Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
Winners And Losers: Who Will Survive The Polls In February?
St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – February 9, 2016 is crunch day for politicians and those who aspire to become one. The parliamentary elections – for some mysterious reason perceived by some as ‘snap elections’, whatever that may be – will give voters the opportunity to speak their mind about the constitutional drama that concluded on Wednesday when the ministers of the Marcel Gumbs cabinet tendered their resignation and Governor Drs Read more
“Saying That Elections Will Stop Ship Jumping Is Lying To Votersâ€
St. Maarten – Parliamentarians bitched and moaned about rules and regulations yesterday all the way until the final vote on the two motions the new majority presented yesterday morning. It was a losing battle for the opposition UP and its faithful independents and in the end, it did not change anything at all.
Independent MP Cornelius de Weever started with an attack on the new president of parliament, Sarah Wescot-Williams Read more
Motion adopted in Parliament to annul the LB to dissolve the Parliament of St. Maarten. PM Refused to attend meeting of Parliament and to submit documents.
PHILIPSBURG:--- After some severe resistance from the now minority in Parliament the new majority managed to pass two motions that they presented on Wednesday.MP William Marlin tabled a motion to annul the Landsbesluit sent by Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs to the Governor of St Read more
Independent Mp Leona Marlin-Romeo Invited To Join New Coalition
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - With the expected snap elections now just around the corner, the independent members of Parliament have been giving the electorate more insight into the inner workings that led them to becoming independent members of Parliament.
Seemingly Independent Member of Parliament, the Honorable Leona Marlin-Romeo was asked by the leader of the United St Read more
“Criminal Organizations Are Killing Each Otherâ€
Justice Minister Dennis Richardson about rising crime:
St. Maarten – The recent hike in crime can be attributed to criminal organizations fighting over territory and killing each other, Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson said at the Council of Ministers press briefing yesterday. The minister has taken notice of the crime situation and would rather focus on crime prevention efforts then contributing more money to capturing and locking up criminals. In a meeting with the police on Monday, the minister was informed that in 2014 there were ten murders while this year there are seven thus far Read more
PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the USP and Member of Parliament Frans Richardson on Monday called on Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson to resign immediately in the wake of unprecedented crime on St Read more
Government has ‘autonomous right’ to dissolve Parliament
~ Governor wrote in 2013 letter ~
PHILIPSBURG--“The right to dissolve Parliament by national decree is a constitutional and autonomous right of the Government,†wrote Governor Eugene Holiday in a letter dated May 16, 2013, to then-Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams when she tried to stopped the then-National Alliance (NA)-led Council of Ministers from invoking Article 59 of the Constitution.
The letter came to light this week as political tension intensified between the newest NA-led coalition with a majority in Parliament and the UP/De Weever/Marlin-Romeo-supported Council of Ministers, after the crumbling of the United People’s (UP) party-led coalition.
The current Marcel Gumbs Cabinet has held tight to the view that it is its right to dissolve Parliament in the face of the shifted majority in Parliament Read more
Sarah elected new Parliament Chair in spite of De Weever’s cancellation
PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams is again at the helm of Parliament. She was elected Parliament Chairwoman by the new National Alliance (NA)-led coalition in an extraordinary meeting of Parliament on Thursday evening Read more
Chair Aborts Meeting Within Sixty Seconds: New Majority Calls Action Mp De Weever Illegal
St. Maarten – Acting as the second vice president of Parliament, independent MP Cornelius de Weever wrong-footed parliament yesterday morning by opening and closing a meeting designed to appoint a new chair within sixty seconds after which he “ran out of the hall,†according to Democratic Party MP Sarah Wescot-Williams.
De Weever called on article 37 of the rules of order, after remarking that the cabinet had submitted a national decree to dissolve parliament Read more
Protest against Ministers draws only a small crowd
PHILIPSBURG--The angry sentiments expressed on radio and in some quarters of the community against the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet for not resigning in the face of the September 30 motion of no confidence passed by the new National Alliance (NA)-led coalition did not translate into a large turnout for the protest in front of the Government Administration Building on Wednesday morning.
