SXMElections.com

~Legislative Package co-signed.~

PHILIPSBURG:---  In a momentous event, guests and online audiences gathered to witness the Minister of Justice co-sign the Justice legislative package. The official signing of the National Decrees was hosted at the Government Administration Building on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. The signing of the National Decree containing General Measures for the Legal Position of officers with police tasks and the new police salary scales, along with the National Decree to enact the legal position and also enact the approved Function Book.

The journey to this significant milestone began in September 2020, when the Minister embarked on the journey of completing the legislative package Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation has been busy over the past months donating "Love Rice" and hampers containing grocery essentials to a number of organizations and institutions around the island as it continues its efforts to ease the burden on households in the community. 

The donations were ramped up late last year and continued into this year with some eight St. Maarten and St. Martin-based organizations receiving relief items. Additionally, the foundations volunteers also went home to home and directly delivered packages to a number of seniors, who were grateful to Tzu Chi for their monthly visits and for the special packages that they received before the holidays Read more

Pop Job On The Line Again Next Week Thursday.

PHILIPSBURG:--- It seems that the current President of Parliament United Peoples(UP) Grisha Heyliger-Marten will have to deal with her job being on the line on Thursday, October 27. According to a schedule sent out by parliament on Friday, a public meeting will handle the agenda points, Incoming documents, Ratification of the decision list of the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultations (IPKO) held from September 27-30, 2022 in the Hague, the Netherlands (IS/048/2022-2023 dated September 30, 2022) and Thank the Chair for her services thus far and relieve her from her duties (IS/026/2022-2023 dated September 20, 2022)
The latter agenda point was requested by MP W.V Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- As the motion on no confidence facing the Minister of VROMI Egbert Jurendy Doran and the return of Member of Parliament William Marlin for the continuation of the meeting of parliament Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of the Party for Progress were left with their mouths hanging on Wednesday when they tried to dupe parliament into adding an agenda point to the urgent meeting of parliament called to debate the constitution of St. Maarten in order to bring back suspended Member of Parliament Claudius Buncamper.
PFP MP Raeyhon Peterson asked that the chair of parliament add an agenda point to the meeting on Wednesday on the confidence of parliament in the Minister of VROMI Egbert Jurendy Doran.
The urgent meeting of Parliament was called during the recess which commenced with 9 members present, including MP Rolando Brison and MP Hyacinth Richardson.

When the PFP requested the agenda point be added which the chair of parliament obviously agreed with, MP Brison in a point of order pointed out the shenanigans that are being played in parliament by some politicians, he then notified the chair that she could only continue with such a meeting when the parliament has more than half of its members present Read more

Negotiations To Broaden Coalition Ongoing.

~ 4 MPS off-island signed prior to leaving. ~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Some members of parliament namely those from the current National Alliance and United Peoples Party (NA/UP) coalition continue to meet in order to strengthen their coalition after MP Solange Ludmilla Duncan resigned from the National Alliance.
The formation meetings began after an urgent meeting of parliament was called on Wednesday, June 29th, 2022, where the Minister of VROMI Egbert Jurendy Doran was invited to discuss the most recent report from the Ombudsman Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Solange Ludmilla Duncan declared herself an Independent member of Parliament on Wednesday afternoon and has resigned from the National Alliance Political party that is led by Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs.
Duncan said that the party on which her father served no longer shares her core values since she has been a civil servant for a number of years.
It was anticipated that MP Duncan would have left the national alliance since they seemed to have drifted apart.
The Parliament of St Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of Sint Maarten Hon. Silveria Jacobs along with a number of dignitaries from the south side of the island attended the home-going ceremony of the late Lino Hughes on Saturday, May 7 at the Gallis Bay Parking Lot before the procession proceeded to the Marigot cemetery for internment led by the Bottle Neck Band Read more

Children’S Rights Amidst The Recovery Plan Of The Country Sint Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The month of November has always been a very special month in the lives of the children where as a country we have promoted the awareness of children’s rights for over three decades in collaboration with our counterparts of French St. Martin.
This year a unique occasion has been presented to us since the passing of Hurricane Irma to truly demonstrate our sincere commitment towards the well-being of our children.
The devastation of the Hurricane, I dare say challenged almost every article as presented in the International Children’s Rights Convention which has been ratified by 195 Countries including our beautiful island St Read more

Sxm Strong Debate: “To Be Identified As A St. Martiner, Cultural Identity Is More Important Than Nationality”

POND ISLAND:--- A cultural debate was held in line with the Road to St. Martin Day activities. This debate was held between the Hyacinth Richardson Educational Foundation and the Joint team of the Youth Parliament and the Conseil Territorial de Jeunes.
The moot for this debate was tabled as “To be identified as a St. Martiner Cultural Identity is more important than Nationality.
The debate’s program started off by the MC Ms Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The events leading up to St. Martin Day 2017 continues this weekend with the continuation of the Hurricane Heroes Social – Happy Hour edition in honor of G.E.B.E . Last Saturday, The Hurricane Heroes Social kicked off at Laser 101 where the Laser Storm Watch team was honored and uplifted during the event. This week, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport in collaboration with Fred York will be honoring NV G.E.B.E as their employees have been working around the clock to restore electricity and water to all Read more

