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Prison Director Rohan Continues To Work While Being Investigated

~ Justice Minister remains mum ~

PHILIPSBURG--Pointe Blanche prison Director Edward Rohan remains a suspect in a criminal investigation by the National Detectives agency and the Prosecutor’s Office. Rohan was implicated as a suspect when it was discovered that he had provided a list of eligible voters at the prison to Member of Parliament Silvio Ma Read more

Council Of Advice Not Positive On Expansion Of Constitutional Court

PHILIPSBURG--There is no need to expand the scope of the Constitutional Court to tackle disputes between Parliament and the Council of Ministers, because there are sufficient existing institutions to handle such, the Council of Advice said in a response to an initiative draft law submitted by Democratic Party (DP) Member of Parliament Sarah Read more

Wescot-Williams: 2017 – A Year Of Challenges And Opportunities

Video Press Conference: Chairperson of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams

PHILIPSBURG – During her first press conference for 2017, on Thursday, January 5, Chairperson of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams wished all a prosperous, Happy New Year.

She deemed 2017, “a year that’s really facing challenges, but also a year of opportunities and it behooves all of us to look for and seize those opportunities.”

She reflected on the elections of September 26, 2016 Read more

Parliament Building Lease To Be Renewed

PHILIPSBURG--The lease on the Parliament House on Wilhelminastraat will very likely be renewed by Government. The current lease, costing taxpayers some US $96,000 per month, will expire in September.

  Despite Parliament having an Ad Hoc Committee for the preparing and building of an actual Parliament House, not much has been done in the past years. Land still has to be identified for such a building along with financing for the project.

  Parliament Chairwoman Sarah Wescot-Williams said on Friday: “Clearly, we are not going to have a new Parliament Building by the time the lease runs out and so we are going to have to negotiate a possible extension of the lease of this building.”

  Parliament has been operating out of the former Caribbean Palm building at the corner Front Street and Wilhelminastraat since 2011 Read more

Cnn: Fort Lauderdale Airport Shooting: Multiple People Killed, Suspect In Custody

(CNN) Gunshots erupted at the Fort Lauderdale airport on Friday, leaving multiple people dead.

Authorities say the gunman, who appeared to be acting alone, is in custody. Here’s the latest on what we know: • Five people are dead, and 13 injured people were transported to hospitals, Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief told CNN. • Multiple reports on social media — including tweets from former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer — described the shooting. • Gene Messina told CNN he’d arrived at the airport as people were being evacuated from the terminal. “I got off the plane and I saw people running and screaming,” he said Read more

Govt. To Host 12Th Annual National Day Of Prayer

PHILIPSBURG – The 12th annual National Day of Prayer will be held this Sunday, January 8, 2017 in front of the new Government Administration building under the theme: “Lord, give us vision that we may prosper.”

The ecumenical service will begin at 5:30pm with Praise and Worship led by the Harmonics Team and Band.

The Order of Service includes a call to worship and invocation. Renditions will be done by the church choir of the Seventh Day Adventist Church as well as the Love and Grace Youth choir.

Intercessory prayers for: Government, economic stability, against crime and violence, the family, the youth and protection, will be offered by a member of the clergy, together with the various persons from the different churches, while Reverend Jaediene Meade will give the sermonette.

Prime Minister William Marlin will offer remarks, followed by a word of thanks by a representative of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Affairs.

The National Day of Prayer is observed annually on the second Sunday in January, with an invitation to people of all faiths to pray for the nation Read more

Update: Four New Mps To Be Sworn In Soon

~ Credentials to be checked today ~

PHILIPSBURG--The four vacant seats in Parliament will soon be filled. The four persons to whom the seats were offered by the Central Voting Bureau by virtue of the votes they gathered on their parties' slates have accepted their posts.

Voting Bureau Chairman Jason Rogers told The Daily Herald that as of Thursday morning all four had accepted their seats to serve as Members of Parliament (MPs).

Perry Geerlings of the Democratic Party (DP) had not yet accepted his seat up to late last Wednesday night.

Now that Geerlings has accepted the seat, Rogers will inform Parliament of his acceptance Read more

Ruling Party Calls On Former Pm And Finance Minister To Explain Their Role In Banking Scandals

ST JOHN’S, Antigua  –  The ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) Wednesday called on former prime minister Baldwin Spencer and the former finance minister, Harold Lovell, to explain their roles in at least two banking scandals it claimed occurred under their stewardship while in government between 2004 to 2014.

