SXMElections.com

Two Cubans lose bids to become first opponents elected to office

HAVANA, Cuba--Two Cuban dissidents on Sunday lost attempts to become the first openly declared political opponents to win election in Cuba since the 1959 revolution, each failing in races for Havana municipal assemblies.

Hildebrando Chaviano, 65, and Yuniel Lopez, 26, both said they had fallen behind by insurmountable margins and had no hope of winning.

The two were among of 27,379 candidates competing in midterm elections for 12,589 nationwide municipal assembly posts, the first rung on Cuba's political ladder.

"The vote was clean Read more

Republican presidential hopefuls target US middle-class insecurity

NASHUA--Facing a recovering economy and a tumbling jobless rate, Republican presidential candidates honing their economic message are trying tap into a lingering sense of insecurity among Americans seven years after the global financial crisis.
  And some are striking a sympathetic tone with lower-income workers in a way that contrasts with four years ago when Mitt Romney struggled to overcome perceptions that he was largely the candidate of the wealthiest Americans Read more

Paul, Graham clash over foreign-policy

NASHUA, New Hampshire--Republican presidential hopefuls Rand Paul and Lindsey Graham took their debate over America's role in the world from the U.S. Senate floor to the campaign trail on Saturday in an early sign that foreign policy is likely to be a flash point in the 2016 election.
  At a gathering of 18 potential and actual White House contenders, Paul accused fellow Republicans of being too willing to commit U.S Read more

> PHILIPSBURG:--- Democratic Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams has dispatched a letter to the Council of Ministers through the chair of Parliament on the draft integrity law that was discusses last week in a central committee of parliamemt. Below is press release from the DP MP along with the letter sent to the Government of St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---– Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Hon. Claret Connor, presented a token of appreciation on behalf of the people and Government of Sint Maarten to the Consul General of the Kingdom of Netherlands Consulate in Miami, Nathalie Olijslager-Jaarsma, who hosted a dinner on Thursday at her residence in Coral Gables, Florida for the Kingdom Maritime and Trade delegation.

The trade mission program started off with a visit to PortMiami where the delegation received a tour Read more

style="text-align: justify;">SEVEN MONTHS AND COUNTING SINCE THE ELECTION IN 2014 AND THIS UP LED GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENT OF ST. MAARTEN HAVE NOT INITIATED ONE PROGRAM THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE ORDINARY PEOPLE IN ST. MAARTEN. IT IS VERY IRONIC THAT EVERY TIME YOU MEET PEOPLE ON THE STREET THEY ARE VERY DISAPPOINTED FOR THEY HAD EXPECTED TO SEE THIS COUNTRY MOVING FORWARD IN PARTICULAR IN THE AREA OF SOCIAL PROGRAMS.

Those who brought us to this point are suffering the most!
PHILIPSBURG:---- Just recently I met a senior citizen at a Supermarket and he was boasting about how he assisted a particular candidate that is now part of the parliament of St Read more

Minister Teatt Connor Presents Kingdom Consul General In Miami With Token Of Appreciation During Trade Mission

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Hon. Claret Connor, presented a token of appreciation on behalf of the people and Government of Sint Maarten to the Consul General of the Kingdom of Netherlands Consulate in Miami, Nathalie Olijslager-Jaarsma, who hosted a dinner on Thursday at her residence in Coral Gables, Florida for the Kingdom Maritime and Trade delegation.

The trade mission program started off with a visit to PortMiami where the delegation received a tour Read more

Kate Richardson named Tourism Office Director

MARIGOT--Kate Richardson was officially named Director of St. Martin Tourism Office as of April 1 at a press conference Friday afternoon. She had assumed the position of Interim Director since the departure of former director Silviane John.

President Jeanne Rogers-Vanterpool said she was very proud that an employee of the office has been promoted within.

"Kate has been part of the staff for seven years and has a lot of experience," Rogers-Vanterpool said Read more

Former US President Jimmy Carter to head observer team to Guyana polls

GEORGETOWN, Guyana--Former United States President Jimmy Carter will lead an observer mission to monitor the May 11 regional and national elections in Guyana.

"I look forward to leading our delegation to observe Guyana's elections on May 11," Carter said.

