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Five go on trial in Buncamper case

PHILIPSBURG--Former Minister Maria Buncamper-Molanus (47), her husband Claudius Buncamper (51), notary F.E.G. (70) and two other suspects I.A.H. (46) and T.O.W. (68) all were charged with involvement with fraud, forgery of documents and participation in a criminal organisation on Wednesday. This marked the start of the long-awaited trial concerning a criminal investigation into a transaction with a piece of land that had been given on long lease.

All five suspects appeared in Court for a pro forma/pre-trial hearing in this case, during which the hearing of witnesses was discussed.

Buncamper-Molanus ran on the United People's (UP) party slate for the August 29, 2014, parliamentary election, but is a former Democratic Party (DP) minister of public health, social development and labour.

The case against the Buncampers came to light in December 2010, when it was revealed that they had sold the economic rights to a plot of land on long lease to a company named Eco Green NV, against payment of US $3 million.

Buncamper-Molanus had obtained the rights of long lease on the government property against annual payment of approximately US $10,000 in April 2008, while she was a member of the then-Executive Council.

Three days after Eco Green was established, with figurehead T.O.W Read more

New Year’S Message Sarah Wescot-Williams: Focus On Climate Change And Flexible Labor Market

St. Maarten – A flexible labor market is one of the priorities the opposition Democratic Party has in the crosshairs for 2015, party-leader Sarah Wescot-Williams wrote in a belated New Year’s message. Climate change, ageing and electoral, financial and fiscal reform are other issues the party intends to champion.

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us” (Hal Borland, American author and journalist) Read more

Ipko Parties Agree On Need To Meet More Often

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Inter-parliamentary Kingdom Consultation involving the parliaments of Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten is well under way in Aruba.

During their first session on Monday, the law makers expressed the need to meet on a more regular basis to discuss issues of importance for the three countries.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Member of Parliament and leader of the Democratic Party of St Read more

Integrity committee one of main priorities for DP

PHILIPSBURG--Electoral, financial and tax reform, and having an integrity committee of Parliament are amongst the priorities the Democratic Party (DP) will champion this year.

In the party's New Year message issued on Sunday, DP Leader Sarah Wescot-Williams said the vision of the party is for Parliament to become more in tune with the realities of what is taking place in the community Read more

Ferrier wants PM to explain how counterpart policy will be applied

~ 'It will stifle economic growth' ~

PHILIPSBURG--Businessman Michael Ferrier is looking forward to an explanation from Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs on how the counterpart policy will be applied in St Read more

style="text-align: center;">"Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us". (Hal Borland, American author and journalist)

This, in the opinion of the Democratic Party (DP) of St. Maarten is an apt description of where we find ourselves today as a political party.
Determined to carry on, but with much wisdom and humbleness from our experiences, especially those of the year just behind us.
The past year however, was also the closure of a unique and unforgettable chapter Read more

Democratic Party Of St. Maarten New Years Message

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - "Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us". (Hal Borland, American author and journalist)

This, in the opinion of the Democratic Party (DP) of St. Maarten is an apt description of where we find ourselves today as a political party.

Determined to carry on, but with much wisdom and humbleness from our experiences, especially those of the year just behind us.

The past year however, was also the closure of a unique and unforgettable chapter Read more

Option Nr.3 has lost!

Dear Editor,

The Daily Herald of Friday Jan 2nd quoted an undisclosed source stating that a number of people on Statia have suspicions about the role of the Post Office with regard to the distribution of the voting cards for last referendum.

The claim is that the majority of Post Office staff are DP party members and the DP was openly against this referendum. This statement insinuates that because of their perceived political affiliation the Post Office workers will-fully have obstructed the referendum Read more

Governor Berkel responds to flawed referendum allegations

ST. EUSTATIUS--Complaints about 900 voting cards being returned, complaints to the United Nations (UN), and complaints filed by Island Council members about the voters list being not correct have surfaced since the results of the constitutional referendum held on St. Eustatius on December 17, 2014, were announced.

Island Governor Gerald Berkel said that while there are items that can and will be improved, he was "generally pleased" that the technical organization of the referendum occurred in compliance with all relevant existing legislation regarding transparency and civil participation.

Brighter Path Foundation has started drafting a list on which all complaints are compiled Read more

Person of the Year

French-side entrepreneur perseveres in difficult times

MARIGOT--For many people Marigot always had the potential to be the more attractive capital of the island and still has, to paraphrase a Kia commercial, "the power to surprise."

After all what could be more enticing to the vacationer than a little corner of France tucked away in the Caribbean, a sea front town with quaint streets, outdoor cafés, markets, shopping, the classic French boulangeries, fine restaurants , the ambiance, the savoir faire? Blend all of this with Caribbean culture and it should be a recipe for success.

The French-side enjoyed its heyday in the 80s and 90s with an up-market clientele, and Americans got a "good bang for their buck" against the franc Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- As the yearly challenge comes around to select the person of year, this year was not as challenging as it was in the past years, simply because the candidate that was selected made the headlines both locally and internationally more than any other person on St. Maarten. While being in politics for half of his life, during the entire time he was in opposition for a mere 18 months.
That person is none other than Theodore Heyliger who had over 18 years to make this sunshine city really shine Read more

Answers Will Have To Wait Until Mid-January: Parliament Wants Clarity About Housing Foundation

St. Maarten – Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs answered the call to appear in Parliament as the acting minister of public housing within 72 hours after he was sworn in on Friday. Members of Parliament appreciated that, even though Gumbs sent them on their way with a flea in their ear, after listening to questions about the chaos of the St. Maarten Housing Development foundation for more than two hours.

The minister brought to mind the words he spoke on Friday in the constituting meeting where his team officially took over the reins: “The country needs tranquility, stability, civility and prosperity.”

