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>PHILIPSBURG (PARLIAMENT/Independent Faction)"---  Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo and First Vice President Hon. Leona Marlin-Romeo was one of the country’s parliamentarians who attended Curacao Flag Day activities on behalf of the Parliament of Sint Maarten.

“It was an honour to have had the opportunity to witness the celebration of Curacao’s Flag Day, “Dia di Bandera” Read more

Mp Leona Marlin-Romeo Congratulates Organizers Of Curacao Flag Day For Job Well Done. Says Lessons To Be Learned

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo and First Vice President Hon. Leona Marlin-Romeo was one of the country's parliamentarians who attended Curacao Flag Day activities on behalf of the Parliament of Sint Maarten.

"It was an honour to have had the opportunity to witness the celebration of Curacao's Flag Day, "Dia di Bandera" Read more

DR, Haiti issue potential to be 'serious humanitarian disaster'

POND ISLAND--As the future of thousands of people of Haitian descent hangs in the balance in neighbouring country the Dominican Republic (DR), veteran Caribbean politician Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said the situation "has the potential to become a serious humanitarian disaster" in the Caribbean.

Dr. Gonsalves, who is prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, was speaking at an Emancipation Day Lecture, themed "Reparations," hosted by Independence for St. Martin Foundation at University of St Read more

Minister shares viewpoint, MPs to get GEBE answers Monday

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament’s plenary session on developments at utilities company GEBE, focusing on the ongoing dispute between the Supervisory Board and Chief Operations Officer (COO) and Managing Director Romelio Maduro about his position at the company, was adjourned to Monday afternoon, after Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Marcel Gumbs gave some perspective on Friday, but needed more documentation to answer questions posed by Members of Parliament (MPs).

The meeting was adjourned after Gumbs, as shareholder representative for the Government-owned company, gave a summarised overview of developments on the current dispute and questions were posed by National Alliance MPs William Marlin, Silveria Jacobs and Christophe Emmanuel Read more

Patrol to Eradicate Paedophilia urges MPs to make law changes

PHILIPSBURG--Change the laws to impose harsher punishment for paedophiles and institute a sex offenders registry were among the calls the group Patrol to Eradicate Paedophilia (PEP) made to the Petitions Committee of Parliament on Thursday.

PEP's request for laws to be changed now heads to the Permanent Committee for Justice. Committee Chairman Member of Parliament (MP) Johan Leonard said he would call the Justice Minister to the committee after Parliament's July recess.

PEP representative Peggy Ann Dros-Richardson urged MPs to have Government boost its assistance to the Mental Health Foundation, to help the foundation increase awareness about paedophilia and have the required treatment for the mental disorder Read more

Parliament committees to look into French/Dutch joint issues

Representatives of the French side Territorial Council with Members of Parliament in Parliament House on Tuesday.

PHILIPSBURG--A meeting between the French side Territorial Council and Members of Parliament (MPs) in Parliament House on Tuesday resulted in various topics discussed being sent to Parliament’s permanent committees for further deliberation and solution seeking.

Among the topics discussed was pensioners living on the French side, but who have contributed to the Dutch side’s General Pension Fund by working on the southern side of the island accessing their benefits Read more

Govt. back to drawing board with Integrity Chamber Law

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament has sent Government back to the drawing board with the controversial draft National Ordinance on the establishment of an Integrity Chamber for the country.

Parliament sending Government back to make changes was not unexpected, as the majority of MPs had voiced their discontent with the draft when it was tabled in the Central Committee of Parliament about two months ago.

The reworking of parts of the law means the deadline of June 30 for Parliament to handle the law as stated in a recent protocol with the Dutch Government will not be met Read more

style="text-align: center;">Was St. Maarten’s Entities Consulted --- MP Leona Romeo Marlin.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of National Alliance and Member of Parliament William Marlin asked several questions regarding the protocol Minister Dennis Richardson signed on May 23rd with the Dutch Government on the establishment of an integrity chamber Read more

UP does not support call for minister’s resignation

PHILIPSBURG--The United People's (UP) party does not support the call of coalition partner United St. Maarten Party (USP) for Justice Minister Dennis Richardson's resignation.