“I am proud to be a Guyanese but I chose St. Maarten as my home”

PHILIPSBURG:--- About 1,500 persons witnessed the grand opening of Motorworld state of the art showroom which officially opened on Friday, May 26th, 2017 (On Guyana’s 51st Independence.”)
Among those that attend the grand and spectacular ceremony were dignitaries from both sides of the island, Prime Minister William Marlin, Governor Eugene Holiday,  President of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams President of the Collectivity of St Read more

Mp Meyers Fires Several Questions To Minister Of Vsa On Vamed Agreement And Working Conditions At Smmc

Leonard wants to know what Minister did to Inspectorate for releasing information to SMN News.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Franklin Meyers fired a number of questions to Minister of VSA Emil Lee on Friday morning during a meeting of parliament.
MP Meyers said since last year February 2016 he requested information from the Minister and again earlier in February 2017 he resubmitted those questions but only few days ago after the meeting was requested by the UPP members that he received some of the answers from the Minister Read more

Harbour View:--- On Tuesday, January 10, 2017, His Excellency Governor Eugene B. Holiday administered the oath to new Members of Parliament Mr. Romeo Pantophlet, Mr. George Pantophlet and Mr Read more

Mp Lloyd Richardson Doing Everything Possible To Secure His Brother's Garbage Contract Even At The Expense Of His First Cousin.

UPP Leader wants to maintain Port de Plaisance agreement.

PHILIPSBURG:---- While MP Hyacinth Richardson was the first MP to ask MP Lloyd Richardson to support the draft 2016 budget and to stop rejoicing over the arrest of MP Silvio Matser because they are first cousins.
SMN News understands that MP Lloyd Richardson agreed to support the draft 2016 budget if he is given a guarantee that he will get his brother’s garbage collection contract renewed, while the leader of the United Peoples Party Theodore Heyliger wants to maintain the agreement the former government has with Port de Plaisance for land that is zoned for a parking area.
Wanting to control at least three of the government owned companies will also give certain politicians the rights to dictate and spend the monies these companies have aside for projects.
There is a saying if someone does the crime, certainly they should also do the time, another is everyone is innocent until proven guilty Read more

Debaters, Staff, Sponsors, Teachers And Team Supporters Heading To St. Maarten For The Leeward Islands Debating Competition.

Competition will be held on February 25th- 28th. 2016 at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The 44 Annual Leeward Islands Debating Competition that is hosted by the Hyacinth Richardson Educational Awareness Foundation will be held on St. Maarten starting on February 25th at the Maho Sonesta Beach Hotel. The students will be debating the following topics namely:

Legislating and removing corporal punishment will be detrimental to Caribbean Societies.
The free movement of Caricom nationals is a net positive for the Caribbean Region
The Illegal Drug Trade has undermined the legitimacy and effectiveness of Caribbean Governments
The Caribbean are not doing enough to combat child use.
The popularity of skin lightening is testament to the racism/colourim that plagues Caribbean Society.
The marginalization of men have led to the breakdown of Caribbean Society.
These debates not only aid our youth in their personal growth but also equip them with skills that will
be useful to them in their professional realm.
Each year a different sland serves as host and the LIDC alliance contributes to the overal economy and tourism of the host country.
Participating teams are from Anguilla , Antigua and Barbuda, BritishVirgin Islands, Montserrat, Nevis, St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG: --- Information reaching SMN News states that the eight members of parliament who voted a motion of no confidence against the current Gumbs cabinet already have candidates that will fill the Ministries.
SMN News learnt that Leader of the National Alliance William Marlin will become the next Prime Minister of St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The eight members of Parliament who voted on a motion of no-confidence against the Gumbs cabinet on Wednesday did not waste any time on forming a new government.
According to information reaching SMN News as soon as the motion was passed in Parliament, two letters were dispatched to the Governor of St. Maarten, one informing him of the motion of no confidence along with a copy of the motion and another informing the Governor of St. Maarten that there is already a majority in Parliament that are ready to form a new government.
The source said the new government will consist of four Members of Parliament from the National Alliance, one from the Democratic Party, the USP and two Independent Members namely Silvio Matser and Maurice Lake.
SMN News further learnt that at least two MPs from the National Alliance faction will leave their seats in Parliament to go over to the executive branch Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Ms. Majorie Cortico Ramirez and Mr. Ralph Cantave have been selected to represent St. Maarten at the 9th UNESCO Youth Forum, which will be held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France from 26 to 28 October 2015.

The Forum will take place under the general theme “Young Global Citizens for a Sustainable Planet”, focusing on how young women and men, as global citizens, can contribute to building sustainability,from the global to the local level, explained Ms. Marcellia Henry, Secretary General for Sint Maarten National Commission for UNESCO.
The selection of the youth representatives is a joint venture with the Youth Department within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Read more