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Mp Leona Marlin-Romeo Says We Need To Think Outside Of The Box And Embrace Creative Solutions In Solving Country Problems

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten– Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo on Tuesday said that much have been said about the Adopt a School program, some negative and others positive.

"Irrespective of the feedback it is imperative for all to start thinking outside the box and embrace creative solutions to assist in remedying the challenges that we face in Sint Maarten.

"Hence, by no means does this imply that government is relinquishing its responsibility to the education system of the country Read more

No word yet on completion of minister candidates screening

PHILIPSBURG--It has been more than a month since the submission for screening a minister candidate to join the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet and there has not been any word about whether and when the candidate will be sworn in to office. There also has not been any information about the progress of the screening from authorities.

The candidate, who is expected to take up the post of Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT), is former utilities company GEBE employee Ernest Sams.

Following a successful screening, Sams is to take up that post and current minister Claret Connor is slated to move to the portfolio of Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Read more

How Credible is MP Leona Marlin? Problems brewing in Government.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Leona Marlin Romeo in a radio interview on Tuesday said that the current coalition government is in-tact and that she is not part of any complot to break the UPP/De Weever/LMR/USP coalition government Read more

Mp Leona Romeo-Marlin Calls For Integrity Talks With All Stakeholders

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The St. Maarten's National Integrity System assessment which was conducted by Transparency International is currently being assessed by many functionaries on the island.

Among them is the Honorable Member of Parliament Leona Romeo-Marlin who believes that the conclusion of the report was released Read more

Government Coalition Intact, Reported Break Only Rumors

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Coalition government of the UP, USP and Independent members Leona Romeo-Marlin and Read more

Mp Romeo-Marlin Seeking Support For Education

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Independent MP the Honorable Leona Romeo-Marlin is hopeful that her example with donations towards Education will be followed by many others.On Tuesday the MP confirmed that up to six schools will benefit from her planned donations in time for the upcoming school year.

The new school year is scheduled Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---- Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, Minister of Finance Martin Hassink, Vice Presidents of Parliament Leona Marlin-Romeo and Cornelius de Weever were in Anguilla last Friday to attend the change of the guard at the Monetary Council of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB).
In a ceremony that took place on July 24, Anguilla’s Chief Minister Victor Banks became the chairman which was held by Prime Minister of St Read more

Editorial Bare necessity

Again a public warning has been issued about the lack of marketing for the island, this time by its top bookings producer Expedia (see Friday paper). Both the Dutch and French sides are showing figures that were called sub-par.

In fact, the combined destination was just one of two within the Caribbean to achieve only single digit growth in nights booked via the company and its brands such as Travelocity, Hotwire, Trivago and Hotels.com so far this year compared to 2014. In addition, competitors such as Aruba are also able to get better average room rates.

It’s not entirely clear how this relates to somewhat more optimistic visitor arrival and resort occupancy numbers released in recent times locally, but sometimes it’s good to also hear from others “outside looking in” to get a balanced view Read more

Parliament to co-sign letter on shelving of dispute regulation

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Parliament will be a co-signer along with the legislatures of Curaçao and Aruba on a letter to the First and Second Chambers of the Dutch Parliament, seeking that body’s position on the Dutch Government in effect shelving the establishment of a dispute regulation, and a related body for the kingdom.

The letter, drafted by the Curaçao Parliament, came after last month’s Kingdom Conference -a meeting of the countries of the kingdom- saw the Dutch Government putting up a road block on the issue Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- As the uproar continues within the United Peoples Party (UPP) since most Members of Parliament from the UPP faction are in disagreement with their leader Theodore Heyliger, at least two Members of Parliament from the UPP faction and two of their coalition partners have decided to take the bull by its horns to do the work of the people.
SMN News understands that some of the UPP MP’s are saying that their leader is not leading the country instead he is always off island making his business deals which is causing serious problems within the party.
Therefore MP Franklin Meyers who is the deputy leader of the UPP and faction leader took the bull by its horns and decided along with MP Tamara Leonard, coalition partners Independent Members of Parliament Leona Marlin Romeo and Cornelius de Weever and presented their governing program to Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs in the presence of Minister Claret Connor on July 16th 2015 Read more

Editorial - What’s going on?

