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Governor Starts New Consultations After End Of Marlin Formation

HARBOUR VIEW, Sint Maarten – On Thursday September 25, 2014, His Excellency Governor Eugene B. Holiday met with the leader of the United People's Party, Mr. Theodore E. Heyliger.

During the meeting Mr. Theodore E. Heyliger presented the Governor a coalition agreement for the period 2014-2018 for the governing of Sint Maarten.

This agreement has been signed by the seven elected members to Parliament of the UPP and elected member to Parliament Mr Read more

Rumors Run Amok In Local Politics: Coalition May Fall Apart With De Weever’S Departure

Finance Minister Martin Hassink confers with National Alliance leader William Marlin while (from left) Frans Richardson and Romain Laville look on Read more

No Quorum for Budget Debate --- UPP, De Weever, Illidge Absconded.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The budget debate that was scheduled for Wednesday September 24th, 2014 to amend the 2014 budget could not take place due to a lack of quorum. Members of Parliament from the United Peoples Party, Member of Parliament Petrus Leroy de Weever and Member of Parliament Patrick Illidge did not show up to the meeting.
While the UPP and DP are in government it is clear that the United Peoples Party will not attend the meetings to amend the budget until they know who will be in government and if things will go their way Read more

Ronald Plasterk: “Buying Votes Undermines St. Maarten’S Democratic Character”

THE HAGUE – Socialist Party parliamentarian Ronald van Raak received predictable answers from Minister Ronald Plasterk to his questions about the election fraud trial in St. Maarten. “It is not up to the minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations to comment on court rulings,” the minister wrote, though he also noted that buying and selling votes undermines St. Maarten’s democratic character.

Van Raak posed questions to Plasterk on August 27, two days before the parliamentary elections in St Read more

>GUANA BAY:--- On Tuesday September 9th, 2014, the police were called to the residence of leader of the United Peoples Party Theo Heyliger where unknown persons took several items from the MP's home Read more

Governor Holiday At Opening Parliamentary Year: “There Are Real Opportunities For Economic Growth”

St. Maarten – Ravel’s Bolero was once more floating through the parliament building yesterday morning ahead of the official opening of the parliamentary year 2014-2015. What stood out apart from the music was the absence of United People’s party leader Theo Heyliger – who had sent notice – and of Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams who was for undisclosed reasons off island.

Other Members of Parliament who passed on the festive occasions were Jules James, who missed his re-election by a mere three votes, Dr Read more

Motion passed to restrict outgoing ministers’ actions

PHILIPSBURG--A motion calling on Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams to inform individual ministers of the Wescot-Williams III Cabinet "to not make any long-term policy, financial and/or decisions of such a nature as granting lands in long lease, bus and taxi licences, concessions, hiring and placement of personnel in crucial functions" was adopted by a majority of Members of Parliament (MPs) in the closing meeting of the 2013-2014 parliamentary year on Monday.

The motion was presented by MP Roy Marlin (Democratic Party (DP)) and also signed by six other MPs.

The motion further called on the ministers to refrain from making any decision on the waste-to-energy concession or any other decision "that may obstruct or encumber the incoming government from functioning adequately during the next governing term."

The motion also requested the prime minister to inform the individual ministers who are shareholder's representatives of government-owned companies "to instruct management and boards of these companies to refrain from entering into long-term agreements and sign contracts that may negatively affect or bind these companies for a long term."

The motion was presented by MP Roy Marlin after he requested an addition to an agenda of the plenary session of Parliament Read more

Gracita Arrindell Closes Parliamentary Year

St. Maarten – Parliament President Gracita Arrindell closed off the parliamentary year 2013-2014 yesterday morning in a meeting MPs used to express countless thank you’s and also to express their respect for each other. Highlight of the meeting was an initiative by the departing MP Roy Marlin, who tabled a motion that asks the prime minister to “inform” the ministers of her cabinet not to enter into any long-term commitments during their last weeks in office Read more

Parliamentary Year Concludes On Monday With Traditional Speeches

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The parliamentary year for 2013-2014 ended on Monday during a session of the House of Assembly.