Some people on the scene are planning to return to the site again today, Thursday, for similar action Read more
Protest against ministers draws only small crowd
PHILIPSBURG--The angry sentiments expressed on radio and in some quarters of the community against the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet for not resigning in the face of the September 30 motion of no confidence passed by the new National Alliance (NA)-led coalition did not translate into a big turnout for the protest in front of the Government Administration Building on Wednesday morning Read more
PHILIPSBURG:--- Heavy equipment’s were used early Wednesday morning to block the entrance of the Government Administration Building. The drivers of three heavy equipment arrived in the area of the Government Administration Building shortly before 5am where they parked their vehicles blocking the entrance towards the Government Administration Building and left.Around 6:30 am the night watch- commander Officer Gomes along with some police officers walked towards the Government Administration and began questioning bystanders and the security guards as to who parked the heavy equipment’s that were blocking the streets Read more
Emergency Meeting Of The Parliament Called For 6Pm Thursday
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Eight members of Parliament signed a letter Thursday which calls for an Emergency meeting of Parliament to handle a few appointment matters.
The main agenda point for the meeting is the appointment of a Chairperson, a First Deputy Chairperson and a Second Deputy.
The letter which was addressed to all members of Parliament also states that in view of recent developments during meetings of Parliament including the Central Committee which was held on Wednes Read more
New coalition says De Weever acted illegally, calls for urgent meeting
PHILIPSBURG--Second Vice-Chairman of Parliament Cornelius de Weever performed an “illegal act†when he chaired Tuesday’s plenary session of Parliament and closed it swiftly without giving Members of Parliament (MPs) the possibility to react, say representatives of the new coalition in Parliament.
After De Weever closed the session they submitted a request for an urgent meeting of Parliament to talk about his “illegal act†as well as “the consequences for the functioning of Parliament and for the representation of the people of St Read more
New coalition wants ministers to resign before talks on stability
PHILIPSBURG--Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs’ invitation to faction leaders in Parliament to meet separately with him today, Wednesday, in an attempt to get “support for solutions for stability in government†has been rebuffed by members of the new coalition in Parliament.
In response to Gumbs’ invitation to meet, faction leaders Members of Parliament (MPs) William Marlin (National Alliance), Sarah Wescot-Williams (Democratic Party), Frans Richardson (United St Read more
Supporters of new coalition plan peaceful protest Wed.
~ If govt. doesn’t resign by today ~
PHILIPSBURG--If the ministers in the Gumbs cabinet fail to make their positions available by today, Tuesday, supporters of the new majority coalition in Parliament plan to take to the streets in a peaceful protest tomorrow, Wednesday, to send a strong message to Government that they “cannot hold the country hostage any longer.â€
The Daily Herald understands that the supporters of the new majority have given the Gumbs cabinet up to today to demit office, as a motion of no confidence against them was passed almost two weeks ago, on Wednesday, September 30 Read more
Opinion: Something’S Brewing
We know since last night that Governor Holiday sent a letter to Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs. We do not know the content of this letter, but there is no doubt that this will come out some time today.
The past couple of days, two political parties have come out with press conferences where they made their positions clear. The National Alliance nor the Democratic Party fear elections, they say.
Do they really want elections? Not really Read more
Leader of National Alliance calls on Deputy Prime Minister Dennis Richardson to uphold the Country’s Constitution and not hold the Governor of St. Maarten Hostage.
Dennis says decision is being prepared on political situation
PHILIPSBURG--Deputy Prime Minister Dennis Richardson said on Tuesday that a decision is being prepared on the current political situation.
Richardson was acting in that capacity yesterday as Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs was ill at home. Richardson declined to divulge details of the decision being prepared, but he said Gumbs was “very clear†on his position about not resigning and about wanting new elections to be held.
Richardson said also that the Council of Ministers had received a second advice on the matter, but he declined to say from whom the advice had been received and what the conclusions of the advice were Read more
Green Light For New Government, But Pm Gumbs Disagrees: “Even The Governor Can Make A Mistakeâ€
St. Maarten – Governor Drs. Eugene Holiday has given the green light to the National Alliance-led coalition to form a new government. There will therefore be no elections on December 8, as would have been the case if the governor had ratified the national decree the cabinet sent to his office to dissolve the parliament and to call new elections.
Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs “absolutely disagrees†with the decision and his cabinet does not intend to make its positions available Read more