SXMElections.com

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

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

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

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

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

>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

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

Obama concedes Congress role on Iran deal

WASHINGTON--U.S. President Barack Obama conceded on Tuesday that Congress will have the power to review a nuclear deal with Iran, reluctantly giving in to pressure from Republicans and some in his own party after they crafted a rare compromise demanding a say.

The role for the Republican-controlled Congress injects a new element of uncertainty into the delicate final stages of negotiations between major powers and Iran aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Since a preliminary agreement was reached in Switzerland on April 2, the White House had stepped up its lobbying to persuade Democratic senators not to support the bipartisan bill that would give Congress oversight of a final deal, saying it could threaten what Obama hopes will be a legacy-defining foreign-policy achievement Read more

Broad support for corruption probe Curaçao, St. Maarten

THE HAGUE--The Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament voted on Tuesday for the motion by Ronald van Raak of the Socialist Party (SP) and André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD party calling for an investigation of the flow of money between criminal organisations and the governments of Curaçao and St. Maarten.

A broad majority of the Second Chamber voted in favour of the motion, which Van Raak presented during a short follow-up meeting last week Wednesday, following the general debate with Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk on March 31 about the level of governance in the Dutch Caribbean countries.

The motion called on the Dutch Government to facilitate an investigation into the (illegal) flow of money between the under- and upper-world in Curaçao and St Read more

India builds first "smart" city as urban population swells

GANDHINAGAR, India--India's push to accommodate a booming urban population and attract investment rests in large part with dozens of "smart" cities like the one being built on the dusty banks of the Sabarmati river in western India. So far, it boasts modern underground infrastructure, two office blocks and not much else.
  The plan, however, is for a meticulously planned metropolis complete with gleaming towers, drinking water on tap, automated waste collection and a dedicated power supply - luxuries to many Indians Read more

Guenter Grass, author of The Tin Drum, dies at 87

BERLIN--German novelist Guenter Grass, the Nobel Prize-winning author of "The Tin Drum", an epic treatment of the Nazi era, died on Monday at the age of 87, his publishers said.

A broad-shouldered man with a drooping moustache, Grass spurned the German tradition of keeping a cool intellectual distance, insisting that a writer's duty was to be at the frontline of moral and political debate. For many, he was the voice of a German generation that came of age in World War Two and bore the burden of their parents' guilt for the atrocities of the Nazis.

The independent German Cultural Council called him "more than a writer .. Read more

Rutte, Eman meet with Raúl Castro

THE HAGUE--Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte held talks with Cuba President Raúl Castro and several Latin American leaders of government in Panama City over the weekend.

The meeting between Castro and Rutte, who was accompanied by Aruba's Prime Minister Mike Eman and Curaçao's Minister of Finance José Jardim, on Saturday evening lasted an hour and mostly focused on the historical reconciliation between Cuba and the United States of America and its consequences for the Caribbean.

"Hopefully the reconciliation will result in a more open Cuba, as well as economic growth and democratic development Read more

Nigerians vote for powerful governors in state elections

LAGOS--The final stage of Nigeria's election will begin on Saturday with state governorship polls, two weeks after a presidential vote saw an incumbent leader unseated at the ballot box for the first time.
  The 36 governors are among the most powerful politicians in Africa's biggest oil producer and top economy, controlling budgets larger than those of small African nations and wielding influence that can decide who goes on presidential tickets. Voting starts at 8 a.m.
  With so much at stake, candidates in past polls have often played dirty, snatching ballot boxes, manipulating voter turn-out and engaging in thuggery and intimidation.
  Muhammadu Buhari beat President Goodluck Jonathan last month with 15.4 million votes against 13.3 million, in a vote that was considered free and less violent than past polls Read more

Stephane Earl Duzong ready for Eruption in Paradise

PHILIPSBURG--Stephane Earl Duzong will represent the SXM Rock Boxing Club on the pro-am boxing card Eruption in Paradise at L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium May 30.
    Duzong has been in the sport for one year. He trains with former pro St. Maarten fighter Claudette Alexander.  Eruption in Paradise will be his first fight Read more

MPs share concerns on integrity chamber, but open to discussion

~ Expect more answers on Friday ~

PHILIPSBURG--"Looking forward to further discussion" was the point Members of Parliament (MPs) reached on Wednesday night after hearing answers to shared main points of concern given by Justice Minister Dennis Richardson during a public meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament on the draft National Ordinance for the establishment of an Integrity Chamber for St. Maarten.

Although many individual questions had been posed, paired with statements of concern about what the Ordinance will mean for St Read more

style="text-align: center;">Several Financial Statements still not available Corporate Governance Council Rejects candidates proposed by government.

