SXMElections.com

Residents want road repaired ‘as promised’

SUCKER GARDEN--Residents of Chin Cactus Drive are expressing frustration over its continued deplorable state and calling on Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure VROMI Maurice Lake to honour a promise they say he made during a public meeting in the midst of the election campaign and give the matter immediate attention.

A letter signed by some 22 residents, as well as a copy of a 2012 letter issued by VROMI, tells of official complaints filed as far back as 2008 and VROMI's continued stated intentions to address the issue.

The residents' letter says that most recently, in a public meeting in Sucker Garden in August "during the election campaign, the Minister of Public Works announced that the paving of Chin Cactus Drive will begin the very next day Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Civil servant on trial for drunk, dangerous driving

PHILIPSBURG--Civil servant K.R. (46), who is accused of driving under the influence, reckless driving and causing an accident while under a driving ban, will learn his fate on Wednesday, November 19.

The incidents allegedly had taken place during and after a three-car accident on W.T.A. Nisbeth Road near Kam's Foodworld during the evening hours of March 28.

The head of the New Projects, Development and Planning Department confessed he had consumed three glasses of wine during the reception at the opening of the new artificial grass outfield at St Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Council of Ministers wants screening conducted by St. Maarten rules only

PHILIPSBURG--The Council of Ministers wants the screening of minister candidates to be carried out only based on the country's existing laws and not in conjunction with the additional screening being demanded by the Kingdom Government. When the names are submitted to Governor Eugene Holiday, it will be up to him to decide how to proceed with the screening.

The incumbent Council of Ministers decided the names of minister candidates should be submitted to Holiday and their security and integrity screenings should take place "within the confines and limits of the laws of St Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Editorial - Interim compromise?

The current deadlock over the instruction by the Netherlands to Governor Eugene Holiday on the screening of candidate ministers will have to be broken sooner or later. The high tourism season is approaching fast and the 2015 budget must be approved on time to meet the needs of the population adequately.

Without agreeing to the measure, it might be useful to entertain a possible temporary compromise, pending a resolution of the current constitutional dispute. Seeking an opinion from the Council of State on the issue could well be part of such a scenario, because regardless of procedural limitations this esteemed body ought not reasonably to refrain from giving such if requested certainly by a majority of the kingdom partners, in this case with the help of Curaçao and Aruba.

In the meantime, the incoming UP/DP/Marlin-Romeo coalition that enjoys a two-thirds majority in Parliament would do well to at least consider appointing an interim cabinet of persons who are practically guaranteed to pass even the far-reaching integrity investigation now imposed by The Hague Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Sarah: DP fraction of two MPs intact

PHILIPBSURG--The Democratic Party (DP) fraction comprises two Members of Parliament (MPs): Sarah Wescot-Williams and Cornelius de Weever, with De Weever serving as the party's fraction leader in Parliament Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Editorial - What then?

An estimated 200 people showed up for Sunday's demonstration against the intervention by the Kingdom Council of Ministers in the process to form a local government. The crowd may not have seemed that large in absolute numbers, but for St. Maarten, where people rarely take to streets to protest anything, it was significant.

Some who disagree with the participants might argue that they were mostly UP sympathisers, as the instruction from the Netherlands to Governor Eugene Holiday obviously is aimed at that party and its leader Theo Heyliger, to prevent him from becoming prime minister Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Marchers call for ‘respect’ and end to Dutch ‘insult’

PHILIPSBURG--"We didn't vote for Bosman or Van Raak" and "Enough is enough. This is our country" were some of the messages on the placards carried by an estimated 200 marchers who took to the street Sunday afternoon to express their discontent with the Kingdom Council of Ministers' instruction to Governor Eugene Holiday to carry out what has been deemed an invasive, boundless screening into the lives of minister candidates.

