PHILIPSBURG--A dozen candidates are on the slate of the St. Maarten Christian Party (SMCP) for the February 26 snap parliamentary elections.
The party, headed by retired pastor Wycliffe Smith, had nine candidates in the 2016 elections.
Businessman Peter Gittens remains in the party's number two spot, followed by fellow returning candidates pastor Mulrose Toulon-Sponsper, Claude "Chaco" Peterson, Beverley Gibbs, Benjamin Bell, Francelise Mauricia-Peterson and Michael Somersall.
Joining the party as new candidates are Christian President, Richard Patrick, Marylouse Rattan-Poulo, and Alberto Bute.
Smith said the party looks forward to "safe, clean and good elections."
The party came close to winning a seat two years ago earning 848 votes, some 99 votes short of earning a seat in Parliament. The party had nine candidates in the last election with Smith as the highest vote-getter with 391 votes. Other top vote-getters were Peterson (133 votes), Gittens (102) and Bell (101).
SMCP will need the signatures of 142 eligible voters on Monday to get on the ballot. This step of getting the endorsment of one per cent of the voters who cast a ballot in 2016 is necessary for all parties that do not have a seat in the current Parliament.
