SXMElections.com

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

Frans: Our message was loud and clear!

PHILIPSBURG--United St. Maarten party leader Frans Richardson reaffirmed his party's mission of continuing to make life better for the people of St. Maarten in his speech directly following this year's election's preliminary results. The party earned two seats.

"While some of them had counted us out, our message was loud and clear," Richardson said.

"Our message was clear, our message was loud, our message cannot change in this game Read more

Sarah: DP to evaluate results, open to talk

PHILIPSBURG--The Democratic Party (DP) will be "digesting" and "evaluating" the preliminary parliamentary election results and will determine how to proceed, given the distribution of seats announced early this morning.

"We need to digest the results. That's where we will start. Then we see what needs to be done," DP leader Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams told The Daily Herald at the party's headquarters at Bute Hotel just after the announcement.

"The DP has been in this to give stability to the government of St Read more

Editorial -- Intriguing landscape

The voters have spoken. Compared to four years ago UP replaced NA as the largest party but fell short of a majority, while DP held steady after its setback in 2010 and newcomer US party not only got into Parliament but earned two seats, making for an intriguing new political landscape Read more

style="text-align: center;">Preliminary Results UPP – 7 Seats, NA – 4 seats, USp – 2 seats, DP – 2 seats --- NA, USp and DP signed working document

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

>

PHILIPSBURG:--- It's Election Day! SMN News will be bringing you coverage and the results of the August 29th Parliamentary Elections throughout the day. Readers are advised to refresh this page in order to see the new results as they are added.
There are some 20 polling stations which will close at 8pm Friday night. Results are expected to start coming in between 9:00 to 9:30pm. Stay with us for the 2014 Parliamentary Elections as they come in at the main Voting Bureau at the Government Administration Building.

  Polling StationsDPNAUPPUSPOSPPSRPBLANK INVALIDCASTTOTAL1.John Larmonie Center 91195302
75
5
6
518697 6972.Sundial School          3.Sint Maarten Senior Citizen Recreational Ctr.          4.Sister Marie Laurence School          5.Dutch Quarter Community Center          6.Milton Peters College 140413345
96
13
9
5 12103310337.Rupert I Read more

Minister Lake says he stands for the protection of the Great Salt Pond.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake says he stands for the protection of the Great Salt Pond, and looks forward in the new governing period to continue with the community consultation regarding the draft development plans.

Minister Lake said he took note of a petition that was presented more than a year ago which called for a stop to the landfill expansion, dumping and pollution in the Great Salt Pond.

"I agree we have to maintain the current status of the Great Salt Pond Read more

>People of St. Maarten,

The first Parliament of our Country is nearing its end. In a few weeks the first four-year term, which started on October 10th 2010, will be over. As your first appointed Prime Minister in 2010 I promised you then that I would amongst other things build a strong foundation for our new country. Bridge the social and political divides and work for all of the people of St. Maarten. I would work to strengthen the delicate social fabric with strong and lasting fibers and to make it work Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake facilitated a sponsor for the John Larmonie Center Senior Citizens Recreation Area.

On Tuesday SXM Airport donated a cheque to the senior's representative Patsy Flanders. The funds will go to cover the costs of setting up a ramp making the building more accessible to seniors and repairs to the kitchenette.

"I am very pleased that repairs and other works can now move forward at the John Larmonie Center which will be to the benefit of our seniors," Minister Hon Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake on Tuesday recognized the district nurses with respect to the work that they do on a daily basis in taking care of the nation's senior citizens.

"I presented a token of appreciation to the district nurses and thanked them for the work that they do on a daily basis in taking care of our seniors at the St Read more

Hong Kong media mogul unbowed by raid as democracy battle boils

HONG KONG--Hong Kong's most powerful critic of Beijing, a brash media tycoon whose home was raided by anti-corruption officers, said on Friday he won't be cowed by efforts to silence him ahead of a crunch decision this weekend on the city's political future.
  Jimmy Lai, 65, a self-made millionaire smuggled into Hong Kong by boat as a child, has become one of the most influential magnates in greater China, standing up to an increasingly assertive China and pumping millions of his own money into a movement seeking democracy for the former British colony.
  His role as the main financial patron of the pro-democracy movement since the territory's 1997 handover to Communist Party rulers in China has come under growing scrutiny Read more

St. Maarten Waste to Energy Plant

Dear Editor,

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

Editorial - Regardless of the result

That the electoral reforms discussed in Parliament not too long ago were never realised is old news by now. Other than the police and VROMI officials regulating how close to each voting bureau the candidates can promote themselves, employees receiving two instead of four hours to vote and the polls staying open until 8:00 rather than 7:00pm, not much has changed since four years ago as far as Election Day goes.