"The Carter Center has a long history in Guyana and great respect for the Guyanese people. These will be the fourth elections we have observed there since 1992, and we trust they will be peaceful and inspire hope for the future."

The Carter Center is joining the Organization of American States (OAS) that have been invited to monitor the polls by the Guyana government.

The Carter Center in a statement said that the core team of experts will be joined this week by six medium-term observers, together representing nine countries.

The Center's observers will meet regularly with representatives of the Guyana Elections Commission, political party candidates, civil society organisations, the international community and citizen election observers to assess electoral preparations and the pre-electoral environment, including election administration, campaigning, voter education, and other issues.

They will be joined by a larger delegation of election observers in May, led by Carter, who will assess the voting, counting and tabulation processes.

The election here is seen as a straight fight between the ruling People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) which is seeking to extend its more-than-two-decades hold on power and the coalition alliance comprising the main opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the small Alliance for Change (AFC) Read more

Saddam aide, Iraqi insurgent leader al-Douri reported killed

BAGHDAD/ERBIL--Ezzat Ibrahim al-Douri, former right-hand man to late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and a leader of Iraq's Sunni insurgency, has been reported killed by Iraqi forces and Shi'ite militias.
  Douri was killed in a military operation, Raed al-Jubouri, the governor of Salahuddin province, told Reuters. The pan-Arab television network al-Arabiya showed images of a dead man who looked like al-Douri.
  Baghdad has mistakenly announced al-Douri's death several times before, but this time photos are circulating showing a man with features and red hair like his Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Rotarians from Rotary District 7030 arrived on Sint Maarten to partake in a ceremony for the launch of a screening for the prevention of Retinopathy due to Diabetes Mellitus and the donation of a fundus camera to the White and Yellow Cross Foundation.

The group comprises of the District Secretary from District 7030, Mr Waddy Sowma; the President of Rotary Club Paramaribo Central Mr Rino Tjin Wong Joe; Eye Specialist and Representative of the Rotary Club Paramaribo Residence Dr Jerrel Pawiroredjo and other fellows from the clubs Read more

Collaborative Infectious Disease Control

>Oranjestad:--- In 2014, 25 countries in the Caribbean had recorded cases of chikungunya. Chikungunya is caused by the same vector as dengue fever, the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The circulation of these two viruses has proven itself to be a serious health challenge in the Caribbean. Sint Eustatius is currently working to build its capacity to prevent and control these diseases.

For two weeks, Dr. Joe Wagman, a vector biologist and public health consultant from the Belize Vector Biology Center (BVBC), is visiting the island to assist in developing an early warning system to predict outbreaks Read more

Hit and Run Driver surrendered to Police Thursday Night.(UPDATED)

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The hit and run driver who hit down Ramesh Manek early Thursday morning on the Airport Road surrendered to police around 9pm Thursday night. Police also confiscated the black Hummer  bearing the number plate P-1819 that ran over the local resident who was jogging on the road earlyThursday morning.
Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson confirmed that the driver who was involved in the hit and run accident surrendered to police and his vehicle has been confiscated. Henson said the driver of the vehicle that hit the victim down causing him to lose his life is in his 30's Read more

A Peculiar Request By The Council Of State Of The Dutch Kingdom...

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Much of the past weeks has been spent deliberating the draft national ordinance to establish an integrity chamber for St. Maarten.

While some have argued against this draft ordinance (law), stating to be in favor of our "own thing", fact is that the draft as presented to Parliament and dealt with in central committee meetings of Parliament is "our own".

It is totally up to the Parliament of St. Maarten to reject, amend and or pass this law, if a majority of the 15 members wishes to do so.

The draft ordinance establishing an integrity chamber for St Read more

Visiting Rotarians On Island For Donation Of Fundus Camera To White & Yellow Cross Foundation

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Rotarians from Rotary District 7030 arrived on Sint Maarten to partake in a ceremony for the launch of a screening for the prevention of Retinopathy due to Diabetes Mellitus and the donation of a fundus camera to the White and Yellow Cross Foundation.

