SXMElections.com

PHILIPSBURG--Ten days after his arrest, United St. Maarten (US) party leader Frans Richardson was released from pre trial detention on Friday– three days before the parliamentary elections, which he is contesting as the number one candidate on the US slate.

He remains a suspect in the “Squid” and “Emerald” investigations. In a press release issued after his release, Richardson’s attorney Sjamira Roseburg of Sulvaran & Peterson Law Firm, said her client’s detention was not necessary at this time and indicated that his detention seemed to be aimed at undermining his campaign and intended to influence the outcome of Monday’s snap parliamentary elections.

“The investigation has been running since 2016 and the co-suspects are already free Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Frans Richardson has been released from pretrial detention today Friday, February 23rd, 2018/ Richardson has spent 10 days behind bars as the TBO team investigates his role in the Squid and Emerald Investigation.

Suspect F.G.R. (1968) was released from pre-trial detention today but still remains a suspect in the “Squid” and “Emerald” investigations.

F.G.R., was arrested on St Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Director of Windward Roads Janhendrik Boekaar has been released on Wednesday while Member of Parliament Frans Richardson remains behind bars.
Reports reaching SMN News states that Boekaar was released around 4 pm on Wednesday.  The spokesperson for the Prosecutor Office Hazel Durand said in a statement that the suspect J.B Read more

William: Timing Of Frans Detention Should Not Be Seen As Coincidence

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — National Alliance #23 candidate William Marlin said in a press release on Monday that the timing of the detention of United St. Maarten party leader Member of Parliament Frans Richardson is strange and seems to be intended to influence the outcome of the February 26, snap parliamentary elections.

“It should not be seen as any coincidence”, Marlin said Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- National Alliance #23 candidate William Marlin said in a press release on Monday that the timing of the detention of United St. Maarten party leader Member of Parliament Frans Richardson is strange and seems to be intended to influence the outcome of the February 26, snap parliamentary elections.

“It should not be seen as any coincidence”, Marlin said Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The United St. Maarten (US) party hosted its largest public meeting to date on Saturday, February 17 in Philipsburg and its candidates had one unified message: They were well prepared by their leader Frans Richardson to overcome any obstacle and focus solely on St Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The leader of the United St. Maarten Party and Member of Parliament Frans Richardson along with the Director of Windward Roads Janhendrik Boekaar have to spend the next eight days behind bars as the investigators for the TBO team continue with their investigations. A statement from the Prosecutor Office on Friday states that both suspects, detained on Wednesday in Sint Maarten, will remain in detention. J.H.B Read more

Prime Minister Romeo-Marlin Believes In The Legal Process.

DEN HAAG:--- The news of the arrest of Member of Parliament Frans Richardson has the attention of Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin; she stated, “It is regrettable that as a young country we find ourselves in this situation once again, where the integrity of the highest body (Parliament) is being tested Read more

Usp Board: Leader Maintains His Innocence, Candidates Will Push On

ST PETERS, Sint Maarten — The board of the United St. Maarten Party, in reaction to the detention of its leader MP Frans Richardson, on Wednesday said their leader maintains his innocence and expects to be fully vindicated of all chargers. The board and candidates stands behind its leader and his family and awaits with confidence the outcome of any trial before a court of law.

The timing of the arrest has however not gone unnoticed, so close before an election Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The board of the United St. Maarten Party, in reaction to the detention of its leader MP Frans Richardson, on Wednesday said their leader maintains his innocence and expects to be fully vindicated of all charges. The board and candidates stand behind its leader and his family and await with confidence the outcome of any trial before a court of law.

The timing of the arrest has however not gone unnoticed, so close before an election Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the United Peoples Party Frans Richardson and Director of Windward Roads Janhendrik Boekaar have been detained by members of the TBO team.
The Spokesperson of the Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed that raids were conducted and two persons were detained Read more

Update: Frans Richardson And Janhendrik Boekaar Arrested By Member Of The Tbo Team

~ Two arrests on Sint Maarten, one home seized ~

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The anti-corruption team TBO executed two searches in homes and one in a company on Sint Maarten. Two suspects were arrested. One home was seized.

