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Mp Emmanuel: Shadow Group Running Government Without Coalition Accord

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Sunday asked the general public to consider the complete disrespect of the current rogue government that refuses to provide information about the 8-member Parliamentary support it says it enjoys in Parliament. I guess we are left to conclude that a shadow group is running this government, he said.

Emmanuel reminded the public that to date neither the government of St. Maarten nor their so called support in Parliament has presented one shred of documentation to show who are the members of Parliament that officially supports the sitting government Read more

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Emmanuel : Report Identified Pjia Paint Damage Since 2017

The management of the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) received the final inspection report on the super structure of the airport on December 4, 2017, according to the report compiled by ABT, a European multidisciplinary engineering firm contracted by PJIA.

With that information in hand, Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel doubled down on his vehement critique of PJIA management and main contractor Ballast Nedam who announced this week that the airport reconstruction will again be delayed.
He said the final report of EBT proves that PJIA management and Ballast Nedam continues to lie to the people of St Read more

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Chris: Facebook Is Governing The Country, Still No Governing Accord

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Sunday evening said it has become evident that social media giant Facebook is the government of St. Maarten. Emmanuel drew this conclusion after two Ministers of the Council of Ministers spent more time on Facebook during Saturday nights downpour than seeing to the peoples business at that moment or being proactive from before.

Emmanuel said that the weather system that caused havoc on Saturday into Sunday, was forecasted days prior to Saturday Read more

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Emmanuel: Fire Fighters Are The Latest Workers Who Are Not Priority For Govt.

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Telling protesting fire-fighters to go come back, is typical attitude of the government of St. Maarten who cannot seem to understand its people, and the protection of its people, should always come first. So says Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Thursday after personnel of the Fire Department was told by the Prime Minister that she is busy in another meeting come back tomorrow.

Mind you, these are men and women who run into fires to save lives and are forced to do so, God forbid, with equipment that is old, useless and unsafe Read more

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Mp Emmanuel: Giving Back Money You Illegally Took Should Not Be Celebrated

Proudly boasting that passing a law to put money back in the pockets of civil servants, after you illegally used another law to take the money in the first place, is a shameful spin to put on your biggest failure as a government, said Independent MP Christophe Emmanuel on Monday after Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs put lipstick on a pig to once again fool the people of St Read more

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Chris: Taxing Pensions Of Seniors Is Borderline Criminal, Immoral

~ Questions existence of tax inspector quotas ~

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The taxing of senior citizens pensions and subsequent aggressive collection methods by tax authorities, “is downright criminal and immoral”, while large entities such as casinos are given much more leeway, says Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel.

The MP was reacting to the announcement by Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion that casinos were sent a letter to pay their tax arrears, with no indication of deadlines and/or fines or liens as legal measures that would be applied.

“The government considers seniors, poor residents and small business owners as low lying fruit Read more

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Emmanuel Launches Now Party, Says The Time Is Now To Rise Like A Phoenix

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Monday, October 10, launched his party Nation, Opportunity, Wealth (NOW) and signaled with absolute certainty that it will contest the next Parliamentary elections. The time is NOW, the MP proclaimed as he addressed a filled-to-capacity hall at the John Larmonie Center.

Emmanuel didnt choose October 10 because it was Constitution Day, but because it is his late mothers birthday. His mother Lillian, who was killed at just 38 years old by a speeding driver, was remembered during the course of the evening by Emmanuels aunts and other speakers who credited her for the complete and positive influence over Emmanuels life Read more

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Mp Emmanuel: Vsa Minister Must Explain Smmc Construction Delay, Letter Of Intent

~ 10 years before hospital project is completed ~

Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel announced on Tuesday that he had sent a letter to the Minister of Public Health regarding the recently signed letter of intent (LOI) between SMMC and contractor FINSO. He called the development “amazing and embarrassing” in light of previous statements made by SMMC, FINSO, and the Minister as well as the fact that FINSO has not mentioned that hospitals it is building in other parts of the world are experiencing delays.

It should be plainly evident to the average observer and the people of St Read more

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Mp Emmanuel Calls On Govt To Clarify If Pjia Project Delayed

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Sunday called on the government of St. Maarten to confirm or deny reports that the airport project is delayed and that operations currently inside the terminal will be moved back into tents.