Even concerns about the use of electronic devices to take pictures of filled-in ballots as invoices to collect when selling votes was not tackled Read more

Equipment for second water plant ordered

POINTE BLANCHE--The equipment and installations for the construction of the second seawater reverse osmosis plant in Pointe Blanche have been ordered.

The long-term Water Supply Agreement of Government with Seven Seas/AirFin, signed in November 2012, includes the supply, construction and operation of two new, state-of-the-art reverse osmosis plants. These plants are modular systems capable of producing 3,700 m3 per day each, a press release issued on Thursday said.

At an average, household consumption of half a cubic metre per day, one plant produces sufficient water to supply 7,400 homes on a daily basis.

The agreement states that the second plant shall be operational mid February 2016 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

Dennis outlines challenges of National Detective Agency

~ No response from Dutch for assistance ~

PHILIPSBURG--Justice Minister Dennis Richardson outlined on Thursday some of the challenges facing the National Detective Agency (Landsrecherche) of St. Maarten.

Richardson said he had asked Dutch Minister of Security and Justice Ivo Opstelten in early 2014 for temporary operational assistance of four detectives from the National Detective Agency (Rijksrecherche) in the Netherlands. The request was made in view of the Landsrecherche's workload Read more

Govt agrees that suspected directors should step down

PHILIPSBURG/THE HAGUE--The Government of St. Maarten agrees with the Wit-Samson Committee that directors of government-owned companies, who are a suspect in a criminal investigation, need to step down until this investigation is completed.

Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams and Justice Minister Dennis Richardson stated this in their formal response to the July 2014 report of the Wit-Samson integrity committee 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.”

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.”

“I cannot allow that observation to stand without proper investigation,” Minister Richardson said at yesterday’s Council of Ministers press briefing Read more

Opinion: Up Party Causes Real Estate Bubble

Dear Editor,

The UP led government has created a real estate bubble that will burst and hurt many real estate investors. Let us take a look at the real estate transaction by Minister Lake of the UP party from an auditor’s view:

Before a minister can sign a document or contract that binds government financially he has to obtain at least 3 approvals from different control units:

He has to obtain the approval from the minister of finance, because the minister of finance has higher supervision on all the ministries in government. He has to obtain the approval from the Council of Ministers. He has to obtain the approval from the Governor of St Read more

Court Allows Hearing Additional Witnesses In Bada Bing Case

St. Maarten – The Court in First Instance granted yesterday morning close to all requests defense attorneys made last week in the run-up to the Bada Bing bribery trial that is scheduled to take place in the spring of 2015. The court referred the case back to the Judge of Instruction for hearing witnesses the defense had asked for.

Judge Koos van de Ven dismissed the argument of public prosecutor Gonda van der Wulp, who said during the pro forma hearing last week Thursday that the defense should have notified the prosecutor’s office three days before the hearing about the witnesses they want to hear Read more

Up Party Inadmissible In Quest For Complete Voting Register

St. Maarten – The Court in First Instance declared the United People’s party and its president Sylvia Meyers-Olivacce inadmissible yesterday in a lawsuit that the party filed in an effort to obtain a full copy of the voters register.

The UP, represented by attorneys Peggy Ann Brandon and Brenda Brooks, filed the lawsuit against the Minister of General Affairs and the Government of St Read more

Telem Group Providing Streaming Links For "Live" Coverage Of Friday's Parliamentary Elections

POND ISLAND, St. Maarten – The Election Watchnight Association (EWA) has thanked TelEm Group for assisting with online streaming arrangements which will allow the foundation to broadcast election results worldwide as soon as they come in during Friday's Parliamentary elections.

EWA has covered Island Council and Parliamentary elections since 1990, thanks to the dedication of the late Edgar Lynch and brother Egbert Lynch.

Family and friends associated with EWA aim to continue his legacy by providing the most comprehensive coverage and analysis of election results whenever elections are called.

Edgar's son, and now producer of this year's EWA coverage says with online streaming provided by TelEm Group, coverage will begin at 8:00 pm once the election polling stations have closed Friday.

The program will be aired live online thanks to the streaming links and will also be available to a worldwide audience.

Along with an extensive team working behind the scenes, viewers and listeners online will get historical outlook, up to date developments and pre-recorded interviews from program hosts, Gina Bruney, Myrna Lynch and Henry Lynch.

Edgardo thanked TelEm Group management for making the online streaming possible and for assisting in the family's aims to keep the Association relevant as an educational tool to present day St Read more