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Second Chamber calls for intervention in St. Maarten

THE HAGUE--The Dutch media reported on Monday that there is majority support in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament for intervention through a large criminal investigation of "St. Maarten's corrupt government." Dutch politicians are especially worried now that the United People's (UP) party of Theo Heyliger is about to take power.

Two major Dutch newspapers, De Telegraaf and Trouw, reported on Monday morning on PricewaterhouseCoopers' (PwC's) Integrity Inquiry report on St Read more

Amendment to budget approved, Vorst Property out of 2014 Budget.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The long awaited budget amendments to the 2014 budget were approved unanimously on Monday by the Members of Parliament that attended the meeting. However, Member of Parliament Roy Marlin submitted a motion to amend the budget amendments to remove the purchasing of the Vorst property. The motion submitted by MP Roy Marlin was accepted with seven votes in favor of the removal of the purchasing of the Vorst property while six members all from the UPP voted against the motion Read more

>POND ISLAND:--- It was a night to remember at the Theatre Royale, Maho, Saturday, where judges announced the 2014 TelCell Breakthrough Talent Search winners in true Hollywood style.
The winners and runners-up in the four categories were:

Instruments:
Winner: New Generation Status (GNS STM)
Runner up: Brandon Potmis

Vocals:
Winner: Arias -4
Runner up: Sinatra Bauld

Rap:
Winner: Serenity Martinus
Runner up: Rumari Rogers

Dance:
Winner: Tristan Defoe
Runner up: Deveny Elferink

The winners will now begin a one year dream program in which they will be granted celebrity status, assisting TelCell and the TelEm Group in various promotions, while further honing their own artistic talents.
They will also collaborate on a recording contract and will act as mentors and role models for St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake on Monday visited a road paving project in the residential district of St. Peters.

The secondary roads that are scheduled to be paved are Guavaberry, Marigot Hill and Sugar Apple Road.

"The work is progressing and local sub-contractors are involved in the work Read more

>GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Tuesday September 23, 2014 saw the official handing over of the sports materials by USONA to the Minister of Education Culture Youth and Sports Hon. Patricia Lourens-Philip.
These materials have been a long time coming and they were purchased to facilitate the increased upgrading of Sports on Sint Maarten.
Minister Lourens-Philip stated the Government of Sin Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- In mid March 2014, Benjamin & Parker (www.b-parker.com), initiated onsite certification sessions for the online course "Efficiency Auditing", a new science to secure corporate workflow effectiveness and corporate financial waste, in association with PCMI under management of Mr. Robert Budike. The course had a particular characteristic as it emphasized the Colombian method of efficiency and risk management applications, after considering its thoroughness and security scrutiny safeguards to contain operation and financial high impact incidents Read more

Corrupt St. Maarten should be thoroughly investigated --- Dutch MPs.

>THE HAGUE, Netherlands:--- Justice must undertake a major criminal investigation into the thoroughly corrupt St. Maarten. That is what the Second Chamber demands now that Theo Heyliger has grabbed absolute power on the island.
A majority of the chamber members of the VVD, SP CDA and the PVV want action after it appears from a Price Waterhouse report, released this weekend, that the entire administration is steeped in cronyism Read more

Minister De Weever Already Knew In October 2013: “Executing Counterpart-Policy Is Detrimental For Economy”

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – Executing the counter-part article of the executive order on foreign labor is detrimental for St. Maarten’s economy because the labor supply is strongly dependent on immigration. This is the conclusion from an advice the Social Economic Council (SER) already issued on October 22 of last year to the minister of Public Health, Social Affair and Labor, Cornelius de Weever Read more

Ex-Formateur William Marlin: “Matter Of Time Before We See Another Shift”

St. Maarten – “It is a matter of time before you will see another shift,” former formateur William Marlin said at a press conference yesterday in answer to a question from this newspaper about political instability. “There is not a problem with the system, but there are too many who approach this like, I have my seat and I am going to peddle it to the highest bidder Read more

Local Poem Selected For Choral Music Performance In The Netherlands

St. Maarten – Newly created music to Drisana Deborah Jack’s poetry will be performed at the 55th anniversary concert of the Delft Ars Vocalis Chamber Choir in the Netherlands, according to Jack’s publisher HNP.

Dutch composers Rita Hijmans and Anke Brouwer selected Jack’s poem “I dare you” and its Dutch translation from a long list of verse proposed by Ars Vocalis to four composers that it commissioned to create “new musical composition” for its anniversary concert.

“I am very intrigued by the notion of interpreting the poetry into music for a choir,” said Jack, a leading local poet and artist Read more

Usm And Vlf Offer Eft Classes To General Public

St. Maarten – The University of St. Martin in its efforts to meet the growing needs of the community of St. Maarten, is now embarking upon an adult education class, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) in collaboration with Victorious Living Foundation.

“The EFT course provides the participant with the history, science and practical application of EFT so that he/she may utilize these techniques to overcome physical, emotional, or psychological pain, trauma, or other challenges in his or her life Read more

Bewilderment In Dp About Appointment Informateurs

St. Maarten – Democratic Party leader Sarah Wescot-Williams used air quotes yesterday afternoon to express her bewilderment about Governor Holiday’s decision to appoint two informateurs on  Thursday, after UP-leader Theo Heyliger’s presentation of a coalition-agreement signed by eight elected members of the new parliament.

