SXMElections.com

Marcel Gumbs tipped to be prime minister

PHILIPSBURG--It appears United People's (UP) party leader Member of Parliament Theo Heyliger will stick to his seat in Parliament instead of opting to become prime minister of the new UP/Democratic Party/Marlin-Romeo coalition.

Veteran politician Marcel Gumbs has been tipped as a possible candidate for prime minister Read more

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Why US green groups are talking about abortion this election

DENVER--Green billionaire Tom Steyer vowed to make the November congressional elections about climate change. Now he's talking about abortion and the economy to get his candidates across the finish line.

Steyer, a hedge fund manager turned environmentalist, launched a state-of-the-art operation to push voters to elect governors and senators willing to confront global warming. His NextGen Climate Action political committee is on track to spend more than $55 million in this election - an unprecedented amount for an environmentalist group.

But NextGen and other green groups are not talking about climate change as much as one would expect Read more

Bosman: Council of State members are out of place

THE HAGUE--Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD party is highly critical of the legal objections expressed by Members of the Council of State for the Kingdom to the instruction that the Kingdom Council of Ministers gave to Aruba in July this year. Bosman deemed their position "highly inappropriate."

The Antilliaans Dagblad newspaper on Tuesday reported that Members of the Council of State for the Kingdom Antonito "Mito" Croes of Aruba and Robert Vornis of Curaçao, as well as Member of the Council of State in extraordinary service for the Caribbean Netherlands Frits Goedgedrag, were all against the instruction.

The newspaper stated that Croes referred to the instruction given to Aruba Governor Fredis Refunjol to hold off on ratifying the country's 2014 budget until an independent screening had taken place, as a decision that held no legal grounds.

Vornis was said to have expressed his support for Aruba Prime Minister Mike Eman in a Twitter message shortly after the instruction, while Goedgedrag stated in a recent report as Chairman of Aruba's Council of Advice that the instruction lacked legal grounds and was against the Kingdom Charter and the Regulation of the Governor.

Member of Parliament (MP) Bosman questioned the position of the Members of the Council of State and posed written questions on Tuesday to Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk about the newspaper article Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Almost three weeks after signing an agreement with formateur Theodore Heyliger, leader of the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot Williams finally broke her silence on Monday at a press conference held at the House of Parliament Read more

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Sarah: DP fraction of two MPs intact

PHILIPBSURG--The Democratic Party (DP) fraction comprises two Members of Parliament (MPs): Sarah Wescot-Williams and Cornelius de Weever, with De Weever serving as the party's fraction leader in Parliament Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- Almost three weeks after signing an agreement with formateur Theodore Heyliger, leader of the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot Williams finally broke her silence on Monday at a press conference held at the House of Parliament Read more

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Marchers call for ‘respect’ and end to Dutch ‘insult’

PHILIPSBURG--"We didn't vote for Bosman or Van Raak" and "Enough is enough. This is our country" were some of the messages on the placards carried by an estimated 200 marchers who took to the street Sunday afternoon to express their discontent with the Kingdom Council of Ministers' instruction to Governor Eugene Holiday to carry out what has been deemed an invasive, boundless screening into the lives of minister candidates.

The march started off from the ring road with the sizable group heading down W.J.A Read more

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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

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Icon Mike Ferrier Resigns From Democratic Party

St. Maarten – Mike Ferrier has terminated his membership of the Democratic Party out of disappointment over the way party-leader Sarah Wescot-Williams handled the defection of her number 2 candidate Cornelius de Weever to a coalition with the United People’s party and the subsequent decision by Wescot-Williams to follow suit.

“I cannot subscribe to abandoning all that we campaigned on and claimed to stand for prior to August 29, 2014, by joining a government that has been given life by a person, or a couple of people from within our DP-ranks who seem to be driven only by power, greed and self-interest,” Ferrier – who was the party’s public relations officer – writes in a letter to Wescot-Williams dated last Friday, October 17 Read more

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Dutch Parliament supports English in Statia education

THE HAGUE--Members of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament expressed support for the introduction of English as the language of instruction at schools in St. Eustatius during a meeting with Dutch State Secretary of Education, Culture and Science Sander Dekker on Wednesday.

Members of Parliament (MPs) André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD party, Roelof van Laar of the Labour Party PvdA and Paul van Meenen of the Democratic Party D66 lauded the decision of the state secretary to make the switch from Dutch to English as the language of instruction at Statia schools.

The MPs shared the opinion of the expert committee that investigated the pros and cons of introducing English as the language of instruction in St Read more

Ferrier resigns from DP, against Sarah supporting UP coalition

~ Richelda feels deceived, doesn't support Sarah ~

PHILIPSBURG--Former President of the Democratic Party (DP) and candidate in the August 29 parliamentary election Michael Ferrier has tendered his resignation from DP over the move by party leader Sarah Wescot-Williams to join the United People's (UP) party-led coalition.

DP candidate Richelda Rodriguez-Emmanuel in an email responding to Ferrier's resignation said she still couldn't "get over the feeling of anger, deception, disappointment and disbelief" to put in any form of communication Read more

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Holiday says MPs play critical role to foster good governance

~ MPs sworn in ~

HARBOUR VIEW--The fifteen Members of Parliament (MPs) elected during the August 29 Parliamentary Elections took their oaths to serve in the presence of Governor Eugene Holiday on Friday.

Sworn in were United People's (UP) party MPs Theo Heyliger, Franklin Meyers, Silvio Matser, Tamara Leonard, Maurice Lake, Lloyd Richardson and Johan "Janchi Leonard; Democratic Party (DP) MPs Sarah Wescot-Williams and Cornelius de Weever; United St Read more

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Sarah elected as the new President of Parliament

~ Marlin-Romeo VP, De Weever second VP ~

PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot-Williams was elected President of Parliament during a plenary session on Friday.