UP's stance is said to have been communicated to USP leader Member of Parliament Frans Richardson in a coalition meeting on Monday and was followed on Thursday evening with an official letter signed by UP fraction leader MP Franklin Meyers.

USP was informed that UP could not support the removal of the Justice Minister because this would only create turmoil for government and possibly have far-reaching consequences for the country.

St Read more

Does USP know something?

Everyone may think of United St. Maarten Party (USP) leader Frans Richardson what they want. Elected into Parliament on the slate of National Alliance (NA) in 2010, he left the party and kept his seat.

Together with the other independent parliamentarians Romain Laville and Patrick Illidge who had broken with respectively United People's (UP) party and NA, he orchestrated the so-called "Carnival coup" of 2012 to bring about a change in government that lasted one year.

Richardson then established USP, which earned two seats in its first election of September 2014 Read more

Justice Minister asked to resign by US Party

PHILIPSBURG--United St. Maarten Party (USP) has requested that Justice Minister Dennis Richardson resign. The request was presented in a letter to the minister delivered on Friday afternoon.

Minister Richardson did not confirm to The Daily Herald whether he had received the letter. He said he was “not commenting” on internal coalition or political parties’ matters.

Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs has indicated already that should the Justice Minister be faced with any vote of no confidence in Parliament the entire cabinet also would resign Read more

Passport fee increase passed retroactively

PHILIPSBURG--Fees for Dutch passports have been increased retroactively by Parliament. The fees are already charged to Dutch citizens applying for new passports or passport renewals since March 10, 2014. Monday’s approval of the amendments to the Stamp Ordinance was only a formality.

The amendments were unanimously passed in a Plenary Session of Parliament with very limited debate between Members of Parliament (MPs) and Prime Minister/General Affairs Minister Marcel Gumbs Read more

No decision by USP to remove minister

PHILIPSBURG--United St. Maarten Party (USP) has not made a decision to remove Justice Minister Dennis Richardson from his post.

Instead, party leader Member of Parliament (MP) Frans Richardson is set to meet the Justice Minister next week to discuss the agreement signed by the Minister with the Dutch Kingdom Government on the establishment of the Integrity Chamber for St Read more

USP to discuss possible removal of minister today

PHILIPSBURG--The possible removal of Justice Minister Dennis Richardson by the United St. Maarten Party (USP) will be discussed in a special meeting of the party’s board and advisors in the Parliament Building today, Thursday, at 6:30pm.

USP has been in control of the Justice portfolio since earlier this year, but is yet to place its own minister Read more

Highly successful IPKO closed off

THE HAGUE--A great success, probably the most constructive ever. That is how the leaders of the delegations of Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten and the Netherlands perceived the Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultations IPKO, which was closed off in The Hague on Friday, with one major triumph: a dispute regulation for the Kingdom.

Reaching an agreement on the format of a dispute regulation, a higher body where the partners can seek a binding ruling on "strictly legal differences of stipulations of the Kingdom Charter," took years, because the Netherlands was never in favour of a binding dispute arrangement.

"We reached an agreement which I am very proud of Read more

Islands want individual membership of WTO

THE HAGUE--The possibilities of individual membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for the Dutch Caribbean countries will be looked at, as well as the development status of the islands so they might make use of facilities for developing countries.

That was one of the proposals that were made at Wednesday's Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultations, IPKO, which started off in The Hague. Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten are now a member of the WTO through the Netherlands, which means that the three countries can't make use of WTO funds and expertise because the Netherlands is considered a developed country.

Member of the Curaçao Parliament Alex Rosaria of the PAIS party said that the membership through the Netherlands presented obstacles for the islands Read more

Kingdom Parliaments kick off three-day consultations

THE HAGUE--The Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultations IPKO kicked off in The Hague Wednesday morning with the opening speeches of the President of the First Chamber of the Dutch Parliament Ankie Broekers-Knol and the delegation leaders of the Parliaments of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten.