PHILIPSBURG: --- Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs informed Parliament on Tuesday that the government of St. Maarten is currently working on taking the supervisory board of the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) to court in order to obtain two audit reports Read more

Iran president views nuclear deal as start of new relationship with world

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM--Iran's president said on Friday that a framework for a nuclear deal was just the first step toward building a new relationship with the world, after Iranians greeted the announcement of the accord with celebrations in the streets.
  U.S. President Barack Obama also hailed what he called a "historic understanding," although diplomats cautioned that hard work lies ahead to strike a final deal. That work will include efforts by Obama to sell an eventual accord to critics at home, and to close ally Israel, which denounced the interim agreement and pressed for more safeguards in coming negotiations.
  The tentative agreement, struck on Thursday after eight days of talks between Iran and six world powers in Lausanne, Switzerland, clears the way for a settlement to allay Western fears that Iran could build an atomic bomb, with economic sanctions on Tehran being lifted in return Read more

Firstborn Daughter Of Broadcaster Eddy Williams Speaks Out: “There Is No Excuse For Being A Deadbeat Dad”

By Hilbert Haar

GREAT BAY / COLORADO SPRINGS – It must have been near eight years ago that this newspaper received a letter from a lady in England that complained about how her husband – “a local celebrity in Sint Maarten” – had dumped her. The basic request was to hang him out to dry, but Today passed on the occasion, thinking that marital problems do not belong in the public domain.

Last week, Today received a cry for help and understanding from Louise Carr in Colorado Springs Read more

Taking Eco-Tourism To The Next Level

ORANJESTAD, St. Eustatius - "Leave nothing but foot-prints" and "Take nothing but pictures" are phrases often heard in eco-tourism.

A group of Dutch eco-tourists, who visited the Windward Islands last week, do take these rules very serious, but have added as an objective that they want to leave the place they visit in a better state than how they found it. This is taking eco-tourism to the next level!

On St. Maarten the group of eco-tourists could be seen hiking along with heavy garbage bags... Read more

French, Dutch delegations on island for Quadri-partite talks

MARIGOT--High level delegations from France and The Netherlands have joined delegations from St. Martin and St. Maarten for the 2nd Quadri-partite Franco-Netherlands meeting held in the Préfecture on Monday.

This is the first time the meeting has been held in St. Martin. The first meeting took place in The Hague in January 21, 2014, and is held once a year.

A welcome reception and opening ceremony for the respective delegates and technicians were held Sunday evening in the Préfecture hosted by Préfet Philippe Chopin.

The heads of the four delegations are President of the Collectivité Aline Hanson, Prime Minister of St Read more

Regional Countries Attend Tos Workshop

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago - As part of the initiative "Interconnectivity Improvement to Trade Facilitation and Short-Distance Maritime Transport in the Greater Caribbean," which seeks to promote trade development in relation to short-distance maritime transport among countries of the Greater Caribbean, the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), with the funding support of the Mexican Government and Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), hosted two workshops on March 24th and 25th, geared towards capacity building and knowledge exchange within the Port and Maritime Sector: (Workshop on the Exchange of Information to Improve Terminal Operating Systems (TOS) of Ports) and (Workshop on the Facilitation of Maritime Traffic and Loading and Unloading Movements at Ports, based on FAL Convention 65).

The Workshops gathered participants from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Saint Lucia, St Read more

Recycling collection point opened in Tamarind Hill

TAMARIND HILL--A community recycling collection point was opened in Tamarind Hill on Saturday, as an initiative started by Learning Unlimited (LU) Preparatory School eleventh grader Bodine Beentjes.

The student took the initiative to organise the setup of the collection point for Tamarind Hill Estates in the Red Pond area. Beentjes collaborated with Steve Hammond of St. Maarten Recycle and Roy Tempels of Clean St. Maarten. Parties worked out a plan on how the collection area would be built, which garbage materials would be collected separate from the regular household garbage and how and when to pick up these items.

With the support of the Tamarind Hill Homeowners Foundation and the owners of Tamaridge Apartments (who made the land available), a garbage separation area was built.

Clean St Read more

NAPB union top brass believe National Congress too costly

PHILIPSBURG--The presidents of the general police union NAPB for Curaçao and the Caribbean Netherlands (Saba, Statia and Bonaire) believe that another format should be considered for the union's national congress held annually, as holding it on a different island each year is very costly.

President of the NAPB for the Caribbean Netherlands Charles Mercelina told reporters at this year's congress that his union forked out approximately US $15,000 to attend this year's congress in St Read more

EU, Cuba to speed up talks to normalise ties

HAVANA, Cuba--The European Union (EU) says it has agreed with Cuba to expedite the pace of normalising ties with the hope of reaching an accord by the end of the year.

Federica Mogherini, the highest ranking EU official ever to visit Cuba, said the fact that she travelled to Havana so soon after taking up the foreign policy chief job on November 1, 2014, showed how important the relationship was.

"We have decided to speed up the pace of our negotiations, with the hope of signing the framework of our dialogue" by the end of the year, Mogherini said at a press conference here.

The EU said it suspended its relations with Cuba in 2003 over a crackdown on journalists and activists.

But it began talks to restore them again in April 2014, aiming to persuade Havana to improve its human rights record, according to EU Business.

Europe is Cuba's top trade partner after Venezuela, with trade of US $3.6 billion in 2013 Read more