SXMElections.com

SHTA welcomes, outlines tasks at hand for new government

~ Narrows in on finances, govt-owned companies ~

PHILIPSBURG--The St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) has issued a statement welcoming new Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs and the newly appointed ministers, amidst what it says has been a time of widespread lack of trust in St. Maarten's unstable government. The largest business representative on the island has taken notice of the increased discussion of late – both in and out of the media – about the instability of the Dutchside's government and the damage it is doing to the economy.

"The lack of trust in our current governing system has led to a widespread belief that transparency and integrity are seriously lacking Read more

Bahamas authorities investigate alleged rape of Jamaican detainee

NASSAU, Bahamas--The Bahamas government says it is prepared to let the "chips fall where they may" after an immigration officer was placed on administrative leave with immediate effect "pending investigation of a sexual assault alleged by a detainee who is a Jamaican citizen."

Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell told a news conference that while he would not speak "more to this matter" he was nonetheless prepared to allow the "chips [to – Ed.] fall where they may."

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration said that "a diplomatic note .. Read more

Education for children who urgently need special education

Dear Editor,

Please allow me some space in your newspaper to address the Government and Parliament of St. Maarten and Ronald Plasterk, Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.

St. Maarten Government, Parliament and Minister Plasterk, my name is Reinder Torrenga and I'm a proud father of a daughter with Down syndrome. This is not the first time I need to use the media to speak about my frustration and make a plea to our Council of Ministers and the parliament of our country St Read more

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Russia growls across border as Lithuania readies for euro

KYBARTAI, Lithuania--Geopolitics plague Lithuanians at this frozen Russian border post, where a return trip by car can mean 48 hours of queuing. It is a reminder for some of why the former Soviet republic will cement its move to the West by joining the euro zone next month.

Tensions with Moscow have simmered ever since Lithuania became the first republic to declare independence from the Soviet Union in 1990, although only 6 percent of the population are Russian speakers, far fewer than in its Baltic neighbours Read more

The Road To The Gumbs I Cabinet: “Peddling Seats To The Highest Bidder”

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – When Governor Drs. Eugene Holiday administers the oath of office to the five ministers of the Gumbs I cabinet this afternoon, it marks the end of a tedious process that started during the night after the parliamentary elections on August 29. How did we get where we are today? A review.

To avoid any misunderstandings, the governor also administers the oath to the minister plenipotentiary today – but that is not a ‘real’ minister – it is the representative of St Read more

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Henry Lynch suspended as Housing Foundation Director

~ Lake called to correct 'erroneous' statements ~

BELVEDERE--St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) Director Henry Lynch has been placed on non-active duty as of December 12 by the foundation's supervisory board pending the outcome of "an independent forensic investigation" by Government Accountant Bureau SOAB "into certain business and management activities" of SMHDF and of St. Maarten Housing Finance Foundation (SMHFF).

However, that investigation is now on hold due to the intervention of Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Maurice Lake Read more

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Jamaica PM under fire for multi-million NHT spending

KINGSTON, Jamaica--Jamaica's Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller is facing increasing pressure from the Parliamentary Opposition and local interest groups to dismiss the board of the state-owned housing agency, the National Housing Trust (NHT), following its decision to purchase a cash-strapped tourist attraction called the Outameni Experience.

The debacle began in late October when news broke that the NHT had acquired the nine-acre property for J $180 million (US $1.6 million) nearly two years earlier Read more

Leeward Islands lose in misplaced-ball match

JAMAICA--Leeward Islands cricket coach Ridley Jacobs reported a bizarre situation in which the match ball was misplaced by the umpires during the tea interval when Jamaica Franchise took on the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the West Indies Cricket Board Professional Cricket League 4-day match in Jamaica over the weekend.

The umpires were Jamaican Christopher Taylor and Trinidad and Tobago Danesh Ramdhanie.

A disappointed Jacobs explained, "The ball that we were bowling with was 16-overs and the ball they came back out with was 34-overs – that's a big difference Read more

Families of the Disappeared suffer as Northern Ireland drags feet on past

GLENAVY, Northern Ireland--As Brendan Megraw's coffin was lowered into his family grave 36 years after he was kidnapped and shot by the IRA, the mourners at the cemetery felt relief but also anger at Northern Ireland's reluctance to investigate its past.

Among those gathered at the graveside were relatives of a dozen other people "disappeared" by the Irish Republican Army in the 1970s and 80s Read more

Mexico says evidence now proves missing students were burned up

MEXICO CITY--Mexican authorities on Sunday said that mounting evidence and initial DNA tests confirmed that 43 trainee teachers who were abducted by corrupt police 10 weeks ago were incinerated at a garbage dump by drug gang members.
  Attorney General Jesus Murillo told reporters that one of the students had been identified by experts in Austria from a bone fragment in a bag of ash and bits of burned tire found in a river where drug gang members said they tossed the students remains.
  "This scientific proof confirms that the remains found at the scene coincide with the evidence of the investigation," Murillo said Read more

ICC prosecutor withdraws charges against Kenyan president

AMSTERDAM/NAIROBI--Prosecutors dropped charges of crimes against humanity against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday, marking a failure for the International Criminal Court in the highest-profile case in its 11-year history.

Judges in The Hague had on Wednesday given prosecutors a week to decide whether to proceed against Kenyatta, who was accused of fomenting ethnic violence after the 2007 election, or withdraw the charges.

Prosecutors have said Kenyatta, the first sitting president to have attended a session of the court, used his powers to obstruct the investigation, especially since becoming head of state last year Read more