The MP used the opportunity to remind the public that he has been warning of pending delays of the project which has still not shown any significant reconstruction progress in over five years. He pointed out that the airport and its main contractor Ballast Nedam continues to get an influx of financing that now stands at approximately US $ 150 million with little to show for it.

The airport project, he stressed, is not a new one, it is a reconstruction of areas Read more

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Mp Emmanuel: Brison Attempts To Muddy The Water Against Buncamper

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel on Sunday said that at some point in time the people of St. Maarten have to see how dangerous MP Rolando Brison is to the country, considering the ease with which he uses people and their circumstances to hold on to power and the underhanded twisting of an issue to influence outcomes in his favour Read more

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Emmanuel: Trying To Come After Me Will Not Change Ombudsman Report

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Wednesday told Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion to go ahead and join the charade being perpetrated on the public, and investigate what he (Irion) called possible bid rigging in the repairs of the Prins Bernard bridge in 2017 while he (Emmanuel) was the Minister of VROMI.

However, the MP at the same time urged Irion and the entire government to stop deflecting from the issue of the systemic investigation into the bidding process for the garbage contracts conducted by the Ombudsman and vindictively trying to dig up whatever they can to distract the people of St Read more

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Emmanuel: Government Actively Trying To Distract From The Ombudsman Report

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten –– In a democracy, elected officials are accountable to the public they govern. As of late however, a worrying trend has emerged: The Minister of VROMI and the entire government, has made it a political tactic to attack any institution that makes that accountability possible, from the press to Parliament.

Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Wednesday said it is embarrassing, yet telling, that the Minister of VROMI is openly and blatantly trying to de-legitimatize, and disqualify the result of the systemic investigation conducted by the Ombudsman on the tendering process for garbage contracts Read more

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Emmanuel: Integrity Chamber Will Face Questions About Its Relevancy

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Sunday said the Integrity Chamber either have to finally prove its worth or endure more questions about its relevancy on the country budget of St. Maarten.

The MP stressed that the Chamber should have already stepped forward unsolicited and investigated the tendering and awarding of garbage contracts and, even more so now, should make the damning Ombudsman report on the same issue an investigative priority.

Emmanuel has in the past called the Integrity Chamber useless and has not deviated from that opinion since I have not seen any change or significant actions and contributions from the Chamber in this country.

From the issues at the airport, GEBE, the Harbour, TelEm, integrity questions in the administration and now the Ombudsman report on actions, or lack thereof, that created the atmosphere for corruption, the Integrity Chamber has been quiet when it should have been more active Read more

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Chris Tells Government To Stop Using Suffering And Parliament As A Crutch

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Sunday told the government to stop using the suffering of the people as a political tool and conveniently using Parliament as a crutch in its discussions with the Dutch. “Especially since it was this government and its Minister Plenipotentiary that accepted the 12.5% cuts and other conditions without so much of a negotiation,” the MP said.

The MP was specifically referring to a comment of Minister Plenipotentiary of the National Alliance Rene Violenus last Friday after the Kingdom Council of Ministers RMR on Friday decided that St Read more

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Emmanuel: Lawrence The Latest Local To Bite From Poisonous Tree Of Government

Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Monday likened the National Alliance led government to a tree of poisonous fruit from which too many St. Maarten professionals have taken a bite and fallen victim. This is a very bad government that shuns responsibility, lies, passes the buck to others and destroys the lives of local people to protect their agendas, MP Emmanuel said Read more

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Mp Emmanuel: Ipko Proved Coho Is A Total Waste Of Time

~ St. Maarten still without official position ~

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Sunday said that Kingdom partners are no closer to consensus on the COHO now, than before the start of IPKO a week ago. Emmanuel, the only St. Maarten MP who has been against the construct from the inception, opined that several other MPs including those from the Dutch second chamber are starting to realize that COHO will not work on the islands.

He added that St Read more

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Emmanuel: Media Contributed To Overreaching Government

~ Says policy is expansion of deceit ~

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Wednesday described the governments intended media policy as its latest attempt to lie, hide and control information to the public, but stressed that the local media has to acknowledge that it played a role in creating the monster it now faces.