The visa requirement for Colombians to visit Curaçao and St. Maarten was dropped effective July 1. Although it took another week after that for the authorities in Bogota to actually make the official announcement, both islands are hoping the measure will lead to an increase in vacationers from the South American country, but not of immigrants overstaying their welcome.

Little has been heard since on the handling of the change in practice, especially by immigration officials at the respective airports, but apparently there have been no major complaints so far either Read more

Governing Program Entitled "Ready To Work For You" Ratified By Council Of Ministers Thursday

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Governing Program 2014 – 2018 was ratified by the Council of Ministers of St. Maarten on Thursday.

After its ratification, the Governing Program was then sent to the Parliament of St. Maarten.

The 2014 – 2018 Governing Program was signed by the faction leaders supporting the coalition government, namely MP's Read more

Mp Marlin-Romeo Supports Budding Artist Arndell

Zabian Arndell shows some of his work with MP Marlin-Romeo by his side. Photo contributed

St. Maarten – Independent Member of Parliament Leona Marlin-Romeo has started with her Giving Back to the Community Program. The first recipient is artist Zabian Arndell.

Marlin-Romeo established the program to recognize the contributions of citizens, organizations, public schools and positive initiatives in the community.

Marlin-Romeo uses part of her monthly salary towards initiatives “that constructively aid in the advancement of those who illustrate extraordinary talent, innovative ideas, contribute to the community, and or are seeking educational advancement,” the MP stated in a press release.

“Each month I will make a contribution, starting with Zabian Arndell Read more

Coalition to outsource schools to private sector

PHILIPSBURG--The private sector soon will be asked to adopt public schools in an effort by the United People's (UP) party-led coalition "to reallocate responsibility to the business community."

This outsourcing seeks to persuade businesses to contribute to the community "in a productive, structured, visible manner," according to the UP-led coalition's "Ready to Work for You" 2014-2018 Governing Programme submitted to the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet on June 9.

It is now up to the cabinet to formulate an execution policy for the "Adopt-A-School" programme in which the private sector will have to participate Read more

Emmanuel calls on Govt. to address Haiti matter with DR

PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel has issued a call to Governor Eugene Holiday and the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet to talk with the Government of the Dominican Republic (DR) about putting a halt to the stripping of that country’s nationality from people of Haitian descent and from the move to deport tens of thousands of Haitians living in that country Read more

Gendarmes, Firemen, honoured in Bastille Day pinning ceremonies

MARIGOT--The usually predictable format of the Bastille Day programme took on a different twist Tuesday when military medals were bestowed on six Gendarmes and, in a separate ceremony, three professional firemen promoted in rank received their stripes.

The medal ceremony for the Gendarmes of St. Martin and St. Barths conducted by Colonel Thiriot, second in command of the Guadeloupe Gendarmerie, preceded the wreath-laying ceremony at the war memorial in the garden of Hotel de la Collectivité.

Dignitaries from both sides of the island and Anguilla had attended a service in the Catholic Church just earlier.

The Military Medal, France’s third highest military distinction, was pinned on the lapels of Adjudant-Chef Nicolas Heslon (48) of the St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG (PARLIAMENT/Independent Faction):---- Independent Member of Parliament (MP) and First Vice President Hon. Leona Marlin-Romeo, this summer has commenced with her “Giving Back to the Community Program.”

The program has been established by the MP to recognize the contributions of primarily key persons, organizations, public schools and positive initiatives within the Sint Maarten community.

MP Marlin-Romeo is using part of her monthly salary towards initiatives that constructively aid in the advancement of those who illustrate extraordinary talent, innovative ideas, contribute to the community, and or are seeking educational advancement.

“Each month a contribution will be given starting with Zabian Arndell Read more

Connor Moves To Vromi – New Candidates Pending : Cabinet Reshuffle After The Summer

Minister Claret Connor’s days as the Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs are almost over. Photo contributed

St. Maarten – Minister Claret Connor will be removed from his position at the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication after the summer and stay in the cabinet as the Minister of Public Housing, Urban Planning, Environment and Infrastructure Read more

Sarah concerned about Connor’s move from Tourism Ministry

PHILIPSBURG--A pending shuffling of portfolios in the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet, particularly the move of current Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Minister Claret Connor to the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI and the appointment of a new minister in Connor's place, has drawn concern from Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams.

