Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
Vorst land purchase to be omitted from 2014 budget amendment
~ Roy's amendment to budget amendment passed ~
PHILIPSBURG--An amendment to remove the purchase of the Vorst Estate property from a budget amendment tabled by Finance Minister Martin Hassink was passed during a public plenary session of parliament on Monday.
It was the third time the meeting had been convened to handle this and other issues. The first two meetings were cancelled due to lack of quorum. The motion, which was tabled by Democratic Party (DP) Member of Parliament (MP) Roy Marlin, was passed by seven of MPs voting in favour of the amendment and six voting against it.
Supporting the motion were author Roy Marlin, National Alliance (NA) MPs William Marlin, Hyacinth Richardson, George Pantophlet and Louie Laveist and Independent MPs Frans Richardson and Romain Laville Read more
Second Chamber calls for intervention in St. Maarten
THE HAGUE--The Dutch media reported on Monday that there is majority support in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament for intervention through a large criminal investigation of "St. Maarten's corrupt government." Dutch politicians are especially worried now that the United People's (UP) party of Theo Heyliger is about to take power.
Two major Dutch newspapers, De Telegraaf and Trouw, reported on Monday morning on PricewaterhouseCoopers' (PwC's) Integrity Inquiry report on St Read more
Editorial - Wait and see
Governor Eugene Holiday's decision to appoint two "informateurs" – Joe Richardson and Marcel Gumbs – (see Saturday paper) is interesting. He obviously had to do something when it became clear that "formateur" William Marlin (NA) no longer could deliver a majority in Parliament after DP's MP-elect Cornelius de Weever signed an agreement with the seven UP fraction members-elect and thus torpedoed the envisioned NA/DP/UP Party coalition.
The governor, based on the document presented to him by UP leader Theo Heyliger, could have named the latter "formateur" instead, but stopped short of doing so Read more
William says too many use their parliamentary seats for leverage
~ 'Just a matter of time before another shifting' ~
PHILIPSBURG--"The sad reality" of politics in St. Maarten is that too many persons "peddle off" their parliamentary seats "to the highest bidder" and use their seat for leverage, former formateur William Marlin said on Sunday.
Marlin said he was not specifically referring to the trading of seats for financial gain, but the use of one's seat for opportunity, though he said he has heard about offers being made.
Marlin was at the time speaking at a press conference Sunday called to address the events leading up to the National Alliance/Democratic Party/ United St Read more
Budget amendment meet called off again due to lack of quorum
PHILIPSBURG--The public plenary session of Parliament on amendments to the 2014 budget was cancelled for the second time on Friday, as only four Members of Parliament (MPs) showed up and signed in for the meeting.
The meeting was first called off on Wednesday, due to the lack of a quorum when seven MPs were signed in, though United People's (UP) party MPs and Independent MP Dr. Lloyd Richardson had been in the building.
Present at Friday's session were National Alliance (NA) MPs Hyacinth Richardson and George Pantophlet, Democratic Party (DP) MP Roy Marlin and United People's (UP) party MP Gracita Arrindell Read more
Joe Richardson, Marcel Gumbs appointed as new informateurs
HARBOUR VIEW--Governor Eugene Holiday has appointed Marcel Gumbs and Joe Richardson as informateurs to work on the formation of the new coalition government.
He announced his decision following discussions with United People's (UP) party leader Theo Heyliger on Friday.
Considering the consultations, the results of the August 29 elections, the developments over the past four weeks and the coalition agreement signed by UP's seven Members of Parliament (MPs)-elect and Democratic Party (DP) MP-elect Van Hugh Cornelius de Weever, Holiday requested that Richardson and Gumbs take up the tasks of informateurs Read more
No quorum for budget amendment meeting
~ UP, Dr. Richardson, Illidge, De Weever absent ~
PHILIPSBURG--The public plenary session of Parliament on amendments to the 2014 budget was cancelled on Wednesday due to the lack of a quorum, as only seven Members of Parliament (MPs) were signed in.
Parliament Press Secretary Roddy Heyliger said in a press release last night that the session had been rescheduled to Friday at 10:00am.
At least eight MPs are needed for the meeting to proceed Read more
Holiday starts new consultations after end of ‘Marlin’ formation
PHILIPSBURG--Governor Eugene Holiday started new formation talks on Thursday after United People's (UP) party leader Theodore Heyliger submitted a signed "coalition agreement" for the governing period 2014-2018.
The agreement was signed by UP's seven elected Members of Parliament (MPs) and Democratic Party (DP) MP-elect Cornelius de Weever.
Holiday said in a press release that in view of these developments, National Alliance (NA) leader William Marlin had informed him that the majority in Parliament necessary for the formation of the planned NA/DP/US Party coalition government no longer existed Read more
New coalition said imminent
PHILIPSBURG--Widespread but unconfirmed reports on Wednesday indicated that a new coalition government with a one-seat majority is in the making between the United People's (UP) party with its seven seats and Democratic Party (DP) candidate and incumbent Health Minister Cornelius de Weever.
It could not be ascertained whether De Weever has severed ties with DP, as up to early yesterday Wescot-Williams said she had not been informed of such, although he had indicated that he no longer wanted a ministerial post and would retain his parliamentary seat (see related story).