Furthermore, Gumbs noted: “Integrity has been a buzz word this year Read more

MPs to get answers about housing foundation in Jan.

PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) will have to wait until mid-January for answers about the suspension of St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) Director Henry Lynch and two other members of the management team. Prime Minister/Ad Interim Housing Minister Marcel Gumbs said he required time to gather the facts about the investigation ordered by the foundation's supervisory board and the other actions leading to the suspensions.

Gumbs, who had only been in office for a mere 72 hours, was before Parliament on Monday in an urgent plenary session requested by opposition MPs Sarah Wescot-Williams (Democratic Party), Frans Richardson (United St Read more

MPs meet today about Housing Foundation

PHILIPSBURG--The St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation supervisory board's request made to Government Accounting Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation into the foundation's operations will be one of the issues Members of Parliament (MPs) will discuss today, Monday, in an urgent plenary session of Parliament in the House of Parliament starting at 10:00am.

The meeting is open to the public.

New Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, who is ad interim Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI, has been requested by Parliament to be present for the meeting.

MPs also will discuss with Gumbs former VROMI Minister Maurice Lake's request to SOAB to halt the investigation and the board's decision to suspend three members of the management team, including foundation director Henry Lynch.

This urgent plenary session was requested by National Alliance MPs William Marlin and Christophe Emmanuel, Democratic Party MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, and United St Read more

Urgent Plenary Session of Parliament scheduled for Monday about Housing Foundation.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- A plenary session of the House of Parliament is scheduled for December 22nd regarding the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF).
The plenary session is set for Monday at 10:00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.
The agenda is concerning the request made to the Governments Accounting Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation in to the operations of the SMHDF; the decision of the board of the SMHDF to suspend several members of the management team and the request of the former Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Hon Read more

The Road To The Gumbs I Cabinet: “Peddling Seats To The Highest Bidder”

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – When Governor Drs. Eugene Holiday administers the oath of office to the five ministers of the Gumbs I cabinet this afternoon, it marks the end of a tedious process that started during the night after the parliamentary elections on August 29. How did we get where we are today? A review.

To avoid any misunderstandings, the governor also administers the oath to the minister plenipotentiary today – but that is not a ‘real’ minister – it is the representative of St Read more

New Book To Be Launched On St. Maarten By Julio Romney

St. Maarten —A new book–St. Maarten: Our Constituent State Constitutional Framework– will be launched shortly by political analyst and science researcher Julio Romney.  Romney, who attended several schools in his early years on St. Maarten, went on to study in Canada where he pursued a double major in economics and political science at the University of Winnipeg.

The content of the publication includes the constitutional framework and elaborates on the Charter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Constitution of St Read more

Urgent Plenary Session Of Parliament Scheduled For Monday About Housing Foundation

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – A plenary session of the House of Parliament is scheduled for December 22nd regarding the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF).

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

The agenda is concerning the request made to the Governments Accounting Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation in to the operations of the SMHDF; the decision of the board of the SMHDF to suspend several members of the management team and the request of the former Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Hon Read more

New Gumbs Cabinet to be sworn in on Friday

HARBOUR VIEW--St. Maarten finally will have a new cabinet as of 3:00pm Friday when six new ministers are sworn in by Governor Eugene Holiday at his office.

The cabinet will be headed by veteran politician Marcel Gumbs as Prime Minister. He will also be ad interim Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI.

Current Justice Minister Dennis Richardson will continue in his post as well as serving as ad interim Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour.

Finance Minister Martin Hassink also will continue in his post.

School Manager Rita A Read more

Sarah: Governor should answer to Parliament

PHILIPSBURG--Governor "should answer to Parliament regarding the formation of the next government, if only to stop the rumour mill," says Democratic Party (DP) Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams.

She shared this opinion in a press statement issued on Wednesday Read more

Statians to the polls in referendum vote today

Preparations were still in full swing to turn Mike van Putten Youth Centre into a polling station on Tuesday afternoon.

ST. EUSTATIUS--Eligible voters in St. Eustatius will be casting their votes today, Wednesday, in the consultative referendum on the island’s constitutional future. The polling station in Mike van Putten Youth Centre will be open from 7:30am to 9:00pm. The results will not be made public until Friday, 10:00pm.

In the referendum, voters will have the opportunity to choose between four different options: 1 Read more

Minister confirms Statia housing project is on hold

THE HAGUE--Dutch Minister of Housing and Governmental Organisation Stef Blok on Tuesday confirmed that the cooperation with the Dutch housing corporation Woonlinie has again been put on hold with adverse consequences for the Golden Rock public housing project.

Blok explained in response to written questions submitted by Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament Ronald van Raak of the Socialist Party (SP) that Statia's current Executive Council indicated early December that it didn't want to stick to agreements that it signed regarding the reorganisation of the Statia Housing Foundation (SHF).

Van Raak had sought clarity following a letter to the editor in The Daily Herald last week in which the Democratic Party of St Read more

Mp Wescot-Williams Seeking To Make Public Official Information On Smhdf Saga

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Member of Parliament and Leader of the Democratic Party, the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams Monday sent a letter to the President of Parliament the Honorable Dr. Lloyd Richardson seeking answers to a number of questions surrounding developments at the St Read more

Minister Cornelius De Weever Resigns From The Democratic Party

St. Maarten —Minister Cornelius de Weever yesterday officially severed ties with the Democratic Party by officially informing the leader of that party and care taker Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams that he is resigning from the party.

Minister De Weever ran on the DP’s ticket in the August 2014 elections but secretly formed a coalition with the UP party shortly after the elections while the DP had publicly announced that it has signed an agreement and was forming a coalition with the US and NA Read more