What the government is trying to do is not surprising at all. This government is untrustworthy, dishonest, condescending and inconsistent to say the least Read more

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Emmanuel Says He Remains In Total Opposition To Coho

~ Calls it a divisive tool in the Kingdom ~

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuels position towards the COHO remains the same as it has been from day 1: complete opposition to the entity which he says will obviously infringe on St. Maartens autonomy and relegate the government and Parliament to the sideline.

There can be no talk of good faith from the Dutch government if they continue to seek control over the budgets of the countries while holding the no liquidity support ax over our necks Read more

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Mp Emmanuel Calls On Pm To Explain Recusing Herself From Hyman Dismissal

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Sunday said that the Prime Minister of St. Maarten cannot and should not treat her office as a mere formality of governing and once again respectfully called on her to explain to the public if she is in a compromising legal position due to alleged actions of others.

The MP was reacting to the Prime Ministers statement in the Council of Ministers Press Briefing that she is recusing herself from matters having to do with the dismissal of airport COO Michel Mikey Hyman.

The MP used the opportunity to recall that it was in October 2021 that he respectfully called on the PM to address circulating reports that allege that she is in compromising legal positions Read more

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Witu Union Reacts To Mp Emmanuel

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten — The President of the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) Stuart Johnson reacted to Honorable Member of Parliament (MP) Christophe Emmanuel via a press release on Monday morning.

Johnson minced no words in saying, “MP Emmanuel needs to know which direction he should take his concerns and do not so at the expense of the unions.”

There is much concern about the selective payout by Government but it hasn’t gone unnoticed by WITU.

“As a responsible union, we are addressing all matters in a professional way by ensuring all due diligence takes place Read more

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Mp Emmanuel Calls Out Unions On Govt. Awarding Vacation Pay Illegally

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Sunday said that while he expected silence from the Minister of Finance on governments illegal paying out of vacation pay to some civil servants, he did however expected much more from the unions in the country representing workers.

Once again calling it discriminatory, unfair and clearly illegal the MP explained that the vacation pay was paid out to persons who left government service in direct contravention of the law (national ordinance) to cut the employment benefits and income of civil servants, (semi) public sector workers Read more

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Mp Emmanuel: People Deserve Better Than Coalition Back-Biting

~ No difference between Van Huffelen, Knops ~

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Tuesday urged the UP/National Alliance government to stop trying to confuse the people of St. Maarten by willfully and childishly undermining serious issues, especially after two years of scandal-ridden governing. Our people deserve better than this display of the UP and National Alliance back-biting each other and further eroding its vanishing credibility, while the people suffer in the real world, the MP said.

Emmanuel was referring to the recent squabbling in the coalition about the Coharis petition to the UN, the Prime Minister conveniently finding her voice on the same and the false impression being created that the country should expect different treatment from the Dutch government through the new State Secretary of Kingdom Affairs Alexandra van Huffelen.

He noted that some members of the government, including the Prime Minister, are carrying on as if the new State has said anything different than her predecessor Secretary Raymond Knops as it pertains to COHO, liquidity support, country packages and implementation agendas Read more

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Mp Emmanuel: Govt. Awarding Vacation Pay Illegally

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Thursday disclosed to Parliament that he has been made aware that the government has paid out vacation pay to some civil servants, in direct contravention of the law (national ordinance) to cut the employment benefits and income of civil servants, (semi) public sector workers.

Calling it discriminatory, unfair and clearly illegal the MP explained that the vacation pay was paid out to persons who left government service, while those who are currently in government service are not receiving anything These abusive laws were passed and went into effect Read more

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Emmanuel: 30 Minute Meeting With Van Huffelen Is An Insult

~ Already treating Parliament as an after-thought ~

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Tuesday said he will not allow the people of St. Maarten to be insulted by new State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen by sitting in a token meeting of 30 minutes to discuss Van Huffelens perspective of equality and other pressing matters such as COHO. I will not waste my time and accept such an insult, I will not sit in that meeting, MP Emmanuel said.

The MP explained that the Parliament of St Read more

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