Preparations underway for territorial youth council elections

Part of the Territorial Youth Council (CTJ) is up for renewal every year. That's why, at the beginning of the week, elected representatives Bettina Cointre and David Blanchard went out to meet schoolchildren and college students who might be candidates.
Having already presented the CTJ to CM2 pupils in their schools, the two members of the Action-Équilibre group presented themselves to the 5th graders. Indeed, the three representatives per 4th grade class will retain their seats this year. Each child is elected for a two-year term. We therefore need to convince the 5th graders to join the assembly. Not a difficult task, judging by the number of hands raised when Bettina Cointre and David Blanchard ask potential candidates to come forward.
"It's about representing the island's young people, like a delegate for your class but in this case for Saint-Barthélemy," explains Bettina Cointre. It's not about politics - well, not yet," reassures David Blanchard. It's about talking to young people, about what's on their minds, and bringing up ideas for projects. The operation of the CTJ is explained in detail: committees, events already created by the CTJ's elected representatives, election procedures, frequency of meetings, etc. "Do we get paid? "Do we get paid? "asks a schoolboy innocently. David Blanchard smiles and replies, "No!" Another pupil asks, "Are there things that people have been asking for for a long time but aren't getting done? "The two local councillors look at each other and David Blanchard, still smiling, replies: "Yes, it happens. With the big guys too. "
Once the elected representatives had passed, students wishing to stand for election had to make themselves known to the education advisor. At the collège, the elections will take place on Wednesday, October 15. They are due to be held on Thursday October 16 at the Gustavia school group, then on Friday October 17 at Saint-Joseph (Lorient) and Sainte-Marie (Colombier).