SXMElections.com

Up Party Inadmissible In Quest For Complete Voting Register

St. Maarten – The Court in First Instance declared the United People’s party and its president Sylvia Meyers-Olivacce inadmissible yesterday in a lawsuit that the party filed in an effort to obtain a full copy of the voters register.

The UP, represented by attorneys Peggy Ann Brandon and Brenda Brooks, filed the lawsuit against the Minister of General Affairs and the Government of St Read more

Party Leaders Avoid Laser 101 Debate: Rhoda Arrindell (Up): “Stupid Grievances Downed First Wescot-Williams Cabinet”

St. Maarten – Party leaders declined to take part in what would have been the last political debate before the elections on Friday yesterday. Radio station Laser 101 had invited UP-leader Theo Heyliger, DP-leader Sarah Wescot-Williams, NA-leader William Marlin and USp-leader Frans Richardson Read more

Dp Wants Risk Assessment By Central Bank – Harbor’S Legal Team Calls Zebec N.V.’S $100M Claim “Frivolous”

 St. Maarten - The Harbor Group of Companies says that the $100 million claim from Zebec NV against it is “wholly without merit” but the Democratic Party said in a press release that it is “seriously concerned” about the matter. Zebec claims damages from the harbor over the Harbor Village project that it was going to develop. The project stalled, according to Zebec, because Harbor CEO Mark Mingo kept throwing up obstacles.

The Harbor stated in a press release this weekend that it would “vigorously” defend itself against the claim in court Read more

St. Maarten Government Reaction To Wit-Report Still Missing

St. Maarten – Up to yesterday, the government still had not released its reaction to Doing the Right Things Right, the report from the Wit Committee about Integrity in Public Administration. The report’s publication together with the government’s reaction was originally scheduled for Friday, August 15. Prime Minister Wescot-Williams however, informed the committee that the reaction was not ratified yet in the Council of Ministers and that this would take place last week Tuesday Read more

Doing The Right Things Right: Wit-Committee Presents 40 Integrity-Recommendations

St. Maarten – Doing the right things right, the final report from the Committee Integer Public Administration chaired by Justice Bob Wit, was leaked to the media yesterday morning from the email-address integritysxm@gmail.com. The leaked version, an 80-page report containing forty recommendations for improving integrity in the government and the civil service, does not contain the comments from the government to the findings.

In March of last year, this newspaper received two press statements from the interim faction leader of the United People’s party, Sylvia Meyers-Olivacce Read more

Indian Ambassador To Venezuela Visits: Indian Merchants Association Snubs Parliament

St. Maarten – In what appears to be a political move, the Indian Merchants Association (IMA) snubbed the Governor and Members of Parliament, including President Gracita Arrindell, on the first visit of the Indian Ambassador to Venezuela, Smita Purushottam, by not inviting them to an event tonight at the Belair Community Center. According to sources, the only member of the St Read more

Level Of Political Debate Shta Mixer Disappoints

St. Maarten - The political mixer organized by the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) at the Sonesta Great Bay Beach Hotel began with a disappointment when the leader of the United St. Maarten party did not show up. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, who was expected to attend, was also absent. Five parties were represented: NA (Rodolphe Samuel), UP (Miguel De Weever), DP (Roy Marlin), SRP (Jacinto Mock) and OSPP (Lenny Priest).

Parties first got the opportunity to explain in broad strokes what they stand for Read more

Publication Integrity-Report Delayed Until Next Week

St. Maarten – The publication of the integrity-report from the Wit-Committee has been delayed until next week Friday, Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams informed this newspaper yesterday. The original publication date of the report plus the comments from the government on it were scheduled for yesterday.

“Due to unforeseen circumstances we have not yet ratified the government’s position Read more

Dp Removed Campaign Material In Belvedere, But: Roundabout Billboards Remain An Issue

St. Maarten – The police had to intervene and in the end, the Democratic Party yielded and took down its oversized political billboard at the Belvedere roundabout on Friday. Chief Commissioner Peter de Witte said that officers had checked the situation on Thursday and concluded that the billboard stood – as was obvious to everyone except the Democratic Party – on the roundabout.

On Wednesday, party-leader and Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams still declared that the situation did not fall within the description of a roundabout Read more

Mp Leonard Questions Pm On Alleged Winair Debt

St. Maarten – United People’s (UP) Party Member of Parliament is seeking answers from Winiar shareholder representative Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams about a supposed debt of $1.4 million owed to a company in Guadeloupe Read more

Legal Policy Advisor Takes Pm To Court Over Dubious Suspension

Social Economic Council implodes under warring secretary-general

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – The Social Economic Council has virtually collapsed due to a conflict between its Secretary-General Gerard Richardson and legal policy advisor Arjen Alberts whose attorney Cindy Marica filed a lawsuit against the Minister of General Affairs Sarah Wescot-Williams yesterday to get clarity about his position Read more

Dp Blames Up And Na For Hurricane Season Elections

St. Maarten – The Theo Heyliger / National Alliance coalition is to blame for the fact that elections in St. Maarten take place during the hurricane season. That is the position of Prime Minister and leader of the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot-Williams.

In a press release issued yesterday afternoon, Wescot-Williams points out that the Heyliger / National Alliance government that was in office in 2009-2010 decided that the date for transition to country status would be October 10, 2010.

“Someone of that government must have been asleep at the wheel when it agreed to that date for country status Read more

Prime Minister Reacts To Up Leader:  “No Ministerial Elections In Our Constitution”

St. Maarten - “Already you hear politicians and aspiring politicians saying that vote for me and I will be Prime Minister of St. Maarten. That is not what the people of St. Maarten are voting for; they will be voting for the fifteen Members of Parliament,” Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams said during a special broadcast of One on One with the Prime Minister on 98.1 this past Friday, responding to the United People’s (UP) Party leader Theo Heyliger’s public request to voters to become the next Prime Minister of St Read more

The Campaign Promises Of 2010: Second Hospital-Plan Is Already Four Years Old

St. Maarten – The campaign promises are flying far and wide again in the run-up to the August 29 elections. How did our political parties do in 2010? What did they promise and what became of it? Let’s begin with an obvious example: the claim by the United People’s party (UP) – “We ready for our new medical center.” On September 15, 2010, the final campaign meeting of the UP took place on the grounds of the still unfinished ring road. Gerrit Schotte, leader of Movementu Futuro Kòrsou who was to become the first Prime Minister of Curacao before he got entangled in a web of scandals, endorsed the UP and lit up the meeting with his presence. UP-leader Theo Heyliger made his entrée in a carnivalesque atmosphere, dancing to the podium while cameras flashed and supporters wanted pictures with him Read more

Quarter Of The Population Is Without Medical Insurance

St. Maarten – Between 20 and 25 percent of the population still does not have healthcare insurance, Public Health Minister Cornelius de Weever said at a press briefing of the Democratic Party yesterday. The numbers are improving, because in the recent past the number of uninsured citizens stood around 33 percent. De Weever said that his ministry has been quite busy with the National Health Insurance plan Read more