The march started off from the ring road with the sizable group heading down W.J.A Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Hopefully a new trend

Dear Editor,

Anyone who follows what happens in the world of politics would be surprised if Theo Heyliger is really serious about becoming Prime Minister or, for that matter, holding any position of which he is not in complete control. That move that he made to publicly ridicule the Prime Minister in the paper of August 27, 2014, was as if he was testing to see how far the Dutch would go as a consequence of his behaviour towards the sitting Prime Minister Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Heyliger: I never discussed money or moving for money with any MP

PHILIPSBURG--"No sitting MP in here or none of the ones that were just put out have I ever met with to discuss anything about money and about moving for money in government," United People's (UP) party leader Member of Parliament Theo Heyliger stated in Parliament on Wednesday afternoon.

Heyliger's name has been bandied in the community for some time now as having paid MPs to break with their political parties to join as coalition partners in an UP-led government.

He said he wanted to answer all of the talk about the exchange of money Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

MPs unanimously reject instruction

~ Motion to be sent to UN Decolonisation Committee ~

PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) unanimously adopted on Wednesday a motion rejecting the instruction handed down by the Kingdom Council of Ministers to Governor Eugene Holiday for the execution of a boundless and limitless investigation into the backgrounds of candidate ministers, their families, friends, business associates and others.

Parliament is not in agreement with the instruction from the Kingdom Council, because the screening of candidate ministers is "not flawed Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Christopher Emmanuel says he was offered US $2M for his seat

~ Lloyd, de Weever deny being paid ~

PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament (MP) Christopher Emmanuel said on Monday that he had been offered US $2 million for his parliamentary support as he stressed the point that St Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Editorial - For a change

The Kingdom Council of Ministers has given Governor Eugene Holiday an instruction not to install any new cabinet members until there are sufficient guarantees regarding their integrity. This is to be determined by applying a more stringent screening, for which the Dutch Government will appoint a team of experts to assist the governor.

The highly unusual and unprecedented move has to do with a 2010 vote-buying case involving the UP party and developments since this year's elections held at the end of August Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Plasterk: Genuine guarantees of government integrity needed

THE HAGUE--The Kingdom Council of Ministers approved a proposal of Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk on Friday to give the governor of St. Maarten an instruction to refrain from signing the decrees to appoint the members of St. Maarten's next government until it has been proven, through an additional, more stringent screening, that the members of the Cabinet are persons of complete integrity. This is what Plasterk told the media in an interview after Friday's meeting.

St Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Kingdom govt orders tougher screening St. Maarten ministers

By Suzanne Koelega

THE HAGUE--The Kingdom government has ordered a more stringent screening of St. Maarten's incoming Council of Ministers. The Kingdom Council of Ministers decided on Friday to give St. Maarten Governor Eugene Holiday an instruction to hold off on the appointment of the ministers and prime minister until it is absolutely certain that they are in the clear.

The Dutch government will appoint a team of experts to assist the governor with the screening, announced Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk after the meeting Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

UP says candidates will not agree to ‘vague’ investigation

~ Calls instruction unconstitutional ~

PHILIPSBURG--No candidate Minister will agree to "a vague limitless investigation" on themselves, their families, third parties, friends and acquaintances without the parameters of vetting being known, United People's (UP) party said on Friday.

UP's statement was in reaction to the Dutch Government's instruction to Governor Eugene Holiday for a thorough investigation into candidate-ministers from the UP-led coalition.

UP said the subjectivity created by a vague investigation would leave room for arbitrary vetting procedures without any guarantee of an equal treatment.

"It is quite obvious that this measure is designed against MP Heyliger and confirms .. Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Theo: Dutch want to prevent me from being prime minister

PHILIPSBURG--United People's (UP) party leader Member of Parliament (MP) Theo Heyliger said on Sunday that the instruction by the Dutch government to Governor Eugene Holiday is intended to prevent him from becoming the next prime minister of St Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Editorial - Sooner rather than later

That just about anything is possible in local politics was proven again over these last few days, as DP leader Sarah Wescot-Williams and US Party number two candidate Leona Marlin-Romeo signed up for the incoming UP/De Weever coalition Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Holiday says MPs play critical role to foster good governance

~ MPs sworn in ~

HARBOUR VIEW--The fifteen Members of Parliament (MPs) elected during the August 29 Parliamentary Elections took their oaths to serve in the presence of Governor Eugene Holiday on Friday.

