SXMElections.com

Samuel And Richardson Return To Parliament

Rodolphe Samuel and Hyacinth Richardson (third and second from right) wait to be sworn in. Photo Today / Milton Pieters

St. Maarten – Rodolphe Samuel and Hyacinth Richardson took the empty seats of National Alliance faction leader William Marlin and Silveria Jacobs yesterday afternoon in parliament, after a small committee of three, consisting of MPs Leona Marlin-Romeo, Dr Read more

Mp Leona Marlin-Romeo Congratulates Minister Of Culture Bourne-Gumbs And Organizers On Sint Maarten’S Day Theme And Celebrations

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo, congratulates outgoing Minister of Education Culture Youth Affairs and Sports Rita Bourne-Gumbs and organizers for a well thought out theme for the 2015, Sint Maarten’s Day Celebration.

“It was a pleasure to see the display of diverse cultures unified to celebrate Sint Maarten’s Day in a dignified way Read more

Conference Gets To The Roots Of Mental Illness

Workshop at the mental health conference in progress. Photo contributed

Belair, St. Maarten – The Mental Health Foundation (MHF) facilitated a resonating conference on community and person-centered treatment planning at the Belair Community Centre last Thursday and Friday.

The 2015 Mental Health Conference was held in collaboration with The Institute for Progressive Living and Empowerment (IPLE), a New York based organization of mental health clinicians that promote culturally sensitive, evidenced based interventions within communities Read more

Mp Leona Marlin-Romeo Commends Mental Health Foundation On Successful Turnout At 2015 Conference

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten  – The giving back to the community project is not limited to only financial contributions. This was illustrated on the successful turn out and positive feedback of the Mental Health Foundation 2015 Conference. 

Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo, gave the opening speech on the second day of the conference and spoke of how a discussion two years ago materialized, “Bringing Life into thought, Bringing passion into purpose”. 

The workshops though organized by the Foundation, the MP facilitated in making the connection with a close college associate Pascale Jean-Noel, a licensed Masters level Social Worker from New York State.

Pascale Jean-Noel, was more than willing to make a contribution to Sint Maarten by participating in bringing awareness on person centered treatment planning, trauma informed care, working with substance use disorders and understanding the practitioner’s role while providing mental health service as it relates to our community.  

Jean-Noel is a second generation Haitian, and understood what it means to connect with an audience of Caribbean background Read more

Mp Leona Marlin-Romeo Commends Bes Islands For Including Neonatal Screening In Health Care Prevention

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten  – Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo, says on October 21st 2015, a letter was sent by her to the president of Parliament requesting information from the Minister of Health on the inclusion of Neonatal Screening or Heel Prick Screening for babies born on Sint Maarten. 

The meeting to discuss the draft Public Health Law was adjourned and still needs to be reconvened, however, Neonatal Screening was not included at that time as a preventative measure. 

“Congratulations goes out to Saba and St Read more

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 Voters”

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.

style="text-align: center;">Motion to instruct Council of Ministers not to make decision that will affect the country passed.

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

University Reminds Government Of Promise To Increase Subsidy

St. Maarten – On May 20 the Board of the University of St. Maarten Foundation, assisted by its management team, discussed the developments of the University with the parliamentary committee of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport Affairs. During that meeting, which was chaired by MP Silveria Jacobs, Minister of Education Rita Bourne-Gumbs made two public promises Read more

Government promised to increase USM subsidies.

>PHILIPSBURG:---- On the 20th May 2015 the Board of the University of St. Maarten Foundation (BUSMF), assisted by its management team, discussed the developments of the University of St. Martin (USM) with the parliamentary committee of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport Affairs. During that meeting, which was chaired by the Honorable Member of Parliament, Ms. Silveria Jacobs, the Honorable Minister of Education, Mrs Read more

Usm And Partners Discuss Development

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - On the 20th May 2015 the Board of the University of St. Maarten Foundation (BUSMF), assisted by its management team, discussed the developments of the University of St. Martin (USM) with the parliamentary committee of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport Affairs.