Member of Parliament (MP) Frans Richardson

The arrest of F.G. R. (1968) is the result of the research “Emerald”, an investigation into fraud and corruption in the port of Sint Maarten Read more

Frans Asks Gebe To Expedite Restoration To Parts Of Cay Bay.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament and leader of the United St. Maarten (US) party Frans Richardson is calling on GEBE to at least explain to residents of Cay Bay why they are still without electricity 6 months after the passing of hurricane Irma.

Richardson said while he fully compliments the staff and management of GEBE for the work they have done in restoring St Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- In light of the current ongoing fires at the Philipsburg landfill, the United St. Maarten (US) party is once again pointing out that the constant instability of government has effectively stalled any progress at the landfill.

Party leader Frans Richardson explained that every time government falls for whatever so-call reasons, efforts that underway stopped and the reset button is hit by every new incoming government with its own ideas.

“When will there be a start, so this reoccurring problem can stop? Only when we stop playing politics with people’s lives and get serious about governing Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the United St. Maarten (US) party MP Frans Richardson on Monday questioned what the role of the Post Office will be in distributing voting cards for the February 26 Parliamentary election.
Richardson was reacting to information from the Prime Minister and Civil Registry that voting cards would be distributed via the community centers in the various districts, with several voting districts grouped together Read more

Marinka Gumbs: The Way I See It….

As I ponder over the latest campaign rhetoric, coming out of the USP camp, I wonder about the use of some words and terms by the USP’s political leader. I want to give the author and the presenter of the latest USP release the benefit of the doubt, because surely had both these persons given any serious thought to the use of the word MANIPULATION, as an accusation directed to members of the United Democrats, the USP would have refrained from the word manipulation. Imagine, accusing others of manipulation and this coming from the one who is best known to have orchestrated the “Carnival Coupe” Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the United St. Maarten (US) party MP Frans Richardson on Friday said the leader of the United Democrats (UD) MP Sarah Wescott-Williams continues to insult the people by persisting with manipulative ways to sow confusion in the country.

Richardson also wondered when Wescot-Williams was appointed as a Minister since she feels free to speak for the Council of Ministers and more specifically the Prime Minister Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The United St. Maarten (US) party will host the first of many town hall meetings for the 2018 campaign on Tuesday, January 23. The meeting will be held at the Rupert Maynard Community Center in St. Peters from 6:30pm to 8:00pm.

Leader of the US MP Frans Richardson said although the party is still very young, but going into its third campaign, the principle of going to the people remains the same Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the United St. Maarten (US) party MP Frans Richardson describes the list of the party as “one in which the people of St. Maarten can see themselves reflected” and one that is ready and capable to govern.
Speaking over the weekend, Richardson lauded the fact that once again the USP has given capable young professionals the opportunity to seek higher office to continue serving St Read more

~ A waste of time and focus on country ~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the United St. Maarten (US) party MP Frans Richardson on Thursday asked the people of St. Maarten to remember who manipulated the country into the chaos and instability that it is currently in, with a DP/UP/Brownbill coalition unable to form a government Read more

Response To Usp

The Democratic Party has been one of the longest serving parties in the history of St. Maarten.  We have had our ups and downs, but we have been there for the people of St. Maarten, now more than ever before. Our main goal was and continues to be, “how can we make our island a better place for the people of St. Maarten”.

To hear a political party, who welcomed the leader of the Democratic Party as the chairlady in one breathe and denounce her in the next, say some of the most unprofessional things is a shame to say the least.  This berating article from the USP board comes as no surprise, because the same lowdown type of message was previously shared in the NA/USP/DP coalition WhatsApp chat.

Yes, the “testicular fortitude” message from the hand of a TEATT cabinet staffer, singling out 2 leaders of the coalition and calling the other (female) leader “spineless” Read more