The session was carried out by the chairlady of parliament of the United People's Party, the Honorable Gracita Arrindell.

During the parliamentary meeting, parliamentarians took some time to reflect on the last four years, while they took the opportunity to say farewell to their colleagues.

One of those MPs looking back at the four years served was out going Independent Member of Parliament, the Honorable Romain Laville who can now be heard via PodCast.

Leader of the United St Read more

Usp-Candidate Leona Marlin-Romeo: “I Am Not Going Anywhere”

St. Maarten – Leona Marlin-Romeo is firmly committed to the United St. Maarten party. During a press conference at the  Parliament building yesterday morning, the party’s number 2-candidate laid to rest rumors triggered by a baseless article that appeared on a notorious local gossip website on Thursday.

The website insinuated that Marlin-Romeo had “jumped ship” and taken money to join the United People’s party to form a government.

Marlin thanked blogger Bibi Shaw for the publicity the story has generated, but the sarcasm was lost on Shaw, who later acknowledged the “compliment.” Marlin-Romeo, however pointed out the obvious: “Before you slander my name and the name of my campaign manager I think you should get your facts straight Read more

Us Say's There Is No Alliance With Up Party, Denies Rumors {Updated}

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Many persons are now breathing a sigh of relief, as the United St. Maarten Party held a press conference on Friday to brushed aside what they described as rumors regarding the formation of the next government.

it was on Sunday, three political parties signed an agreement aimed at the formation of the next government for St. Maarten.

The three parties are the National Alliance who received four (4) seats in the parliamentary election, the Democratic Party two (2) seats and the United St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Information reaching SMN News states that the USp number 2 candidate Leona Marlin Romeo is threatening her party to go independent and join the United Peoples Party to form the next government. According to our sources, Leona Marlin wants to appoint her campaign manager Henry Lynch as a Minister.
It is further understood that during the negotiations with the Democratic Party and the National Alliance Marlin Romeo and her party leader Frans Richardson they accepted the Ministry of TEATT and Finance because Marlin was supposed to appoint Lynch as Minister of Finance Read more

Johan Leonard Squeezes Past Buncamper-Molanus Into Parliament

“Mister 7-UP” sends rival home

St. Maarten – Maria Buncamper-Molanus will not become a member of the new Parliament after all. After the Central Voting Bureau had scrutinized yesterday all the ballots the twenty polling stations had deemed invalid, it found two valid votes that went to Johan Leonard Read more

Parliamentary year closes on Monday

PHILIPSBURG--Parliamentary year 2013-2014 will close on Monday with a plenary meeting of Parliament starting at 10:00am in Parliament House. The meeting will be one of the last to be chaired by outgoing President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell (United People's party).

The new Parliamentary year 2014-2015 will be opened by Arrindell in a solemn ceremony on Tuesday Read more

style="text-align: center;">NA, USp and DP Sign Governing Accord --- Rumors must be put to rest

PHILIPSBURG:--- Formation talks between three political parties that obtained seats in the Parliamentary Elections that were held on Friday are continuing. Early Saturday morning shortly after the election results were announced the leaders of the United St. Maarten People's Party, the National Alliance and the Democratic Party signed an agreement to work together to form the next Government of St Read more

style="text-align: center;">Preliminary Results UPP – 7 Seats, NA – 4 seats, USp – 2 seats, DP – 2 seats --- NA, USp and DP signed working document

PHILIPSBURG:--- The United Peoples Party got a resounding amount of votes from the voting population on Friday Read more

Prosecution Appeals Class Justice Ruling

St. Maarten – The prosecution filed an appeal yesterday against the ruling in the 2010 election fraud case (the so-called Masbangu investigation). On Monday, the court declared the prosecution inadmissible in the prosecution of three suspects who are accused of selling their vote to the United People’s party and one suspect who gave these suspects money on behalf of the UP. The court ruled that the decisions the prosecutor’s office made in this investigation –excluding the UP and its party leader Theo Heyliger from the investigation – have “the semblance of class justice.”

The court declared the prosecution inadmissible because it violated the principle of equality and the ban on arbitrariness.

