SXMElections.com

Par Celebrates Election Victory

UPDATE

WILLEMSTAD – The preliminary results of Curaçao’s 2017 elections are in. The biggest winner with 18,362 votes is PAR headed by Eugene Rhuggenaath. It was the first time he participated as political leader.

The MAN led by former Prime Minister Hensley Koeiman came in second with 16,071 votes, followed at third place is current coalition party MFK of Gerrit Schotte Read more

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Draft Law Soon On Upping Age For Alcohol Purchase

PHILIPSBURG--The Penal Code establishes the legal alcohol drinking age at eighteen, but the ordinance regulating the sale of alcohol prohibits the sale of alcohol to anyone below age sixteen. This glaring discrepancy will soon be tackled by Parliament via an initiative draft law.

The draft law to amend the Permit Ordinance was initiated by former Member of Parliament now Minister of Education and Youth Read more

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‘No Proof Of Nini Planning Murder’

WILLEMSTAD--The Prosecutor’s Office in Curaçao was unable to prove that Burney “Nini” Fonseca (45) had indeed been the intermediary between those who executed the murder of politician Helmin Magno Wiels in 2013 and the intellectual authors, said his lawyer Marije Vaders on Friday, asking for a full acquittal of her client.

She said convicted triggerman Elvis “Monster” Kuwas had lied several times in his testimony and asked the court to hold him in contempt for perjury.

Fonseca, who so far had refused to talk, made use of the last word in the “Maximus” trial by video conference from prison in the Netherlands, where he is serving a drugs-related sentence Read more

Rsa Debt ‘A Damocles’ Sword Over Our Heads,’ Gibbs Cautions

MARIGOT--President of the Territorial Council Daniel Gibbs has given a sobering reminder, that despite a balanced budget, there is still a matter of 48 million euros owed to Caisse Allocation Familiale (CAF) from the social benefit Revenu Solidarité Active (RSA), describing it as “a sword of Damocles dangling above our heads.”

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Wescot Requests Discussion Of Taxes In Finance Committee

PHILIPSBURG--After several requests for information on taxes and the answers provided by Minister of Finance Richard Gibson, Chairwoman of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams has now requested the Chairman of the Finance Committee to convene a meeting to discuss the fiscal and tax systems of St Read more

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Rotary Sunrise Congratulates Butterfly Story Book Winners

Rotary Sunrise members with Methodist Agogic Centre (MAC) pupils who participated in the Butterfly Story Book contest.

PHILIPSBURG--The Rotary E-Club of the Caribbean, District 7020 Butterfly Story-Writing contest was recently concluded and with much appreciation to young authors on the island, Rotary Sunrise congratulates Khushi Soneji and Nagely Andular Vargas for emerging as the overall winners.

  “The Gift of Listening” by Khushi J. Soneji of Methodist Agogic Centre (MAC) and “The Girl with the Well-Worn Uniform” by Nagely Andujar Vargas of Ruby Labega School emerged as the two best stories from the 14 stories submitted from St Read more

Minister Jacobs Re-Emphasises Safe And Fun Carnival Message

PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Silveria Jacobs congratulated Teen Carnival Queen Shakainah Arrindell-Pompier and Senior Carnival Queen Shanice Powell, who she said were front runners for capturing the crown in her mind based on their performance during the Queen Show pre-events.

However, she took note of the fact that the show finished close to 4:30am on a school night Read more

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Government Seeks To Increase Civil Servants’ Pensionable Age

PHILIPSBURG--In his capacity as Minister of General Affairs, Prime Minister William Marlin was the last cabinet member to present his Ministry’s plans to Parliament’s Central Committee on Wednesday.

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Gibbs: Fillon Only Candidate To Meet France’S Challenges

MARIGOT--President of the Territorial Council Daniel Gibbs has expressed his reasons for supporting scandal-hit Presidential candidate François Fillon in the first round of the national election this weekend.

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Minister Jacobs Says ‘Investments In Education, Sport, Arts Lagging Behind’

PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sport Silveria Jacobs started the presentation of her Ministry’s year plans to the Central Committee with the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child,” stating that investments in education, social affairs, sport and the arts are lagging behind.

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Gibson: ‘Country’S Wellbeing Depends On Its Financial Health’

PHILIPSBURG--“A country’s wellbeing depends on its financial health. The one cannot exist without the other,” said Minister of Finance Richard Gibson on Tuesday during the presentation of his Ministry’s year plan.

