"That is why I joined the United People's (UP) party, and that is why I am honoured to still remain a member of the party with a better balance of experience and fresh blood and of males and females," she told reporters at a farewell press conference in Dr. A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall.
Arrindell reflected on her 19 months in office, briefed reporters on some of her accomplishments and initiatives, and explained that she now would spend some valuable time with her two children, one of whom is preparing to go to college.
"After 19 months in office, I have come to the conclusion that politics is indeed the art or science of making the impossible possible. It is not a career for the fainthearted or the thin-skinned; it is not conducive to higher spiritual ideals or morals. Indeed, taking the events of the last few weeks into consideration, Ambrose Bierce might be right in describing politics in his Devil's Dictionary: 'the conduct of public affairs for private advantage.'
"This was certainly not why I entered politics on the platform of the UP party just about a couple of years ago. I was driven by idealism, by a burning passion to make a difference in the field of education where I have worked as a professional for a whole generation," Arrindell said.
She thanked the people of St. Maarten for the privilege and honour to serve them in the last year and a half, and expressed gratitude to UP leader Deputy Prime Minister Theodore Heyliger for the confidence bestowed on her and the opportunity given to serve as St. Maarten's first Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs.
"We came in with a clear vision of the direction our education system should take. We came in with a mission to elevate the quality of education in St. Maarten in every aspect and at every level.
"We may have been too ambitious and possibly too overzealous to believe we could have achieved all the lofty goals we set for ourselves in the four years we thought we would have had to do so. That term has been cut short by more than a half. But as I look back I have no regrets. It is a blessing to have had this unique opportunity to serve my island," Arrindell said.
She was non-committal on whether she would contest the Parliamentary election in 2014. That, she said, will be thought about over the next two years.
When asked how she had blocked out the critics who had dubbed her too radical, too close to activists and even too black, Arrindell said she never read the online blogs, just the two daily newspapers. She said her family tended to take those kinds of statements on and were affected by them, but she had managed to block them out.
After detailing her projects, such as Foundation-Based Education being the law, agreements with tertiary institutions, spearheading the drive to make Emancipation Day a national holiday, the GB3 project and the involvement of the public schools with Carnival, Arrindell said there were many more projects and policies in the proverbial pipeline.
"They were not clogged. They were making their way through the normal channels before they could surface as finished products. The new administration will have to decide what to do with them," she said.
Arrindell managed to hold her composure through most of her prepared address, but became emotional to the brink of tears when thanking her cabinet.
"You were the wind beneath my sails throughout this unprecedented journey. I am grateful for your unconditional support, your tireless efforts and your bright ideas. Above all, I cherish your candour and have the utmost respect for your professionalism. I am blessed to be able to count each of you as a true friend," she said.
"In closing, let me say I fully endorse the sentiments expressed by my colleague, Minister Franklin Meyers, at his press conference yesterday. There was never any serious problem among the seven members of the Council of Ministers. Today you're down, tomorrow you're up. The UP party is certainly not out. We will continue to represent the people and provide alternative and real solutions to the challenges we face as a freedom-loving people.
"There is a time to come and there is a time to go. Let me therefore leave you with two quotes I believe are appropriate in the present circumstances. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said: 'In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.' That is what happened with the so-called 'Carnival Coup.'
"US Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, a role model as a female politician for me, said this: 'At present, our country needs women's idealism and determination, perhaps more in politics than anywhere else.' I couldn't agree more with her," Arrindell said.
No comments:
Post a Comment