SXMElections.com

UP biggest, but NA, US, DP sign accord

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten will have yet another coalition government after Friday's elections. National Alliance (four seats), United St. Maarten Party (two seats) and Democratic Party (two seats) signed a declaration of willingness before dawn today to work together to form a new government.

DP leader Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams told The Daily Herald about the declaration shortly after the signing took place at the DP election headquarters at Bute Hotel.

The short declaration states that the parties are willing to work together Read more

Frans: Our message was loud and clear!

PHILIPSBURG--United St. Maarten party leader Frans Richardson reaffirmed his party's mission of continuing to make life better for the people of St. Maarten in his speech directly following this year's election's preliminary results. The party earned two seats.

"While some of them had counted us out, our message was loud and clear," Richardson said.

"Our message was clear, our message was loud, our message cannot change in this game 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

St. Maarten Prepares For New Government

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Talks towards the formation of a new government for St. Maarten has already begun.

Seemingly there is some interest between the National Alliance party of MP William Marlin (four seats), the Democratic Party of PM Sarah Wescot-Williams (two seats) and the US party of MP Frans Richardson (two seats).

www.sxmislandtime.com learnt that an accord was signed at the Bute Hotel between the NA, DP and US political parties at five (5am) Saturday.

If this combination of political parties decide to form the next government, then the UP party of MP Theo Heyliger who got seven (7) seats in Friday's election would be left to occupy the opposition benches in the new Parliament of St Read more

US Party candidates call voters ‘to make a change’

CUL DE SAC--Voters were urged to head to the polls on Friday and make a change by voting for the United St. Maarten Party, headed by independent Member of Parliament Frans Richardson. The party leader and thirteen other candidates shared first final messages of campaign for Parliament at the party's final public meeting at the party's headquarters on Tuesday.

Richardson told supporters, "We are ready for change in this country." He called on voters "to send a message" to the "expired politicians" that the "time has come to get out of office."

He criticised the plans of the United People's (UP) party to build a new hospital as expensive and burdensome for the people as it will cost about US $300 million Read more

Party Leaders Avoid Laser 101 Debate: Rhoda Arrindell (Up): “Stupid Grievances Downed First Wescot-Williams Cabinet”

St. Maarten – Party leaders declined to take part in what would have been the last political debate before the elections on Friday yesterday. Radio station Laser 101 had invited UP-leader Theo Heyliger, DP-leader Sarah Wescot-Williams, NA-leader William Marlin and USp-leader Frans Richardson Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- After listening to the last political debate on Sunday night which was organized by AVS News one wonders who really is running the country at this present moment. The two political parties namely the UP and DP tried their utmost best to convince the people that they are the ones most capable of running the country for another four years, yet they did not admit they are the ones in charge right now at least until October 10th, 2014.
SMN News has been bringing you a review of the past four years to remind voters of some of the things that transpired when the three coalitions ran the affairs of the people this great nation.
Early 2011 shortly after the UP/ DP government took office, the biggest scandal that broke and had the country in uproar was when Member of Parliament Jules James who is working for Simpson Bay Resorts Management Company (SBRMC) laid off close to 200 workers that have been working for Pelican Resorts for years Read more

Laser 101 to host 2nd political debate today

MADAME ESTATE--Laser 101 will host its second political discussion today, Monday, with representatives of four political parties contesting the Parliamentary Elections on Friday.

The discussion will be live on Philipsburg Broadcasting Network's radio station Laser 101.1FM from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.

The discussion was originally to feature the leaders of four of the six political parties in the elections. However, two party leaders could not attend due to conflicting schedules.

"We planned the discussion late so it is understandable that not everyone could make it," said Glenn Carty of the radio network Read more

Party leaders delve into critical matters

BELAIR--Dollarisation, integrity, boosting the economy, and immigration were among the topics the leaders of the six political parties delved into during the third and final Arts Video Studios televised political debate in Belair Community Centre on Sunday ahead of Friday's Parliamentary Elections.

The first question posed to party leaders by moderator Paul De Windt, publisher of The Daily Herald, was the parties' stance on dollarisation of the country.

Social Reform Party (SRP) leader businessman Jacinto Mock, to whom the question was posed, said the country was not ready to make the US dollar its currency; this could only happen when St Read more

2nd Laser 101 Political Debate to be aired on Monday from 7 - 9pm.

>MADAME ESTATE:--- The 2nd and last Political Discussion that will be hosted on Laser 101, will be aired live on Monday, August 25th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. The leaders of the political parties that have representation in the present parliament have been invited to attend.

In first instance, Frans Richardson from the United St.Maarten Party, Sarah Wescot-Williams from the Democratic Party, and William Marlin from the National Alliance have all three confirmed their attendance by email to management of Philipsburg Broadcasting Read more

Political Discussion On Laser 101

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The 2nd and last Political Discussion that will be hosted on Laser 101, will be aired live on Monday, August 25th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.

The leaders of the political parties that have representation in the present parliament have been invited to attend.

In first instance, Frans Richardson from the United St.Maarten Party, Sarah Wescot-Williams from the Democratic Party, and William Marlin from the National Alliance have all three confirmed their attendance by email to management of Philipsburg Broadcasting.

Theo Heyliger of the United People's Party sent an email indicating that he could not confirm his attendance due to his agenda.

