87% favorable votes!
Despite all sorts of intimidation, despite the ban on municipalities organizing the vote, the popular consultation desired by the Roya citoyenne and Robila associations took place on public roads or at private homes! Still, a 46% turnout!
One does not so easily muzzle the people of France. It was even unsettling to have to go express oneself almost clandestinely at people’s homes, reminiscent of the worst times our country has known.
Let’s remember that people are currently dying in Syria or Libya.
In short, we have not resorted to arms yet…
People revolt when they are hungry. Here, it’s rather a show of strength to remind how attached we are to fundamental values of freedom and sovereign expression. It’s reassuring, it’s salvatory.
How are our local UMP barons so disconnected from reality?
In the ongoing territorial reorganization, they use every trick to maintain their partisan hold. They prevent the popular will from being expressed, they go against the directives of even the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister François Fillon indeed declared before the deputies (1) that it was not a question of “forcing through” to complete intercommunality. “We will not force municipalities to merge against their will,” he affirmed, reminding that he had already shared this view with the prefects. “If some prefects haven’t understood it, tell me, I’ll tell them.”
We are proud at MoDem to have supported the holding of this popular consultation.
We also met many PS and UMP elected officials who remained conscious and free: A beautiful and effective republican arc when the issue is significant.
Philippe Briand – Vice President of MoDem 06 – Menton
The ROYA has spoken!
The French Communist Party Federation of Alpes-Maritimes congratulates the Roya associative activists who organized the popular referendum this Sunday despite the pressures from the right and the Prefect who fear democracy!
While the Prefect, and the mayors of Fontan and Tende tried to stifle the democratic debate by banning the referendum under a spurious pretext of “public order disruption,” the inhabitants expressed themselves.
Here is a beautiful lesson in democracy!
87% of the voters voted against joining CARF and above all, no one should now attempt to minimize this result due to the lack of voters (46% turnout).
It would be enough, then, to remind them of the number of voters in the last Regional or European elections, and they would see that the number of voters in the referendum is higher!
The Prefect must listen to this result and consider the opinion of the inhabitants of this valley.
87% against joining CARF: a defeat for the Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes
Patrick ALLEMAND, 1st Vice-president of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, and Pascale GERARD, Vice-president of the Regional Council, are delighted for several reasons about the consultation that took place in the 5 municipalities of the Vallée de la Roya regarding joining the Community of Agglomeration of the French Riviera (CARF).
Firstly, the turnout rate of 46% is remarkable given the multiple intimidations towards association presidents and the population, the Prefect’s ban on an institutional consultation, and the call of 2 of the 5 mayors to boycott the vote.
Secondly, the result. With 87% of voters against joining the CARF, it is unequivocal since the Yes to autonomous intercommunality prevails in the 5 municipalities.
This consultation is a victory for local democracy which the Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes must take into account during the next meeting of the Departmental Commission of Intercommunal Cooperation (CDCI) he has set for September 16, 2011.
ROYA: Can the Prefect disregard it?
The people of Roya have just democratically* expressed the future they wish to share. Will they be heard by the Prefect, who, in charge of defining the intermunicipalities map and having arbitrarily attached the five municipalities of Roya to the Menton Carf, has done everything to prevent the population from expressing its choices?
Nothing is less certain, given that the straitjacket of the December 2010 law on territorial reform ignores citizen debate and flouts the most basic democracy.
But all is not lost: it is only at the end of December that the perimeters of the different EPCIs will be definitively decided.
The mobilization, so well conducted by the valley associations and some elected officials, must continue and increase its pressure.
The Prefect must listen to and consider the arguments of the inhabitants of Roya.
The Alternatives, as self-managers, support and will support all initiatives that advance citizen democracy in Roya as elsewhere.
*46% of voters; 87% of expressed voters unfavorable to joining the Carf (Community of Agglomeration of the French Riviera).
The Alternatives
