March 6th, 2023, Herbert “Prince” Martina officially announced his candidacy on the Unified Resilient Sint Maarten Movement (URSM). Martina, affectionately known as “Prince”, has been working behind the scenes as a member of URSM since the beginning of 2022. Martina is also a co-host on the Live URSM Facebook Table Talk program that airs every Monday at 6:00 p.m.
“As leader of URSM, it is my pleasure to have Mr. Herbert Martina as one of our candidates for the upcoming elections. Herbert is a dynamic activist within the Sint Maarten community. He is passionate about creating opportunities for our youth. Especially our at-risk young men and women”, said leader of the URSM Dr. Luc Mercelina.
Martina is a father of 3 boys and 2 girls, a communication specialist and an artist with various disciplines. Live on Table Talk and with his official candidacy video, Martina shared with the public that in 2018 he ran on the slate of his previous party, after resigning from the that political party he sat out the 2020 election.
“I could not find a party that I could align myself with. It was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. Though hard, I had time to step back and reflect on what exactly was going on. I figured well the two largest parties are joining in a coalition, that should be good for the people. Since the formation it is evident that this is furthest from the truth.”
Martina continued: “A little over a year ago I was approached by members of The U.R.S.M. after several meetings, seeing how the operated, just observing the different approach they brought to the political arena, I was positively impressed. Here I was presented with a fresh approach, a movement that maneuvers the same way I do and a team under the leadership of a man I admire Dr. Luc Mercelina. After deliberation with my family and confidents, together we decided to join The Unified Resilient St. Martin Movement (URSM). We cannot sit back and see this country not moving forward. We cannot allow people with no team spirit and lack of vision lead this country.”
Mr. Martina shared the quote “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. …” during his political candidacy launch. He mentioned that “it was no coincidence I choose a quote taken from Hellen Keller, her life, what she endured, and her fight serves as a basis for my mission in life”.
Three key focus points Martina will be focusing this election are: nation building, Education and the People of Sint Maarten. “13 years country status and we have almost nothing to show for it. All the things a country is supposed to possess, we are lagging. Our autonomy is threatened, we are not self-sufficient, we lack the infrastructure and our greatest asset: the people of SXM cannot afford to own a piece of their home. In 10 years, every household should have a college graduate. We must insure a better life for our citizens.” Prince explained that the list goes on. Through the course of his campaign he will reveal his full list of hot button issues, recommendations and means to finance these projects.
In closing Herbert “Prince” Martina asked the people of Sint Maarten to chronicle his journey into Parliament and partner with him. “I don’t know everything, however with your help we will accomplish a lot. Give me your ideas, let’s talk about them let me present them on the campaign trail. This is how we do it. We document a well thought out plan, which includes recommendations on fixing existing problems and money-generating methods to pay for the implementation of these projects.”