Eventually William Marlin informed Philipsburg Broadcasting officials that there was a double booking as he has to attend an interview on a TV program on the same day and time, thus making it impossible for him to attend.

The National Alliance will therefore be sending Silveria Jacobs, and the United People's Party will be sending Frankie Meyers to represent the leader of the UP.

As the two candidates that will be attending this formal discussion are veteran members of their respective parties, the vision and sentiments of their leaders, and their party should be well represented.

The topics will be of a general nature, however integrity, will be the main driver.

The program will be retransmitted on radio stations on St.Martin, St.Barths and Saba Read more

Romain Laville At Odds With Statement From Up Candidate

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Independent Member of Parliament, the Honorable Romain Laville, who has opted not to run for the August 29th parliamentary elections, has reacted bitterly at the statements of Read more

Dp Removed Campaign Material In Belvedere, But: Roundabout Billboards Remain An Issue

St. Maarten – The police had to intervene and in the end, the Democratic Party yielded and took down its oversized political billboard at the Belvedere roundabout on Friday. Chief Commissioner Peter de Witte said that officers had checked the situation on Thursday and concluded that the billboard stood – as was obvious to everyone except the Democratic Party – on the roundabout.

On Wednesday, party-leader and Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams still declared that the situation did not fall within the description of a roundabout Read more

Up-Candidate Terry Peterson: “A Vote For Frans Means Four More Years Of Laville”

St. Maarten – “A vote for Frans (Richardson – ed.) and the US Party is a vote for another unstable Romain Laville government,” Terry Peterson, the number 8 candidate on the list of the United People’s party (UP)  stated in a press release yesterday Read more

Cadastre still to be moved to VROMI

PHILIPSBURG--The Cadastre (Kadaster in Dutch) and Mortgage Registry still legally falls under the Ministry of Finance, while the practical responsibility is that of the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI.

A report submitted by Ombudsman Nilda Arduin about the operations of the Cadastre was before Parliament in a Central Committee meeting on Friday. However, after Members of Parliament asked questions, President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell suspended the meeting until further notice to give VROMI Minister Maurice Lake time to get the go ahead from the Council of Ministers to discuss the Cadastre and its work Read more

>GREAT BAY:--- Tourism is St. Maarten's main source of income and as a result should be fiercely protected. With a one pillar economy such as this, economic shocks can be risky; therefore, competent persons need to be placed in these crucial positions to ensure stability and sustenance of our economy.
The Board of the United St. Maarten Party (USp) believes that with unpredictable economical influences like the worldwide economic depression that started in 2008 and peaked in 2009 and resulted in a global economic downturn, some of which still lingers, St Read more

Parliament Discuss Pension Matters Wednesday, Concerns Highlighted

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Central Committee of Parliament met on Wednesday.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the draft National Ordinance to change the National Ordinance General Pension Insurance and National Ordinance General Widows Insurance related to the increase in the pensionable amount and the pension age.

Whilst speaking on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, Independent Member of Parliament and leader of the United St. Maarten People Party, the Honorable Read more

Parliamentarians irked at De Weever’s ‘condescending’ remarks in meeting

~ De Weever will offer 'no apologies' for telling truth ~

PHILIPSBURG--Several Members of Parliament (MPs) condemned on Wednesday the manner in which Minister of Health, Labour and Social Affairs VSA Cornelius de Weever addressed Parliament during the Central Committee meeting, with some MPs saying the minister had been "condescending," "disrespectful" and 'sarcastic."

De Weever responded by saying he had "sat quietly" and "took it all" from MPs in his three years going to Parliament to answer questions, while watching some MPs put on a "grand performance." De Weever said he would not sit and allow anyone to "play politics" with the work his ministry had done Read more

AVS First Live Political Debate Set For August 10.

>GREAT BAY:--- AVS Live Political Debates on the parliamentary elections will be held Sunday, August 10, August 17 And Sunday, August 24 At The Belair Community Center In Cay Hill.
The debates will be aired via Sxm Cable TV Channel 120 and WTN Cable TV Carib Channel 10 and Will Stream Live via Avsnewsonline.com TV Channel.
On Saturday, August 2, the leaders or an authorizing representative of the six political parties were invited to an informative session regarding the rules & regulations of the debate by the organizing committee who consist Of Clarence Richardson, Chairman, Edward Benjamin, Vice Chair, Terry Woods, Member, Florence Marlin, Member And Mireya Ostiana, Member Read more

Avs First Live Political Debate Set For August 10

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten - AVS Live Political Debates on the parliamentary elections will be held Sunday, August 10, August 17 And Sunday, August 24 At The Belair Community Center In Cay Hill.

The debates will be aired via Sxm Cable TV Channel 120 and WTN Cable TV Carib Channel 10 and Will Stream Live via Avsnewsonline.com TV Channel.

On Saturday, August 2, the leaders or an authorizing representative of the six political parties were invited to an informative session regarding the rules & regulations of the debate by the organizing committee who consist Of Clarence Richardson, Chairman, Edward Benjamin, Vice Chair, Terry Woods, Member, Florence Marlin, Member and Mireya Ostiana, Member.

The session was held at The Yogesh Commercial Complex on A.J.C Read more