SXMElections.com

TEATT gas measuring tanks still in Curaçao

PHILIPSBURG--Controls by the Inspection Department of the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication TEATT are hindered because the measuring tanks – used to ensure gas stations are operating within the parameters set by government – have been in Curaçao since last year.

The concern was shared on Monday by Member of Parliament (MP) George Pantophlet via press statement Read more

Collectivité honours six for Father’s Day

MARIGOT--The Collectivité held its traditional Father's Day ceremony on Friday to honour six. As usual the chosen fathers were nominated by the representatives of each district council and a biography of each nominee was presented.

The six were Joseph Liburd from French Quarter, Bruno Burnett from Grand Case, Clement Gumbs from Cripple Gate, Jocelyn Jermin from Morne Valois, Charles Richardson from Marigot, and Fernand Sylvestre from Sandy Ground.

Vice-President for Solidarity and Families Ramona Connor in her address noted celebration of fathers has existed in France since 1952.

"Today we are going to celebrate the very good fathers you are," she said Read more

UP tables changes to Integrity Chamber law

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten should chair the Integrity Chamber that will come into being for the country should Parliament pass the draft National Ordinance to establish the Chamber. That Chamber also should render "advice" to the Council of Ministers and not "binding advice" as the draft currently states.

These are among the changes the United People's (UP) party wants to see in the draft law when Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs and Justice Minister Dennis Richardson bring it back to Parliament possibly in August to continue deliberations on it.

UP faction leader MP Franklin Meyers, speaking on Monday in the now-suspended plenary session of Parliament on the law, outlined the changes his party wants to see made to the law Read more

Russia to help Jamaica agriculture and possibly import meat and crops

KINGSTON, Jamaica--Russia has promised to help Jamaica restore its mined-out bauxite lands to full agricultural production. It also plans to share its technology to boost the island's agriculture and help address its environmental issues.

Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Phillip Paulwell made the disclosure as he attended the 19th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Moscow, where he met with representatives from the Russian government to strengthen cooperation in specialised areas.

"I held discussions with the Agriculture Minister [Alexander Tkachov – Ed.] Read more

style="text-align: center;">Was St. Maarten’s Entities Consulted --- MP Leona Romeo Marlin.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of National Alliance and Member of Parliament William Marlin asked several questions regarding the protocol Minister Dennis Richardson signed on May 23rd with the Dutch Government on the establishment of an integrity chamber Read more

>PHILIPSBURG: --- The chairman of Parliament MP Lloyd Richardson had to go back on his decision and remove an agenda point he added on Monday even though several Members of Parliament objected to the additional agenda point claiming that procedures were not followed.
MP De Weever asked the chair of Parliament to add the motion that was suspended in December 2013 which was to widen the scope of medical coverage for independent workers, namely bus drivers, taxi drivers and vendors.
When the motion was in parliament it had to be suspended when it became clear that there was no law in place to support the motion.
MP William Marlin was the first MP to object to the chairman’s decision citing that procedures were not being followed, Marlin even ask the chairman of parliament if the Parliament of St Read more

style="text-align: center;">Will MP Meyers be living on his Knees or will he die Standing?

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel did not mingle with words during the parliamentary debate on the establishment of an integrity chamber on St. Maarten that was held on Monday. MP Emmanuel said that people need to stop blaming the Dutch for everything and blame the person that places the country in the position it is now Read more

style="text-align: center;">Samuel, Sabnani & Maidasani Now Rotarians

PHILIPSBURG:---  The Rotary Club of Sint Maarten inducted three new members at its weekly lunch meeting at the Divi Little Bay Resort on June
17, 2015. Club President Danny Ramchandani had the honor, along with President-Elect Jeffrey
“Soc” Sochrin of welcoming these new Rotarians to the wonderful family of Rotary
International.

President Ramchandani reminded the new members of their responsibility of service above self and presented Mr Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---- St. Maarten was not surprised at all when the UP party told their coalition partner the US party of MP Frans Richardson to take a hike but Dennis stays. The US party should have drawn their conclusion from the statement made by the honorable Prime Minister that Minister Richardson isn’t going anywhere Read more

Rotary Club Of Sint Maarten Inducts Three New Members, Samuel, Sabnani & Maidasani Now Rotarians

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – The Rotary Club of Sint Maarten inducted three new members at its weekly lunch meeting at the Divi Little Bay Resort on June 17, 2015.

Club President Danny Ramchandani had the honor, along with President-Elect Jeffrey "Soc" Sochrin of welcoming these new Rotarians to the wonderful family of Rotary International.

President Ramchandani reminded the new members of their responsibility of service above self and presented Mr. Rodolphe Samuel, Mr Read more

Two Injured After Traffic Accident Friday

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - On Friday June 19th at approximately 10.45 p.m. police patrols, police Traffic Department, paramedics and Fire Department were sent to the A.J.C. Brouwers road in the vicinity of the Harold Jack look-out Point for a serious traffic accident.

On the scene the investigating officers encountered a head-on collision between two private vehicles P-5934 and P-7307.

Vehicles in question were travelling in the opposite directions when they collided head on.

As a result of the impact the driver of the P-5934 remained stuck in the mangled wreckage and had to be freed using the "Jaws of Life" from the Fire Department Read more

Parliament Meets With Justice Minister And Pm On Integrity Chamber Protocol Monday

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The draft National Ordinance to establish the Integrity Chamber was the focus of debate Monday in the chambers of the Parliament of St. Maarten.

Present for the meeting were all members of Parliament including the Prime Minister and the Justice Minister. As was speculated, a motion of no confidence against the Justice Minister was not tabled by the leader of the US party MP Frans Richardson.

Discontent with the signing of the Integrity Chamber protocol was however unanimous however at varying levels.