Sworn in were United People's (UP) party MPs Theo Heyliger, Franklin Meyers, Silvio Matser, Tamara Leonard, Maurice Lake, Lloyd Richardson and Johan "Janchi Leonard; Democratic Party (DP) MPs Sarah Wescot-Williams and Cornelius de Weever; United St Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Sarah, Leona join UP/De Weever to form broad-based government

PHILIPSBURG--Outgoing Prime Minister and Democratic Party (DP) leader Sarah Wescot-Williams and United St. Maarten Party Member of Parliament (MP)-elect Leona Marlin-Romeo have joined the United People's (UP) party/De Weever coalition to form a broad-based government for 2014-2018.

The two new coalition members signed on to the existing UP/De Weever governing accord as "addendum two and three" on Thursday, paving the way for a majority of 10 seats in Parliament.

The news of, in particular, Marlin-Romeo joining the coalition comes after much speculation about this possibility taking place even after she publicly had denied any such intentions Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

UP willing to install neutral committee

~Law firm weighs in~

PHILIPSBURG--Sulvaran and Peterson law firm, which represents the United People's (UP) party led by Member of Parliament Theo Heyliger, has weighed in on the vote-buying case involving UP.

The firm said UP was willing to call a neutral committee when it takes office to "tackle this matter with all the political parties." The aim will be to "separate fact and fiction and, if necessary, to make recommendations."

The firm said, "Finding a correct balance with this topic will in itself be a challenge," but noted that it was something "local politics itself will have to tackle first Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Editorial - Not for too long

There can be little doubt anymore that the announced UP/De Weever government will become a reality, now that UP leader Theodore Heyliger has been appointed "formateur" and a governing accord has been signed (see related article) Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

SP motion to investigate Heyliger shelved for now

~ Plasterk disagrees with ordering criminal investigation ~

THE HAGUE--Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament Ronald van Raak of the Socialist Party (SP) temporarily shelved his motion calling for a criminal investigation of United People's (UP) party leader Theo Heyliger on Tuesday.

Van Raak announced the wish to shelve the motion at the start of Parliament's voting session Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

UP/De Weever coalition signs Governing Accord

~ Portfolios to be decided on 'collectively' ~

PHILIPSBURG--The eight Members of Parliament (MPs)-elect forming the United People's (UP) party/De Weever coalition signed their 2014-2018 Governing Accord on Friday, October 3. This accord and its attached division of portfolios for the incoming cabinet were submitted to Governor Eugene Holiday by informateurs Joseph Richardson and Marcel Gumbs last week.

Formateur UP leader MP Theo Heyliger continues his work to formalise the incoming government.

Both the Governing Accord and the Division of Portfolios documents were signed by all eight coalition members – MPs-elect Heyliger, Cornelius de Weever, Franklin Meyers, Silvio Matser, Tamara E Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

FCCA Conference officially opened, picking up steam

POINTE BLANCHE--The 21st Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Conference and Trade Show was opened officially yesterday, as the conference started to pick up steam.

The previous day had seen the various exhibitors and delegates arrive and set up shop, some of them already coveted one-on-one professional meetings. The second day of the conference was much busier, with a wide array of exhibitors showcasing their products, learning about others, networking and attending special events.

The wide variety of exhibitors included many tourism boards and port authorities, plus a wide variety of businesses that have strong albeit indirect links to tourism such as locally-made food products, a recycling company and restaurant supplies.

Tourism Minister Ted Richardson, members of his Cabinet and French St Read more

---

Candidates in this article: