SXMElections.com

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The Philipsburg Methodist Church is finalizing preparation of their popular annual Men's Night of Praise Concert which has been rescheduled for next Saturday November 1sr starting at 7:30pm sharp at the Philipsburg Methodist Chapel.

This concert was originally scheduled for October 25th but was postponed after the passing of Hurricane Gonzalo.
Ticket holders for the October 25th date can be used on November 1st.

Come out and see the talented men of the Methodist Read more

style="text-align: center;">"Boys & Girls Brigade & Special Olympics of St.Maarten to receive "Special Charity" recognition

PHILIPSBURG:---- President of the St. Maarten Rebels Vets Basketball Association, Claret Connor announced that preparations are in full effect for the 7th Edition of the Curasur Masters Tournament. The tournament games are schedule to take place from November 3rd to November 7th, 2014, at the L.B Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Reliably information reaching SMN News states that members of the RST visited the House of Parliament on Thursday where they took a statement from Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel regarding the statements he made on the floor of Parliament on Monday during a public meeting. When contacted Emmanuel said that he did get a visit from members of the RST but he said he will not divulge any information as to what transpired in that meeting on Thursday.
SMN News contacted Acting Chief Prosecutor Karola van Nie for a statement on the visit paid by the RST to the Member of Parliament Read more

Minister Lake Updated On Thursday By Nv Gebe On Electricity Restoration

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake was updated Thursday afternoon by NV GEBE with respect to a small number of homes that are still without electricity in different districts since the passing of Hurricane Gonzalo.

The small number of remaining homes in the districts of St Read more

Men's Night Of Praise Concert Postponed To November 1St

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Philipsburg Methodist Church is finalizing preparation of their popular annual Men's Night of Praise Concert which has been rescheduled for next Saturday November 1sr starting at 7:30pm sharp at the Philipsburg Methodist Chapel.

This concert was originally scheduled for October 25th but was postponed after the passing of Hurricane Gonzalo.

Ticket holders for the October 25th date can be used on November 1st.

Come out and see the talented men of Read more

Mosquito Fogging To Start November 1

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Collective Preventive Services (CPS), a government agency under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labour, hereby announces that as part of its regular vector control program, mosquito fogging throughout the country will commence on Saturday, November 01 in Cupecoy, Low Lands, Maho Reef, Beacon Hill Airport Road, Simpson Bay, Pelican Keys, Simpson Bay Yacht Club and Welfare Road.

Residents are advised to continue to take measures at home and at their business to mitigate mosquito breeding such as the Aedes Aegypti mosquito.

Minister of Public Health, Social Development & Labour Hon Read more

Committee For Action Plan On Integrity Reports: Parliament Calls On Governor Not To Execute Instruction

St. Maarten – The Parliament passed a motion yesterday that calls on governor Drs. Eugène Holiday “not to yield to the measure of instruction formulated by the Dutch government” and to instruct the government to establish a committee that will “study, evaluate and recommend” an action plan based on the findings of three integrity reports that are currently on the table.

With this motion, the Parliament sent a message to The Hague that it will not stand for interference in its internal affairs Read more

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

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

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

Simpson Bay Residents Protested Silently in Parliament on Wednesday.

>SIMPSON BAY:--- Residents of Simpson Bay marched into the house of Parliament on Wednesday to silently protest against what they term as abuse of power and injustice.
One of the residents told SMN News that a parcel of succession land that is occupied by one Marlon Harley for some 28 years operating a mini boat yard. The resident of Simpson Bay said that Halley has legal authorization from one of the nine heirs that inherited the property from Melford Lejuez. The resident said of the nine heirs only one of them is living on St Read more

Motion Passed Unanimously by Parliament on Instruction Given to Governor on Screening Procedures.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Leona Marlin Romeo withdrew the motion she submitted on Wednesday after several discussions were held (caucusing) with the members of parliament sitting on the opposition benches so that the parliament of St. Maarten could form a consensus in dealing with what they describe as a posterity issue. The motion submitted by MP Lloyd Richardson was completely amended based on article 58 Read more

Analysis: Screening Of Candidate-Ministers Seems At Odds With Constitution

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – Screening? What screening? Nobody has asked this simple question yet, because everybody has been either busy and confused, or excited and angry about the humongous cloud of dust the Kingdom Council of Ministers created with its instruction to Governor Holiday for additional screening of candidate-ministers. One may well wonder which instruments the experts Minister Plasterk wants to send to St. Maarten have at their disposal to find something so wrong with one of the candidates that this will give reason to ban them from becoming a minister.

St Read more

St. Maarten Parliament Is Convinced That Screening Process Is Working: Motion Will Ask Governor To Reject Kingdom Instruction

St. Maarten – The United People’s party announced that it would table a motion that asks Governor Holiday not to go along with the instruction from the Kingdom Council of Ministers to execute additional screening of candidate-ministers for the new government. However, parliament adjourned until Wednesday morning after the first round. UP-leader Theo Heyliger told this newspaper that he had not delivered his final report about the new cabinet yet, even though yesterday was the deadline for his task as formateur.

A one-man protest action by Etienne Toochie Meyers – a representative of the movement People United for True Democracy – preceded the first meeting of the new parliament yesterday afternoon Read more

Ministry Of Health Briefs Key Members Of The Council Of Ministers About National Preparations For Ebola

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – On Wednesday representatives from the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (Ministry VSA) met with key members of the Council of Ministers to brief them about the national preparations for Ebola.

Dr. Virginia Asin, Head of the Collective Prevention Services (CPS) from the Minister of Public Health can be seen (left) briefing Prime Minister Hon. Sarah Wescot-Williams (2nd from left) and Minister of Public Health Hon Read more

Editorial - Clarity needed

Parliamentarian Christopher Emmanuel of the National Alliance (NA) no doubt dropped a bomb during Monday’s debate about the instruction by the Kingdom Council of Ministers to Governor Eugene Holiday on the screening of candidate ministers Read more

Shidokan athlete second in Japan championship

MARIGOT—Ruben Girault-Darteyre from St. Martin achieved a second place overall in the Under 18 division of the International Junior Shidokan Championships held in Japan.

Girault-Darteyre (13) who was born in St. Martin December 1, 2000, was apparently disqualified in the final however. Details of his bouts and results could not be obtained from coaches by press time.

According to brief information on the athlete, he took up Shidokan in 2005 and although overweight he worked hard to lose pounds to become the best in the class Read more

North Korea unexpectedly releases US citizen Fowle

WASHINGTON--North Korea has freed Jeffrey Fowle, one of three Americans detained by the country, and he is being flown home to his family in Ohio, the White House said on Tuesday.

Spokesman Josh Earnest said the United States welcomed the move, but pressed Pyongyang to free the two remaining Americans. "While this is a positive decision ... we remain focused on the continued detention of Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller and again call on the DPRK to immediately release them," Earnest said, referring to the country's official name of Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The United States will continue to work actively on those cases, he added.

Fowle, 56, a street repair worker from Miamisburg, Ohio, was arrested in May for leaving a Bible at a sailor's club in the North Korean city of Chongjin, where he was traveling as a tourist Read more

St. Maarten Toastmasters Men Empowerment Night.

style="text-align: center;">To commemorate 90 years of Toastmasters International

PHILIPSBURG:--- Toastmasters on St Maarten will be commemorating the 90th anniversary of Toastmasters International with a special meeting for the public on Saturday October 25th at the Asha Stevens School in Cayhill.
The evening will feature as its theme "Men Empowerment night" Read more

Why Saleh is wrong

Dear Editor,

I have much respect for Professor Jaime Saleh, former Governor of the Netherlands Antilles. However, I was very disappointed by his presentation here in Statia on October 4, 2014, on invitation of the Statia DP.

My disappointment stems from the fact that Mr. Saleh seemed not in touch with what is going on in Statia today; he spoke of his days as governor when he walked the streets here and met the local people and listened to their concerns; that would have been a good place to start on this latest trip also Read more

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

Urgent Plenary Session of Parliament to continue on Wednesday.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The Monday urgent plenary session of the House of Parliament was that was adjourned will continue on October 22nd.
The plenary session is set for Wednesday at 10:00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.
The agenda is the instruction of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations given to the Governor of Sint Maarten to postpone ratification of the country decree in the appointment of the Ministers and Prime Minister.

This meeting was requested by Members of Parliament (MPs) Hon Read more

St. Maarten creates its own problem --- MP Emmanuel said he was offered $2m to jump ship and join the UPP.

style="text-align: center;">St. Maarten needs to fix its own house before trying to cross the ocean

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel unleashed an unexpected bomb on the floor of Parliament on Monday afternoon during the urgent meeting of Parliament that was called to discuss the instruction given to Governor Eugene Holiday Read more

Urgent Plenary Session Of Parliament To Continue On Wednesday

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – The Monday urgent plenary session of the House of Parliament was that was adjourned will continue on October 22nd.

The plenary session is set for Wednesday at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda is the instruction of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations given to the Governor of Sint Maarten to postpone ratification of the country decree in the appointment of the Ministers and Prime Minister.

This meeting was requested by Members of Parliament (MPs) Hon Read more