Justice Minister Dennis Richardson advised the Parliament of St Read more

Residents bend it for first International Yoga Day

SIMPSON BAY--The pumping sound of reggae music making its way up Simpson Bay Beach did not interfere with the quiet quite a large gathering of yoga amateurs and professionals sought on the first-ever International Yoga Day on Sunday afternoon.

Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice or discipline that originated in India.

Yoga practitioners got in the groove to bend, stretch and breathe as the music slowly faded into the background and they moved through the ancient exercise routine.

The waves lapped and sea gulls drifted above as St Read more

WICSU/PSU installs new board members

PHILIPSBURG--The new board of the Windward Islands Civil Servants' Union/Private Sector Union (WICSU/PSU) was installed during a well-attended ceremony at the union's office Friday evening.

In keeping with the theme of the event, which was "light," board members were given lit candles while the song "Carry your candle" was sung.

The executive board members are President Henrietta Doran-York; Secretary General Riegnald Arrindell; Treasurer Francisco Mariana and Vice President Julia Solognier.

Other members of the board who were installed were Winair pilot Dino Arrundell; Dr Read more

Trapped driver cut out of vehicle in bad accident Fri

PHILIPSBURG--The trapped driver of a white Toyota Corolla had to be cut out of his vehicle, which was involved in a terrible accident on A.J.C. Brouwer Road near Harold Jack lookout point mid-evening Friday.

It is unclear how the collision between the Corolla and a sports utility vehicle (SUV) occurred, but police spokesperson Chief Inspector Ricardo Henson told The Daily Herald on Sunday that the impact had been quite severe Read more

Teachers reject new pay offer

KINGSTON, Jamaica--Despite an increased offer late Friday night from the Government, public school teachers voted overwhelmingly Saturday to reject their latest pay offer.

The ballot, which followed a prolonged presentation from Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) President Doran Dixon, which appeared to be aimed at reducing the growing tension inside the Jamaica College auditorium, resulted in 243 of the 315 delegates voting against the Government’s package.

Of the number, 71 delegates voted for the package, which included the latest wage offer of seven per cent over two years Read more

After midnight in the library, Putin sets out his world view

ST PETERSBURG, Russia--It was two minutes before midnight when Russian President Vladimir Putin finally entered the meeting room in the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library, more than three hours late, to be interviewed by a dozen exhausted journalists.

His retinue seemed wearily accustomed to the late-night regimen, but Putin himself - after back-to-back meetings, a speech and an on-stage interview at his annual business conference here in his home town of St Petersburg - was fresh, fulsome and feisty Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---- United People’s (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake, says he has drafted a legislation agenda which he will be working on during the second half of 2015 after parliament returns from recess.
“Government has already started working on abolishing the Expat law in the public sector and making changes to the law for the private sector, and this will save Government approximately one million guilders Read more

Port St. Maarten empowers MPC Science Technology Project ‘Near Space Experience’

>

POINTE BLANCHE:--- Port St. Maarten – Students and teachers of the HAVO/VWO Department of the Milton Peters College (MPC) have embarked on a unique Science/Technology project called the N.S.E. “Near Space Experience.”
Port St. Maarten is supporting the project financially as a partner during the pre and post phases which includes video and graphic productions, launch, along with rendering technical support to help guarantee the success of the project.
This is the first time known so far that this exciting initiative is being realized in the Caribbean by High School students Read more

Take It Or Leave, Dennis Stays But You The Us Party May Go!

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – St. Maarten was not surprised at all when the UP party told their coalition partner the US party of MP Frans Richardson to take a hike but Dennis stays.

The US party should have drawn their conclusion from the statement made by the honorable Prime Minister that Minister Richardson isn't going anywhere.

According to the Prime Minister if Minister Richardson goes, then the entire cabinet is going and the Prime Minister would then have no choice but to dissolve the parliament of St Read more

Jan Beaujon Addresses The Role Of The Media In Providing "Checks And Balances"As A Key Component Of Good Governance

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Under the theme, "Governance: The Value of Checks and Balances", the annual Governor's Symposium took place at the Westin Dawn Beach Resort over the weekend.

Attendees to conference, which took place on Friday June 19th, heard from several speakers including the host Drs. Eugene Holiday, Prime Minister the Honorable Marcel G Read more

Port St. Maarten Empowers Mpc Science Technology Project ‘Near Space Experience’

POINTE BLANCHE, St. Maarten – Students and teachers of the HAVO/VWO Department of the Milton Peters College (MPC) have embarked on a unique Science/Technology project called the N.S.E. "Near Space Experience."

Port St. Maarten is supporting the project financially as a partner during the pre and post phases which includes video and graphic productions, launch, along with rendering technical support to help guarantee the success of the project.

This is the first time known so far that this exciting initiative is being realized in the Caribbean by High School students Read more

Mp Lake Prepares Legislation Agenda For Second Half Of 2015

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – United People's (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake, says he has drafted a legislation agenda which he will be working on during the second half of 2015 after parliament returns from recess.

"Government has already started working on abolishing the Expat law in the public sector and making changes to the law for the private sector, and this will save Government approximately one million guilders Read more

Gearing up to a new era of colonialism and nepotism

Dear Editor,

Lately, our representatives seem to worry a lot -and sometimes rightly so- about the Dutch (post) colonial powers. So far, the apogee of this independence rhetoric came to light when an MP was quoted as saying that he would rather “die on his feet than live on his knees”. The MP was quick to forget that Dutch PM Rutte already indicated that independence is just a phone call away.

So why so much noise? It is nothing more than putting up smokescreens in order to derive the attention from the real problem, namely the new era of (corporate) colonialism and nepotism which is upon us Read more