When the DP, together with the National Alliance and the United St Read more

Minister Lake Visits Road Paving Projects Throughout Districts

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake on Monday visited a road paving project in the residential district of St. Peters.

The secondary roads that are scheduled to be paved are Guavaberry, Marigot Hill and Sugar Apple Road.

"The work is progressing and local sub-contractors are involved in the work Read more

Minister De Weever Breaks His Silence, Says Decision To Stay In Parliament Is Complicated

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Member of Parliament elect, outgoing Minister of Health, Social Affairs and Labor, the Honorable Cornelius de Weever has broken his silence.

While reading a carefully worded statement the number 2 candidate on the slate of the Read more

Mp William Marlin Gives Thoughts On Coalition Of Three

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Former Formatuer, Member of Parliament and leader of the National Alliance, the Honorable William Marlin held a press conference on Sunday.

The reason was to provide the media with information regarding the latest political situation on the island.

Whilst speaking at the press conference on Sunday, Mr Read more

Editorial - Wait and see

Governor Eugene Holiday's decision to appoint two "informateurs" – Joe Richardson and Marcel Gumbs – (see Saturday paper) is interesting. He obviously had to do something when it became clear that "formateur" William Marlin (NA) no longer could deliver a majority in Parliament after DP's MP-elect Cornelius de Weever signed an agreement with the seven UP fraction members-elect and thus torpedoed the envisioned NA/DP/UP Party coalition.

The governor, based on the document presented to him by UP leader Theo Heyliger, could have named the latter "formateur" instead, but stopped short of doing so Read more

William says too many use their parliamentary seats for leverage

~ 'Just a matter of time before another shifting' ~

PHILIPSBURG--"The sad reality" of politics in St. Maarten is that too many persons "peddle off" their parliamentary seats "to the highest bidder" and use their seat for leverage, former formateur William Marlin said on Sunday.

Marlin said he was not specifically referring to the trading of seats for financial gain, but the use of one's seat for opportunity, though he said he has heard about offers being made.

Marlin was at the time speaking at a press conference Sunday called to address the events leading up to the National Alliance/Democratic Party/ United St Read more

St. Maarten requires Dutch support to improve integrity

By Suzanne Koelega

THE HAGUE/PHILIPSBURG--Assistance from the Netherlands to enhance integrity in the St. Maarten Government and to carry out the integrity programme is necessary. Philipsburg is pressing on the Dutch Government to give its cooperation to strengthen the National Detectives Department, the Prosecutor's Office and the Tax Department.

Incumbent St. Maarten Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams and Justice Minister Dennis Richardson sent a letter to that extent to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Thursday Read more

>MARIGOT:--- The first Vice President of the Collectivity of St. Martin Guillaume Arnell was elected senator of St. Martin on Sunday after two rounds of election. Arnell received 11 votes from of the 24 votes that were cast.
Arnell succeeds Louis Constant Fleming, the first person to represent St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The University of St. Martin in its efforts to meet the growing needs of the community of St. Maarten, is now embarking upon an adult education class, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) in collaboration with Victorious Living Foundation.
The EFT course provides the participant with the history, science and practical application of EFT so that he/she may utilize these techniques to overcome physical, emotional, or psychological pain, trauma, or other challenges in his or her life Read more

>GREAT BAY:--- Newly created music to Drisana Deborah Jack's poetry will be performed at the 55th anniversary concert of the Delft Ars Vocalis Chamber Choir in the Netherlands, said Jack's publisher HNP.
Dutch composers Rita Hijmans and Anke Brouwer selected Jack's poem "I dare you" and its Dutch translation from a long list of verse proposed by Ars Vocalis to four composers that it commissioned to create "new musical composition" for its anniversary concert.
"I am very intrigued by the notion of interpreting the poetry into music for a choir," said Jack, a leading St Read more

>SIMPSON BAY:--- The Chief of the Coast Guard Edson "Eddy" Kirindongo is home on sick leave since April 2014 due to undue stress and intimidation from the director and acting director of the Coast Guard. Prior to being appointed Chief of the Coast Guard on St. Maarten, Kirindongo was the chief of the Tactical Detective Department of Curacao, he came to St. Maarten with 30 years police experience.
SMN News learnt that Kirindongo took up his position as the Chief of the Coast Guard since 2010 but was due to leave on pension in 2012 Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot Williams and her party president Hasani Ellis told reporters on Sunday afternoon that they still do not know exactly why Minister Cornelius de Weever defected and why he signed an agreement with the seven members of the UPP Read more

style="text-align: center;">Work Group worked hard in preparing a Governing Program

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the National Alliance William Marlin who was appointed formateur by Governor Eugene Holiday to form the next government for 2014 - 2018 finally cleared the air on Sunday at a press conference. Marlin was appointed by the Governor shortly after the August 29th, 2014 Parliamentary Elections when the National Alliance, Democratic Party and the United St Read more