The group comprises of the District Secretary from District 7030, Mr Waddy Sowma; the President of Rotary Club Paramaribo Central Mr Rino Tjin Wong Joe; Eye Specialist and Representative of the Rotary Club Paramaribo Residence Dr Jerrel Pawiroredjo and other fellows from the clubs Read more

Carnival 2015 officially open

CARNIVAL VILLAGE--Carnival has started! The official opening by Minister of Culture Rita Bourne-Gumbs, who “unlocked” the door to the village with a large golden key, took place on Thursday evening.

A parade had led the way to the official opening, which saw hundreds of people in the streets of Philipsburg dance to the tunes of bands and deejays in the official opening Jump-up for the 46th St. Maarten Carnival.

The route of the jump-up was lined with people and near to Carnival Village a number of booths were selling snacks and drinks.

The jump-up arrived at the Village shortly before 11:30pm Read more

Sarah calls for govt’s stance on CBCS issue

PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot-Williams has issued a call to the Marcel Gumbs' Cabinet "to show leadership by providing government's stance" on the halting of renovation work on the Central Bank of Curaçao and St Read more

Court hears appeal in vote-buying case

PHILIPSBURG--The Joint Court of Justice on Thursday heard the Prosecutor's appeal in the case against four persons allegedly involved in selling or buying votes on behalf of United People's (UP) party in the September 2010 election.

In August 2014, the Court of First Instance declared inadmissible the Prosecutor's Office's cases against these men because it had failed to also investigate the roles of UP and its leadership in the scheme Read more

Council of State requests a stay on voting on Integrity Chamber

PHILIPSBURG--The Kingdom Council of State has requested a stay on the voting by St. Maarten's Parliament on the national ordinance establishing an Integrity Chamber for St. Maarten. This was the word from Deputy Prime Minister/Justice Minister Dennis Richardson.

Richardson said at a press conference with Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs in Dr Read more

US lawmakers' bill holds key to Pacific trade deal

WASHINGTON--Senior U.S. lawmakers reached agreement on Thursday on a bill to give the White House "fast track" authority to negotiate a trade pact with 11 other Pacific nations that is central to President Barack Obama's strategic shift toward Asia.
  The agreement, over six months in the making, sets the stage for a tough legislative battle over the rules for Obama's proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The pact would connect a dozen economies by cutting trade barriers and harmonizing standards covering two-fifths of the world economy and a third of global trade.
  The bill gives lawmakers the right to set negotiating objectives, but would restrict them to a yes-or-no vote on trade deals such as the TPP, a potential legacy-defining achievement for President Obama.
  The Obama administration announced in late 2009 that it was entering TPP negotiations with Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams expressed concerns over the saga of the Central Bank of St. Maarten. MP Wescot Williams in a press release posed several questions about the work stop. Below is the press statement issued by MP Sarah Wescot Williams.

"I guess, according to some, it would be "politically incorrect" of me to question the saga unfolding at the Central Bank of Curacao and St Read more

Chuchuchubi Foundation Kings Day Carnival Jam

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The Chuchubi Foundation is doing it again! A KINGS DAY Dance is being hosted by the Chuchubi Foundation on Monday April 27th, 2015. This fundraising dance will be held at the Little Well Oasis on the Well Road in Colebay. Chuchubi Foundation well known for their well organized and mostly adult attendance dance is hosting this dance so that all those visitors arriving on the island during this time can come out and meet & party with longtime friends Read more

style="text-align: center;">to meet with Council of State on higher supervision.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson told members of the media on Thursday during a press conference that he will be travelling to the Netherlands this weekend to meet with the Minister of Interior and Foreign Affairs Ronald Plasterk to further discuss the establishment of an integrity chamber on St. Maarten. Minister Richardson will also be meeting with the Raad van Staten (Council of State) to further discuss the current situation where the Kingdom wants to apply article 51 of the Kingdom Charter and impose higher supervision on St Read more

Former Pm, Mp Sarah Wescot-Williams Speaks On Cbs Debattle

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - I guess, according to some, it would be "politically incorrect" of me to question the saga unfolding at the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten (CBCS) here in St. Maarten.

In fact, media reports suggest that this saga is ongoing since last year. Gradually it became clear that the work at the CBCS building in Philipsburg had come to a halt and the rumor mill went in overdrive.

When recently one of the 2 parties finally went public with their side of the story, the questions and insinuations became even more probing and disturbing.

The Central Bank is the monetary authority for Curacao and St Read more