The ALBP said that it had taken note of a New Year statement by Spencer talking about “banking scandals” and putting a “negative world spotlight” on Antigua and Barbuda.

It recalled that Spencer was at the head of the government when the first international banking scandal occurred under R Allen Stanford and during the period of the Meinl Bank money laundering operations.

The ruling party said it is now calling on both Spencer and Lovell, who now heads the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) to indicate what or any links they may have had “to the Brazil Oldebrecht saga now occupying international headlines, including the purchase of Meinl Bank in 2010”.

Last month, Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced the dismissal of an honorary consul as his administration continues its investigations into claims linking it to corrupt activities related to the Brazilian multinational, Odebrecht S Read more

Four New Mps To Be Sworn-In Soon

PHILIPSBURG--The four vacant seats in Parliament will soon be filled. The four persons to whom the seats were offered by the Central Voting Bureau by virtue of the votes they gathered on their parties' slates have accepted their posts. 

  Voting Bureau Chairman Jason Rogers told The Daily Herald as of this morning all four had accepted their seats to serve as Members of Parliament  (MPs). 

  Up to late last night, Perry Geerlings of the Democratic Party (DP) had not yet accepted his seat, Rogers had told the paper on Wednesday night. 

  Now that Geerlings has accepted the seat, Rogers will inform Parliament of his acceptance Read more

Prime Minister Marlin On New Administration

PHILIPSBURG – Prime Minister and Minister responsible for General Affairs William Marlin wished all a happy and prosperous 2017, in Wednesday’s Press Briefing, and said they are looking forward to being in office for four years.

“Not that it means that the government will now relax and take it easy because you have four years, but it gives you a better opportunity to plan and prepare and to execute, and to tackle many of the problems that we have had to deal with,” Prime Minister Marlin stated Read more

The Government To Hosts The 12Th Annual National Day Of Prayer .

PHILIPSBURG:--- The 12th Annual National Day of Prayer will be held this Sunday, January 8th, 2017 in front of the New Government Administration Building under the theme is “Lord give us vision that we may Prosper”. The ecumenical service will begin at 5:30 p.m. with Praise and Worship led by the Harmonics Team & Band.
The Order of Service includes a call to worship and invocation. Renditions will be done by the church choir of the Seventh Day Adventist Church as well as the Love and Grace Youth choir.
Intercessory Prayers for: Government, Economic stability, Against Crime & Violence, the Family, the Youth and Protection will be offered by a member of the clergy, together with the various persons from the different churches, while Rev Read more

Minister Lee Introduces Cabinet Staff To Public

~ VSA Ministry gets new phone number ~

PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (VSA) Emil Lee’s cabinet has been completed. Four members of the previous cabinet will be returning: Alissa Rios, Selby Philip, Jim Rosen and Chris Fleming.

Read more

Government Lacks Majority In Parliament

SMCP wishes the people of St. Maarten a blessed New Year and good governance throughout 2017. We pray that our Parliamentarians will raise the bar in Parliament and that the Council of Ministers will adhere to the principles of transparency, accountability, integrity, responsiveness, efficiency, effectiveness and the rule of law that result in good governance.

After a relatively long government formation process, St Read more

Louis Constant Fleming On Writing “Our History,” And The St. Martin Book Fair

SAINT MARTIN – It is not often that a politician is also a major, continuing patron of the cultural arts in St. Martin. Louis Constant Fleming is one of the few exceptions among this rare grouping in St. Martin, North and South.

For the last four years, Fleming has become the private sector example of a St. Martin patron of the cultural arts through the LCF Foundation’s significant contribution to the annual St Read more

Minister Lee Introduces Cabinet Staff

PHILIPSBURG – The Cabinet for the Minister of VSA Emil Lee has been completed. Four members from the previous Cabinet will be returning, namely Alissa Rios, Selby Philip, Jim Rosen, and Chris Fleming.

“Alissa and Selby are both policy advisors and they have done a tremendous job over the past year. Jim Rosen is my Senior Specialist, who has also done a great job, particularly when it comes to financial analysis, and Chris Fleming, who is the cabinet’s personal assistant, is a tremendous support to our staff, ensuring  that everyone in the cabinet is well taken care of,” Lee said.

