Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
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
Home Of Mp Heyliger Ransacked Tuesday
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Although he is the most popular man on the island, the home of MP Theo Heyliger became the target of burglarson Tuesday afternoon.
The popular leader of the UP political party have always stated that he faces the same threats from crime as everyone else in the St Read more
New Mps Officially Formalized By Central Voting Bureau, Names Of Mps To Be Published
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten -The results of the 2014 Parliamentary election which was held on August 29th, have been formalized.
In adherence with the Electoral Law, the results will now have to be published in the National Gazette and the elected members of Parliament officially informed.
The elected MPs will also have to advise the Central Voting Bureau if they will accept the position of member of Parliament for St. Maarten.
This was announced on Monday afternoon during a public meeting of the Central Voting Bureau which is chaired by Attorney Jason Rogers.
Fifteen (15) members of Parliament were elected on Friday August 29th from four political parties Read more
Us Say's There Is No Alliance With Up Party, Denies Rumors {Updated}
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Many persons are now breathing a sigh of relief, as the United St. Maarten Party held a press conference on Friday to brushed aside what they described as rumors regarding the formation of the next government.
it was on Sunday, three political parties signed an agreement aimed at the formation of the next government for St. Maarten.
The three parties are the National Alliance who received four (4) seats in the parliamentary election, the Democratic Party two (2) seats and the United St 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
Up Leader And Board Say Thank You Sint Maarten And Especially The 6000+ Voters Who Voted Up
PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – United People's (UP) Party Leader and Member of Parliament Hon. Theo Heyliger and the UP Party Board would like to thank the people of Sint Maarten for exercising their democratic right to vote on Friday, August 29th when over 14,800 persons made use of their right to vote, bringing the turnout close to 70 per cent.
"I am overwhelmed by the support received where over 6000 voters placed their confidence in the UP Party, making the UP the largest political party in the country 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
UP biggest, but NA, US, DP sign accord
PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten will have yet another coalition government after Friday's elections. National Alliance (four seats), United St. Maarten Party (two seats) and Democratic Party (two seats) signed a declaration of willingness before dawn today to work together to form a new government.
DP leader Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams told The Daily Herald about the declaration shortly after the signing took place at the DP election headquarters at Bute Hotel.
The short declaration states that the parties are willing to work together Read more
PHILIPSBURG:--- The United Peoples Party got a resounding amount of votes from the voting population on Friday Read more
St. Maarten Prepares For New Government
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Talks towards the formation of a new government for St. Maarten has already begun.
Seemingly there is some interest between the National Alliance party of MP William Marlin (four seats), the Democratic Party of PM Sarah Wescot-Williams (two seats) and the US party of MP Frans Richardson (two seats).
www.sxmislandtime.com learnt that an accord was signed at the Bute Hotel between the NA, DP and US political parties at five (5am) Saturday.
If this combination of political parties decide to form the next government, then the UP party of MP Theo Heyliger who got seven (7) seats in Friday's election would be left to occupy the opposition benches in the new Parliament of St Read more
St. Maarten Waste to Energy Plant
It has come to my attention that in his bid to win re-election Theo Heyliger has promised to deliver a waste to energy plant to Country St.Maarten. In the ad is an artist's rendering showing what the plant will look like when built. All in all, a pretty effective ad for something St.Maarten has needed for a long time.
Now I do understand the business of politics and that come election time, all politicians will remind voters that it was them or their political party that "brought home the bacon" Read more
Theo announces finalisation of National Energy Policy
PHILIPSBURG--Member of Parliament and leader of the United People's (UP) party Theo Heyliger announced on Wednesday the completion of the National Energy Policy for St. Maarten. The policy contains a list of measures and procedures necessary to mitigate the impact of energy usage on the environment while offering consumers lower tariffs for energy use.
"This represents building a new energy future for St Read more
Prosecution Appeals Class Justice Ruling
St. Maarten – The prosecution filed an appeal yesterday against the ruling in the 2010 election fraud case (the so-called Masbangu investigation). On Monday, the court declared the prosecution inadmissible in the prosecution of three suspects who are accused of selling their vote to the United People’s party and one suspect who gave these suspects money on behalf of the UP. The court ruled that the decisions the prosecutor’s office made in this investigation –excluding the UP and its party leader Theo Heyliger from the investigation – have “the semblance of class justice.â€
The court declared the prosecution inadmissible because it violated the principle of equality and the ban on arbitrariness.
“The Public Prosecutor’s Office agrees with the vision of the court that the role of the UP has not been sufficiently investigated, but it has provided an explanation for this during the trial Read more
Investigation At Prosecutor’S Office
St. Maarten – Justice Minister Dennis Richardson will consult with the chairman of the Law Enforcement Council– former Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards – about a possible investigation into the practice of class justice within the Public Prosecutor’s Office in St. Maarten.
The initiative follows on the heels of the court ruling in the Masbangu-case that revolves around selling and buying of votes before the 2010 elections. The Court in First Instance declared the prosecution inadmissible in this case and remarked in its ruling that, by not investigating the role of the United People’s party and its leader Theo Heyliger, the prosecutor’s office had called upon itself ‘the semblance of class justice.â€
“I cannot allow that observation to stand without proper investigation,†Minister Richardson said at yesterday’s Council of Ministers press briefing Read more
UP seeks full mandate, no coalition on Friday
PHILIPSBURG--A full mandate for the United People's (UP) party, not a coalition government, in Friday's Parliamentary Elections was collective message of the party's 23 candidates to supporters at the final public meeting of the campaign held on the ring road Wednesday night.
UP leader Theo Heyliger told the gathering that from the start of the campaign all the other political parties had focused their attack on UP Read more
Masbangu Verdict is an Indictment for the Prosecutor’s Office --- Class Justice is a Crime.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the National Alliance (NA) William Marlin says dollarization will have serious financial consequences for St. Maarten as the costs to take this route are extremely exorbitant.Marlin said UP Theo Heyliger's claims during Sunday's debate that it won't cost much is erroneous and intended to sugar coat the real figures and the tremendous loss of seigniorage for the country.For St Read more
NA: Dollarization could sink country
PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance (NA) leader Member of Parliament William Marlin says dollarization will have serious financial consequences for St. Maarten, as the expenses to take this route are extremely exorbitant. He called on United People's (UP) party leader MP Theo Heyliger to substantiate his claim that the switch from the Netherlands Antilles guilder to the US dollar would not cost the country much.
Marlin, whose party is not in favour of dollarizing the economy, said such a move comes with "tremendous loss of seigniorage" for the country.
To dollarize, the country would have to purchase stocks of currency equivalent to the value of the total stock of guilders in circulation Read more
Van Raak, Bosman shocked by ruling in vote-buying case
THE HAGUE--Members of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD party and Ronald van Raak of the Socialist Party (SP) said on Tuesday that they were shocked by the decision of the Court in St. Maarten's vote-buying case.
The Court of First Instance on Monday declared inadmissible the Prosecutor's Office's cases against five persons who were allegedly involved in the selling and buying of votes on behalf of the United People's (UP) party in the September 2010 election.
"I am truly shocked by the Court's decision," Van Raak told The Daily Herald in a reaction Read more