After having failed in his re-election at the head of the territorial collectivity a year ago, Alfred Marie-Jeanne must now give up the National Assembly. He was beaten by Jean-Philippe Nilor, his former foal now president of a new political formation which garnered 71.37% of the vote against 28.63%.
The latter, re-elected for a third term, is struggling to savor his victory: “I did not want this final confrontation. He deserved another outing than this. His entourage persisted in a relentlessness which gave a rather sad spectacle. “, apologized almost slice Jean Philippe Nilor, deputy “peyi-a” of Martinique Circonscription Sud the evening of his election
At 85, “Chabin” as everyone calls him (a Creole word designating a light-skinned mestizo) is showing signs of weakness. Difficulties moving around, expressing oneself publicly, putting one’s ballot in the ballot box on election day. His only declaration after his defeat will be in a press release: “I take note of the result of the second round (…) I will continue to defend the interests of my country with honor and pride. Until the end “.
A written statement, far removed from the lyrical flights that have raised the man to the rank of charismatic leader. It was the only separatist in the territory accepted and supported for more than 50 years by a population mostly in favor of French nationality. His first masterstroke: victory in the legislative elections of 1997, a year before taking the presidency of the regional council for the first time.
A page turns
Omnipresent on the political spectrum, Marie-Jeanne spread the idea of a statutory evolution for Martinique. It will materialize 18 years later, in 2015, with the mutation of the region into a “local authority” the CTM, of which he will take the very first governance. “He is the third great political figure that we have known after Joseph Lagrosillière and Aimé Césaire. This defeat marks the end of an era because Alfred Marie-Jeanne is overtaken by his age. He no longer has the means to bounce back,” analyzes Jean-Marc Party, political journalist.
The separatist is up against the wall and has not clearly designated a replacement. At the risk of leaving his movement orphaned. A boon for emerging movements.