United St Read more

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Van Raak to seek clarity on St. Maarten developments

THE HAGUE--Appalled by the latest political developments in St. Maarten, Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament Ronald van Raak of the Socialist Party (SP) will be seeking a statement from the Dutch government that "St. Maarten is about to get a government that possibly has been bought."

Van Raak announced on Friday that he plans to ask Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk for a written explanation during Wednesday's procedural meeting of the Second Chamber's Permanent Committee for Kingdom Relations Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- Formateur Honarable Member of Parliament (MP) Theodore Heyliger during his deliberations with political factions as well as with individual MPs who have been elected to Parliament based on the August 29, 2014 parliamentary elections, as of Thursday, October 9th, the United People's (UP) party/Cornelius de Weever coalition, has received the support of two additional MPs leading to a broad-base government for the country of 10-seats in the House of Parliament.
Formateur Theodore Heyliger met with the Leader of the Democratic Party (DP) Hon Read more

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15 New Mps Take The Oath Friday

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The swearing in ceremony of the 15 parliamentarians to govern the country for the period 2014/2018 took place on Friday morning.

The ceremony was held at the Governor's office at Harbor View. Taking the oath were members of the National Alliance William Marlin, Silveria Jacobs, George Pantophlet and Christopher Emanuel, the United People Party, Theo Heyliger, Dr Read more

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Motion on constitutional referendum irresponsible

Dear Editor,

Wednesday, October 8, the Island Council of Statia passed a motion to hold a referendum preferably before the end of this year. The motion was tabled and passed by four against one vote (DP voted against). The referendum was not a point on the agenda, which, as is the custom, was made available to the public prior to the meeting. Also the motion was not even debated in the meeting

This practice alone already shows that the Council refuses to publicly debate this very important matter Read more

Sarah, Leona join UP/De Weever to form broad-based government

PHILIPSBURG--Outgoing Prime Minister and Democratic Party (DP) leader Sarah Wescot-Williams and United St. Maarten Party Member of Parliament (MP)-elect Leona Marlin-Romeo have joined the United People's (UP) party/De Weever coalition to form a broad-based government for 2014-2018.

The two new coalition members signed on to the existing UP/De Weever governing accord as "addendum two and three" on Thursday, paving the way for a majority of 10 seats in Parliament.

The news of, in particular, Marlin-Romeo joining the coalition comes after much speculation about this possibility taking place even after she publicly had denied any such intentions Read more

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Sarah And Leona Joins Up Coalition Government {Updated}

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - As the newly elected members of Parliament prepare to take the oath of office on Friday morning, political shifts continue to take place.

Sxmislandtime.com has learnt that the leader of the DP Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams has decided to join the UP party in coalition to govern the island for the next four years.

It is also expected that the DP leader will also get the support of her new coalition partners to become the next President of Parliament.

Also said to be joining the UP coalition is Leona Marlin of the US party.

At 9:50 Friday morning the MPs Elect will take the oath of office at the Cabinet of the Governor.

A press release attributed to the UP leader the Honorable Theo Heyliger early Friday morning states below that;

Formateur Hon Read more

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Dp-Candidate Bought Drugs From Suspect In Coke-Trial

St. Maarten – Octavio Ogando Garcia, who was a candidate on the list of the Democratic Party in the August 29 elections, bought cocaine from a suspect in a cocaine-trial on two different occasions. Yesterday Garcia appeared in the Court in First Instance as a witness at the request of attorney Brenda Brooks who defends Julissa M.-B Read more

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Second Chamber ready to pass islands’ electoral law

THE HAGUE--The road has been cleared for the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament to approve the law proposal enabling non-Dutch nationals in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba to vote in the March 2015 Island Council elections and to also be elected into the Island Council until Island Council members acquire the right to co-elect the members of the First Chamber, the Senate, once the Dutch Constitution has been amended.

Voting on the law proposal to amend the Electoral Law (Kieswet) and the law regulating the public entities Bonaire, St Read more

Holiday asks Heyliger to form Government

HARBOUR VIEW--Member of Parliament and United People's (UP) party leader Theo Heyliger, in his capacity as formateur, was requested by St. Maarten Governor Eugene Holiday on Monday to form a new government for the period 2014-2018.

A press release from the Governor's office said, "Having evaluated the report of the informateurs and following the consultations, the Governor met with Mr Read more

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New committee wants UN support, says Dutch meddling is colonisation

~ Invites public to protest ~

PHILIPSBURG--Introducing themselves as a group of concerned citizens who have been listening closely to what is being said in the Netherlands about St. Maarten, "Citizens United for True Democracy" called a press conference Monday morning to assert that something needs to be done about the "meddling" of the Dutch in St. Maarten's internal affairs, especially as it relates to the outcome of the recent PricewaterhouseCoopers report.

Committee members Etienne "Tochie" Meyers, Elton Jones and Edwin Gumbs are calling on the public to join a march at 1:00pm on Monday, October 13, at the Windward Islands Federation of Labour (WIFOL) Building, along Walter Nisbeth Road and ending at the Government Administration Building, to "move the people to give a clear message to the Dutch that the days of colonialism and 'massa' are over."

There, a manifestation will be held that will include various speakers who will talk about colonisation and the relationship between the Netherlands and its former colonies.

The group also claimed that over the weekend they had been in touch with persons at the United Nations who work on the Decolonisation Committee, including one of its leaders, as well as representatives of the independent states of the eastern Caribbean.

Jones said Curacao had been having the same complaints about the Netherlands' "constant meddling" that are set to be heard by the committee today, Tuesday, October 7 Read more

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