Broekers-Knol and the three delegation leaders, Marisol Lopez-Tromp of Aruba, Mike Franco of Curaçao and Leona Marlin-Romeo of St Read more

Parliaments discuss joint integrity norms

THE HAGUE--The Parliaments of Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten and the Netherlands debated on Wednesday about establishing parameters for common norms to safeguard and improve integrity of the governments in the Dutch Kingdom.

In the presence of Dutch National Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen, the delegations talked about the importance of integrity, how integrity is perceived in the Kingdom and how to achieve more integrity in the governments and parliaments of the Kingdom.

Integrity is about one’s own behaviour, being transparent and consistent in one’s actions, said Van Zutphen Read more

Parliaments set on resolving dispute regulation dilemma

THE HAGUE--Delegations of the Parliaments of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten are resolute to conclude the Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultations IPKO this week with a solution for the design of a dispute regulation (geschillenregeling).

"We want to get this solved for once and for all. More and more things are getting stuck in a dilemma in the relations between the Kingdom partners," said Member of the St. Maarten Parliament and Chairperson of Parliament's Kingdom Affairs and Inter-Parliamentary Relations Committee Sarah Wescot-Williams (Democratic Party (DP)) on Monday.

The three Dutch Caribbean Parliaments held tripartite meetings in The Hague on Monday in preparation for the IPKO which starts on Wednesday Read more

Mp Leona Romeo Marlin Believes In The Expansion Of Usm Vision

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Independent Member of Parliament, the Honorable Leona Romeo-Marlin is of the opinion that the vision of the University of St. Maarten (USM) should be expanded in the area of obtaining more revenues for the institution.

According to her, St. Maarten is strategically placed in the Caribbean, where it can capitalize in educational tourism.

She remarked: "With the vision that USM and the Minister of Education have, I am sure within short we can recruit persons from within the Caribbean region to come here to study Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Representatives from the Parliament of Sint Maarten led by President Dr. Lloyd Richardson, recently returned from Panama after attending five-days of parliamentary sessions at the Parliament of Latin America (Parlatino).

The parliamentary delegation comprised of the President Hon. Dr. Lloyd Richardson, Members of Parliament (MPs) Hon Read more

88 kids under court mandated protection

PHILIPSBURG--There are 88 minor children under court-mandated protection as of this month, according to the Court of Guardianship.

Of those 88 children, 34 are still living at home with their parents, but will receive regular protection checkups. Seven children are with foster families and 47 are in foster homes operated by a number of foundations.

Court of Guardianship head Richelda Emmanuel told Parliament’s Justice Committee on Tuesday afternoon that Government was responsible only for the upkeep of children under court-mandated protection.

Children placed in foster homes by parents or guardians are not covered and their upkeep remains the responsibility of their parent or legal guardian as outlined in the Civil Code of the country Read more

Ministers to face MPs this week about missing info

PHILIPSBURG--Ministers of the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet are to be called before Parliament's Permanent Committee for Kingdom Affairs and Inter-Parliamentary Relations to provide information the committee has requested for several months.

The committee became displeased two weeks ago with the sluggish pace of government's response and issued a 48-hour deadline for all information to be submitted Read more

Parliamentary Committee For Kingdom Affairs And Inter Parliamentary Relations Preparing For Holland Talks

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Parliamentary committee for Kingdom affairs and inter parliamentary relations meet on Monday morning.

During their meeting the committee which is chaired by MP Sarah Wescot-Williams handled matters pertaining to the upcoming Tri Partite and IPKO meeting which are scheduled to take place in Holland from May 25th to the 29th.

Chairlady Wescot-Williams also confirmed during the meeting that the tentative agenda for the meeting has been received.

There is however one area of urgency and that is with relevant and important information that is needed from government.

MP's the Honorable Cornelius de Weever and Leona Romeo Marlin is adamant that government not only come to parliament to provide the vital information needed in order to prepare for the Tri Partite and IPKO meeting but also that they come with the information and not just tell parliament where they can find it.

President of Parliament Dr Read more