She has termed the pending shuffle as "cabinet shake-up." She based her position on comments made by United People's (UP) party faction leader MP Franklin Meyers recently in a television interview.

Conner's post is tipped to be taken by a minister candidate proposed by coalition member independent MP Leona Marlin-Romeo Read more

Governing Programme presented to Gumbs

PHILIPSBURG--The United People’s (UP) party-led coalition submitted its 2014-2018 Governing Programme, titled “Ready To Work For You” to Government on Thursday. The presentation comes one day ahead of the coalition’s ninth month in office and almost seven months after the Marcel Gumbs cabinet took office.

UP deputy leader Member of Parliament (MP) Franklin Meyers, MP Tamara Leonard (UP) and independent MPs Leona Romeo-Marlin and Cornelius de Weever presented the Governing Programme to Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs and Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Minister Claret Connor on behalf of the UP/De Weever/Marlin-Romeo/United St Read more

Independent Foundation calls for boycott of Dominican Republic

PHILIPSBURG--Independence for St. Martin Foundation (ISMF) has called for a boycott of travel to and importation of goods from the Dominican Republic, as it condemned the plight of loss of rights to citizenship and the stripping of citizenship going back some five generations from Haitians, and people of Haitian descent living in that country.

   Governments on the Dutch and French sides of the island are urged by the foundation, headed by rights activist José Lake Jr, “to condemn the atrocities that are being perpetrated in the Dominican Republic.”

In its press statement issued on Thursday, the foundation said it has aligned itself with the growing international call for a boycott of the Dominican Republic for travel and the importation of products made in that country.

The foundation urged the Caribbean Community CARICOM, the Organization of American States (OAS), the United Nations (UN) and other national and international bodies “to impose sanctions against the Dominican Republic until it reverses its ill-conceived policy of mass deportations of undocumented Haitian immigrants and of Dominicans of Haitian origin.”

The decision to approve the condemnation of the denationalization and forced deportation of tens of thousands of Dominicanos of Haitian descent was made in the foundation’s meeting of June 30.  

The foundation has been following “with great regret and outrage” the “unfolding human tragedy” in the Dominican Republic” brought about by “a misguided decision” of that country’s highest judicial entity, its Constitutional Court, in 2013.

“Contrary to what the government of the Dominican Republic is claiming, this whole issue has been one of human rights from the very start, and not of the sovereign rights of the country to regulate immigration,” said the foundation.

Unfortunately, the key legal points of the court decision “have disappeared in the current debate.” One of those points of the decision being retroactive to 1930 that gives “a perverse interpretation of the term ‘in-transit’ to mean anyone, who has been residing in the country without the necessary documents since 1929, and its defiant ignoring of the ruling of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on a similar case,” said the foundation Read more

Shake up in current cabinet – Where does this leave Coalition partner MP Frans Richardson?

>PHILIPSBURG:--- There seems to be an imminent shake up in the current Gumbs cabinet. SMN News wrote various articles mentioning that Minister Claret Connor will be removed from his post as Minister of TEATT and be placed at the Ministry of VROMI. On Wednesday evening the UPP faction leader and deputy leader Franklin Meyers announced that Minister Claret Connor will be moving to the Ministry of VROMI but the UPP deputy leader did not say how soon this will take place Read more

Sarah: Why are changes to the law taking so long?

PHILIPSBURG--How long does it take to make amendments requested by Members of Parliament (MPs) to the draft national ordinance to establish an Integrity Chamber for the country, Democratic Party (DP) leader MP Sarah Wescot-Williams questioned on Wednesday.

Her enquiry follows a statement from Justice Minister Dennis Richardson on Tuesday about the amendments Read more

Mp Lake Supports Mp Marlin's Stance On Promoting Nationalism, Patriotism And Cultural Retention

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Today's youth take signals from our generation, United People's (UP) Party Member of Parliament (MP) Maurice Lake said on Tuesday.

This is in connection with fellow MP Hon. Leona Marlin-Romeo call for the promotion of nationalism, patriotism and cultural retention.

"If it is important to us then it becomes important to them Read more