Legislators in French St. Martin want a referendum

Friday, October 10, 2003

MARIGOT, St. Martin: French St. Martin wants to be a distinctly separate territory from Dutch St. Maarten. Legislators in St. Martin have sent a proposal to the French Minister of Overseas Departments, Ms. Brigitte Girardin, asking that a referendum be held on 7th December to determine the issue, AP quoted officials as saying last night.

The proposal will also be forwarded to French President Jacques Chirac for review. St. Martin currently is administered as a sub-prefect of the nearby French Caribbean overseas department of Guadeloupe, but officials have been pressing for separate status under French rule to increase control of their affairs.

The Dutch territory of St. Maarten, which splits an island with St. Martin, is also pressing for greater autonomy. St. Maarten is currently lumped together in the Netherlands Antilles with the islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba and St. Eustatius.

In 2000, nearly 70 percent voted in a non-binding referendum to make St. Maarten a separate self-governing Dutch territory like Aruba, which broke from the federation in 1986.

But during a visit in February, Dutch Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations Minister, Mr. Johan Remkes said the proposal is out of the question, saying "the door is closed."

About 14 percent voted for independence while the remainder were split between staying with the Netherlands Antilles or giving St. Maarten more local control.

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