According to reports, De Weever has agreed to form a coalition with UP Read more
‘Vote-buying undermines St. Maarten’s democracy’
THE HAGUE--The reported trading of votes in St. Maarten is worrisome and has an undermining effect on the country's democracy.
That is what Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk stated on Monday in response to written questions submitted by Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament Ronald van Raak of the Socialist Party (SP).
Van Raak sought clarity on August 27, two days prior to the elections, after reading in the local media that the Court of First Instance had declared admissible the Prosecutor's Office's cases against five persons involved in the selling and buying of votes on behalf of the United People's (UP) party in the September 2010 election.
Van Raak had asked the minister's opinion on the court's decision and the accusation of the judge that the Prosecutor's Office was guilty of "class justice" by only prosecuting the five suspects in question, and to leave the management of UP in peace despite evidence that pointed in their direction Read more
MP Theo Heyliger’s property burglarised
GUANA BAY--"I'm just happy my mother was not at home, but of course she's very afraid now," said Member of Parliament Theo Heyliger about a break-in at his mother's home located on his Guana Bay property on Tuesday afternoon.
His mother Aggie Wathey, who lives on the same property with him, was not at home at the time Read more
Motion passed to restrict outgoing ministers’ actions
PHILIPSBURG--A motion calling on Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams to inform individual ministers of the Wescot-Williams III Cabinet "to not make any long-term policy, financial and/or decisions of such a nature as granting lands in long lease, bus and taxi licences, concessions, hiring and placement of personnel in crucial functions" was adopted by a majority of Members of Parliament (MPs) in the closing meeting of the 2013-2014 parliamentary year on Monday.
The motion was presented by MP Roy Marlin (Democratic Party (DP)) and also signed by six other MPs.
The motion further called on the ministers to refrain from making any decision on the waste-to-energy concession or any other decision "that may obstruct or encumber the incoming government from functioning adequately during the next governing term."
The motion also requested the prime minister to inform the individual ministers who are shareholder's representatives of government-owned companies "to instruct management and boards of these companies to refrain from entering into long-term agreements and sign contracts that may negatively affect or bind these companies for a long term."
The motion was presented by MP Roy Marlin after he requested an addition to an agenda of the plenary session of Parliament Read more
‘Janchi’ re-elected, in spite of tie with Buncamper-Molanus
PHILIPSBURG--Incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) Johan "Janchi" Leonard (United People's (UP) party) can be considered the big winner after the validation of the votes from the August 29 Parliamentary Elections by the Central Voting Bureau on Wednesday. Leonard was short two votes to be re-elected to Parliament. He received those votes when the bureau reviewed ballots deemed invalid by the polling station on election night.
Leonard (UP #7) is an MP-elect for UP, in spite of the tie with former Minister Maria Buncamper-Molanus (UP #21), because of his placement on the party's list of candidates Read more
Editorial - Horse’s mouth
Party leader Theo Heyliger deserves credit for reacting in a mature way to UP being left out of government despite winning the election with seven seats (see Tuesday paper), as a result of the quickly-formed NA/DP/US coalition totalling eight seats Read more
Heyliger: UP parliamentarians to be ‘formidable’ opposition
PHILIPSBURG--Developments over the past days will see the United People's (UP) party playing its role in Parliament from the opposition benches. UP party Leader Member of Parliament Theo Heyliger said the party and its Members of Parliament (MPs) "will be a formidable force to be reckoned with when it comes to the role of keeping the government in check."
"We are ready to govern, to hold in check and control the decision of the coalition government that is in the making Read more
Editorial - Time will tell
It appears a new government is indeed on the horizon, now that three parties with a combined eight of the 15 seats in Parliament have reached agreement on the division of ministerial portfolios and other positions (see related story). The candidates for such are yet to be announced, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what some of the names involved might be.
NA is likely to nominate its political leader William Marlin as the new Prime Minister, while the party's number two candidate and top vote-getter Silveria Jacobs, having already served as Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, is favoured to take up that post again Read more
Holiday starts consultation on formation of new gov’t today
HARBOUR VIEW--Governor Eugene Holiday will start consultations for the formation of a new government as of today, Monday, September 1. The consultations will be held with Vice Chairperson of the Advisory Council; Ombudsman Nilda Arduin-Lynch; outgoing President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell and the leaders of the four political parties that obtained seats in the elections: United People’s (UP) party leader Theo Heyliger, National Alliance (NA) leader William Marlin; Democratic Party (DP) leader Sarah Wescot-Williams and United St Read more
Legacy vs history
Dear Editor,
My twelve-year-old niece in hearing them speak about what kind of a legacy President Obama will leave, wanted to know more about this; I tried to explain it to her this way. People in their 20s and beyond still refer to me as the police who liked to dance in Carnival. Even though I personally do not consider that part of my legacy it is part of history, which even though not being my intention, also contributed to the attraction of tourism.
Many years ago on stepping into a travel agency in New Haven Connecticut, out of curiosity I asked if they had a brochure or anything on St Read more
Editorial - Top 10
The individual votes-count of Friday's election that only became fully available late Saturday afternoon makes for some interesting reading (see related story). For one thing, UP leader Theo Heyliger confirmed he is by far the most popular politician in St Read more