During that meeting, which was chaired by the Honorable Member of Parliament, Ms. Silveria Jacobs, the Honorable Minister of Education, Mrs 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

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

style="text-align: center;">Says Governor must sign decree dissolving Parliament ~

PHILIPSBURG:---- United People (UP) party fraction leader MP Franklin Meyers on Thursday night stressed that at some point “somebody has to make a stand somewhere” to stem the tide of constant government instability and address a flawed constitution 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

Editorial - Something has to give

The latest news last night in the ongoing constitutional saga was that the “new majority” has organised a Parliament meeting of its own to elect a new president, vice-president and second vice-president in place of those of the former UP-led coalition. This obviously will not be a “regular” meeting called by the secretariat on the instruction of the current chairperson and the legality of any decisions taken consequently will no doubt be questioned by those who favour dissolving the legislature and going back to the polls.

When the same thing happened in Curaçao in 2012, the new majority’s gatherings created a situation where at one point there were two different persons claiming to be President of Parliament Read more

Extraordinary Meeting Of Parliament Called

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - A majority of 8 in parliament has convened a public meeting of parliament for Thursday, October 15, 2015 at 6 pm.

This invitation has been sent to all members of parliament with the appointment of a chairperson and vice chairpersons being the main agenda point.

In an elucidation to the invitation, the members constituting the majority outline the reasons for this extraordinary meeting, going from the premise of the "majority-rule".

While the Rules of Order of Parliament provide for a change in chairmanship at any time, no further procedures are in place in the event the sitting presidium members take on a hostile attitude and refuse to accommodate the change-over.

This could make a lame duck of the parliament.

Below is the motivation as provided.

Ref: urgent meeting of Parliament on Thursday, October 15, 2015 at 18.00 hours.

Agenda point: Appointment of a chairperson, a first deputy chairperson and a second deputy chairperson.

Motivation:

On September 30, 2015, a majority in Parliament informed   H 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

De Weever seeks legal advice, suspends Parliament meeting

PHILIPSBURG--Second Deputy Parliament Chairman Cornelius de Weever took charge of one of the shortest Parliament meetings in the country's history on Tuesday and effectively thwarted the new coalition's move to appoint a new chairperson and two deputy chairpersons of Parliament.
  The meeting for which nine Members of Parliament (MPs) signed in, lasted approximately a minute and nine seconds Read more

Marlin-Romeo resigns as Vice-Chair of Parliament

PHILIPSBURG--Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo has notified current Chairman of Parliament Dr. Lloyd Richardson and Secretaries-General (SGs) that effective immediately, the position she held as Vice-Chairperson is being made available.

Marlin-Romeo “duly notes that there is a new majority in Parliament and therefore, the appointment of the new chairmanship must transpire,” a press release said Read more

Editorial - Deadlocked for now

Anybody expecting that the Parliament session on Tuesday to elect a new President and two Vice-Presidents might lead to some breakthrough in the current constitutional impasse between the new majority and the Gumbs cabinet was disappointed. Although both President Dr. Lloyd Richardson and First Vice-President Leona Marlin-Romeo had publicly made their positions available, they were not present and Second Vice-President Cornelius de Weever, part of the same former UP-led coalition, closed the proceedings as soon as they had begun, saying he needed legal clarification due to the Council of Ministers having passed a national decree to dissolve the legislature and hold snap elections.

The incoming NA/DP/UPS/Matser/Lake coalition did not appreciate this and called for an urgent new meeting about De Weever’s “illegal act” and its impact on the country’s democratic representation Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The Members of Parliament that makes up the new coalition has submitted another request to parliament to call an urgent meeting to deal with what they describe as the illegal act by Member of Parliament Cornelius de Weever. Shortly after the meeting of Parliament was closed by MP Cornelius de Weever on Tuesday morning, the three political leaders namely William Marlin, Sarah Wescot Williams and Frans Richardson spoke to members of the media that were present in parliament Read more

Where is PAR 1? Vehicle allegedly used to do Chairman of Parliament private work.

style="text-align: center;">Civil Servants may start go-slow on Tuesday.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Questions are now being asked as to where is the government owned vehicle with license plate PAR 1 that is assigned to the chairman of Parliament MP Lloyd Richardson. SMN News understands that ever since MP Richardson was appointed chairman of Parliament he was given the vehicle a black Viracruz that was special ordered by former chairlady of Parliament Gracita Arrindell.
SMN News further learned that the chairman of Parliament was allowed to hire his own driver which he did but that person never drove the Chairman of Parliament or even report to work.
That driver Frank Bruney who is on Parliament’s payroll never showed up to Parliament and does not drive around with MP Lloyd Richardson Read more