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Governing Programme 2016-2020 Presented To Central Committee

PHILIPSBURG--The governing coalition of National Alliance (NA), United St. Maarten (US) Party and Democratic Party (DP), on Tuesday, presented its governing programme to the Central Committee of Parliament.

Parliamentarians Pose Questions On Integrity Chamber Instruction

PHILIPSBURG--The decision of the Kingdom Council of Ministers to impose an integrity chamber on St. Maarten via a General Kingdom Measure, or instruction, was the topic of discussion during Tuesday’s meeting of the Parliament’s Central Committee with Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs William Marlin.

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Carnival Village Opens, Big Turnout For Jump-Up

PHILIPSBURG--Carnival Village is now open for business. The Village was officially declared open by Minister of Culture Silveria Jacobs, St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) President Alston Lourens and main sponsor TelEm’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Read more

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Governing Programme To Be Tabled To Mps Tuesday

PHILIPSBURG--After a delay of some three weeks, Parliament is again scheduled to receive the 2016-2020 Governing Programme of the National Alliance/United St. Maarten Party/Democratic Party Coalition along with the year plans of the seven ministers on Tuesday.

Marlin Sticks To His ‘Troops’ Statement

POND ISLAND--Prime Minister William Marlin is vehemently sticking to his challenge to the Dutch Government to bring in the troops to enforce the establishment of an Integrity Chamber, a new institution that is to be imposed on the country via a kingdom instruction issued last week Friday.

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Marlin’S Remark To ‘Send In The Troops’ Condemned

THE HAGUE--The tone used by St. Maarten Prime Minister William Marlin last week when he stated that he would not cooperate with an Integrity Chamber and that The Hague should “send in the troops” if it wanted to force through its decision met criticism in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament on Tuesday.

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Sarah: Plastic Bags Ban A Small, But Important Step

PHILIPSBURG--A ban on single-use plastic bags, particularly shopping bags, would be a small, but important step for the country in waste management and environmental care, said Democratic Party leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams Read more

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Instruction To Set Up Integrity Chamber

Instruction to set up Integrity Chamber

THE HAGUE--After a delay of two years and much discussion, the Kingdom Council of Ministers on Friday decided to give the St. Maarten an instruction, via a General Measure of the Kingdom Government (“Algemene Maatregel van Rijksbestuur” AMvRB), to establish the Integrity Chamber.

  St. Maarten Prime Minister William Marlin said that his government will make use of the possibility stated in the May 2015 protocol, in which St Read more

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Former Justice Minister Duncan Witness In Laville’S Appeal Case

PHILIPSBURG--The hearing in the appeal against former Member of Parliament (MP) Romain Laville has been postponed until June 8. The investigation has been referred back to the Investigative Judge to hear former Minister of Justice Roland Duncan as a witness.

Laville was convicted by the Court of First Instance on August 24, 2016, to a suspended prison sentence of one month, on two years’ probation.

He was acquitted of two charges of threat in the so-called “Zeepaard” and “Sardine” investigations Read more

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Mps Zoom In On Gag Order Placed On Inspectorate

PHILIPSBURG--Why Minister of Public Health Emil Lee would place a gag order on the Inspectorate of Health, a body that should function independently for the Ministry, was a cause for concern and inquiry from Members of Parliament in Thursday’s urgent plenary session of Parliament dealing with development of the new hospital, the current state of affairs at St Read more

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Marlin: Send In The Troops To Implement Integrity Chamber

POND ISLAND--Prime Minister William Marlin issued a bold challenge to the Dutch Government on Wednesday when he called on it to “send in the troops” to implement the instruction, when passed by the Kingdom Council of Ministers, for the implementation here of an Integrity Chamber with far-reaching power.

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Government Denies Building Permit For Captain Oliver’S Marina Docks

OYSTER POND--Prime Minister William Marlin, in his capacity as Minister of General Affairs, recently notified Captain Oliver’s Restaurant and Marina owner Maggi Shurtleff that major changes to the materials for construction of the existing docks will not be allowed while the status quo is in place between the two sides of the island pe Read more

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Ex-Pvv Mp Hero Brinkman Arrested

Hero Brinkman in 2009 when he was a member of the Second Chamber for the PVV party. (File photo)

AMSTERDAM--Former Member of the Second Chamber of the Party for Freedom PVV police inspector Hero Brinkman, known in the Dutch Caribbean for his often rough attitude towards the islands, was arrested on Monday. He is suspected of violating the official secrecy (“ambtsgeheim”).

  Police confirmed the arrest of a member of the Amsterdam police and stated that the person had been locked up and would be heard Read more