“Different to my previous appointment where I launched a public recruitment process, the remaining vacancies for the Cabinet this time were filled from a head hunting process that I had been working on over the past year based on the opportunities I had to meet and interact with individuals in Government Read more

Discurso De Año Nuevo Del Primer Ministro William Marlin

Compañeros sanmartinianos,

Residentes de nuestra hermosa isla,

El año 2016 está ahora destinado a los libros de historia a medida que entramos en el 2017 con alegría, esperanza, y con un entusiasmo que determinó que este será nuestro mejor año!

Y mientras nos despedimos del Año Viejo, no podemos dejar de darnos cuenta de que estar vivo para ver el Año Nuevo es en sí una gran bendición, pues muchos que comenzaron el año 2016 con nosotros no llegaron tan lejos Read more

Louis Constant Fleming On Promoting Literature, Democracy, Writing “Our History,” And The St. Martin Book Fair

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten — It is not often that a politician is also a major, continuing patron of the cultural arts in St. Martin. Louis Constant Fleming is one of the very few exceptions among this rare grouping in St. Martin, North and South.

For the last four years, Fleming has become the private sector example of a St. Martin patron of the cultural arts through the LCF Foundation’s significant contribution to the annual St Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- It is not often that a politician is also a major, continuing patron of the cultural arts in St. Martin. Louis Constant Fleming is one of the very few exceptions among this rare grouping in St. Martin, North and South.
For the last four years, Fleming has become the private sector example of a St. Martin patron of the cultural arts through the LCF Foundation’s significant contribution to the annual St Read more

Minister Lee Introduces Cabinet Staff

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Cabinet for the Minister of VSA, Mr. Emil Lee has been completed. Four members from the previous Cabinet will be returning, namely Alissa Rios, Selby Philip, Jim Rosen, and Chris Fleming. “Alissa and Selby are both policy advisors and they have done a tremendous job over the past year; Jim Rosen is my Senior Specialist who has also done a great job, particularly when it comes financial analysis; and Chris Fleming who is the cabinet’s personal assistant, is a tremendous support to our staff, ensuring that everyone in the cabinet is well taken care of.”

“Different to my previous appointment where I launched a public recruitment process, the remaining vacancies for the Cabinet this time were filled from a head hunting process that I had been working on over the past year based on the opportunities I had to meet and interact with individuals in Government Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Cabinet for the Minister of VSA, Mr. Emil Lee has been completed. Four members from the previous Cabinet will be returning, namely Alissa Rios, Selby Philip, Jim Rosen, and Chris Fleming. “Alissa and Selby are both policy advisors and they have done a tremendous job over the past year; Jim Rosen is my Senior Specialist who has also done a great job, particularly when it comes financial analysis; and Chris Fleming who is the cabinet’s personal assistant, is a tremendous support to our staff, ensuring that everyone in the cabinet is well taken care of.”
“Different to my previous appointment where I launched a public recruitment process, the remaining vacancies for the Cabinet this time were filled from a headhunting process that I had been working on over the past year based on the opportunities I had to meet and interact with individuals in Government Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Health and Labor Emil Lee in responding to questions posed by SMN News concerning the vetting and screening of doctors and specialists that come to St. Maarten to work said that those doctors that performed well will be rewarded while those that don’t will have consequences. The Minister said there is a procedure in place to screen specialists and doctors that are working on St Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- SMCP wishes the people of Sint Maarten a blessed New Year and good governance throughout 2017. We pray that our Parliamentarians will raise the bar in Parliament and that the Council of Ministers will adhere to the principles of transparency, accountability, integrity, responsiveness, efficiency, effectiveness and the rule of law that result in good governance.

After a relatively long government formation process, Sint Maarten got a new government or Council of Ministers almost three months after the parliamentary elections that were held on September 26th 2016 Read more

Minister of Finance met with Council General of China to discuss Pearl of China and other matters.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister William Marlin expressed his concerns to the family of the 14-year-old boy who was badly injured during the year-end celebrations when a firecracker exploded in his hand leaving him severely injured.
Marlin said on December 30th, 2016 he along with the Minister of VROMI spend most of the day regulating some issues with Firefly, yet someone managed to bring in fireworks and sold them illegally Read more

William: Reviving Economy Top Priority For Government

PHILIPSBURG--Reviving the economy will be a top priority for government, but this would be impossible to achieve in an atmosphere riddled with rising crime and general insecurity, said Prime Minister William Marlin in his New Year’s address issued on Monday.

Read more