“The Public Prosecutor’s Office agrees with the vision of the court that the role of the UP has not been sufficiently investigated, but it has provided an explanation for this during the trial Read more

Investigation At Prosecutor’S Office

St. Maarten – Justice Minister Dennis Richardson will consult with the chairman of the Law Enforcement Council– former Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards – about a possible investigation into the practice of class justice within the Public Prosecutor’s Office in St. Maarten.

The initiative follows on the heels of the court ruling in the Masbangu-case that revolves around selling and buying of votes before the 2010 elections. The Court in First Instance declared the prosecution inadmissible in this case and remarked in its ruling that, by not investigating the role of the United People’s party and its leader Theo Heyliger, the prosecutor’s office had called upon itself ‘the semblance of class justice.”

“I cannot allow that observation to stand without proper investigation,” Minister Richardson said at yesterday’s Council of Ministers press briefing Read more

Up Party Inadmissible In Quest For Complete Voting Register

St. Maarten – The Court in First Instance declared the United People’s party and its president Sylvia Meyers-Olivacce inadmissible yesterday in a lawsuit that the party filed in an effort to obtain a full copy of the voters register.

The UP, represented by attorneys Peggy Ann Brandon and Brenda Brooks, filed the lawsuit against the Minister of General Affairs and the Government of St Read more

Class justice

Dear Editor,

I am writing this article with sadness in my heart. I have worked for forty years in the Justice system, and based on the position I held during my last 12 years in service, I worked very closely with the Public Prosecutor's Office.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have believed that I, during my lifetime, would hear that our local Prosecutor's Office has been accused of class justice by a resident judge in a criminal court case. This accusation is a serious matter and I believe that the Minister of Justice, posthaste, should appoint a committee of persons of knowledge and integrity to investigate what went wrong in the case of vote buying and selling, and who really took the decision not to prosecute the United People's Party and its leadership.

Those who bungle up should bear the consequences Read more

Democratic Party holds its last public meeting

SIMPSON BAY--Democratic Party (DP) supporters turned out for one last public meeting at Kim Sha Beach in Simpson Bay last night. The nineteen candidates reiterated what they stood for, what needs to change in St. Maarten and what the party has been accomplishing so far.

Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams, DP #1, reiterated her views that the party had put United People’s party leaders where they are today, which was why they could shine Read more

Masbangu Verdict is an Indictment for the Prosecutor’s Office --- Class Justice is a Crime.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The verdict rendered on Monday by Judge Luijks is indeed an indictment against the Prosecutor's Office. SMN News mentioned in several articles that the prosecutors that come to St. Maarten don't come here to work, instead they are here to enjoy the sea and sun and also become friendly with local politicians in order to layer their own pockets. How is it possible that when these prosecutors come to St. Maarten they refuse to go back to Holland? How is it they are able to build huge houses here and purchase beach front properties? The allegations that they have been seizing boats and other assets from suspects and selling them after business hours should be investigated by the pertinent authorities Read more

United People’s Party Loses Court Case Against Prime Minister Wescot-Williams and Government of St. Maarten on Voter’s Registry Issue.

style="text-align: center;">Parliament Did Not Change Electoral Laws To Make Release of Voters' Registry Possible

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Legal Case brought by Sylvia Myers-Olivacce as president of the Board of the United People's Party was thrown out of court on Tuesday. The UP Party, represented by Peggy-Ann Brandon and Brenda Brooks, took Prime Minister and the Government of Country St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The board of the United People's Party (UP) says the Judge did not throw out the case initiated by the United People's (UP) Party with respect to obtaining a copy of the voter's registry which has been common practice in the past. The Judge ruled the case inadmissible due to a semantic error where it should have been against country Sint Maarten and not the Government, and therefore it is not perceived as a loss.
The UP will resubmit the case to the Courts soonest after the correction has been made.

The UP Party presented a case with respect to the constitutional voting rights of the people.

You have cases where persons have been stricken from the voter's registry, and you have numerous cases currently in court where the individuals are fighting to have their voting rights restored so they can exercise their right to vote on Friday, August 29.

The UP Party started a case based on the Election Ordinance Read more