SXMElections.com

St. Eustatius mourns former senator and council member

ST. EUSTATIUS--Kenneth "Wompie" van Putten passed away unexpectedly in St. Eustatius on Thursday. He was 77 years old. Residents had heard the wailing of sirens in the lower part of Oranjestad as the ambulance came through, but it was too late for Van Putten.

Van Putten was a Democratic Party member and leader for many years. He worked on the island- and central level of government Read more

‘Janchi’ re-elected, in spite of tie with Buncamper-Molanus

PHILIPSBURG--Incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) Johan "Janchi" Leonard (United People's (UP) party) can be considered the big winner after the validation of the votes from the August 29 Parliamentary Elections by the Central Voting Bureau on Wednesday. Leonard was short two votes to be re-elected to Parliament. He received those votes when the bureau reviewed ballots deemed invalid by the polling station on election night.

Leonard (UP #7) is an MP-elect for UP, in spite of the tie with former Minister Maria Buncamper-Molanus (UP #21), because of his placement on the party's list of candidates Read more

Frans and Leona to address ‘rumours’

PHILIPSBURG--United St. Maarten Party leader Member of Parliament Frans Richardson and MP-elect Leona Marlin-Romeo are to hold a press conference at Parliament House today, Friday, at 10:00am "to address the rumours" circulating in the community about Marlin-Romeo leaving the party to go independent.

Richardson told The Daily Herald about the press conference last night Read more

Johan Leonard Squeezes Past Buncamper-Molanus Into Parliament

“Mister 7-UP” sends rival home

St. Maarten – Maria Buncamper-Molanus will not become a member of the new Parliament after all. After the Central Voting Bureau had scrutinized yesterday all the ballots the twenty polling stations had deemed invalid, it found two valid votes that went to Johan Leonard Read more

Governor requests Marlin to form govt

HARBOUR VIEW--Governor Eugene Holiday has requested that National Alliance (NA) leader incumbent Member of Parliament William Marlin form a new government for the country as "formateur." The Governor, based on the results of two days of consultations, met with Marlin Tuesday to make his request Read more

What is the DP going to do?

Dear Editor,

Norako N. V., the private company of former Democratic Party (DP) island councilman and commissioner Nicolaas "Koos" Sneek, has initiated a court case against the Statia Housing Foundation (SHF), alleging non-compliance on the part of SHF in faithfully executing a Letter of Intent (LOI) signed between the two. In the public debate ongoing about this matter my name too is called in my capacity as former commissioner of housing Read more

>HARBOUR VIEW:--- On September 2, 2014, His Excellency the Governor of Sint Maarten, drs. E.B. Holiday, requested Mr. William Marlin, to form a new government as formateur.
The Governor, based on the results of two days of consultations, met with Mr. William Marlin today Read more

NA/DP/US divide portfolios, sign declaration for open stable govt

~ NA gets PM post; DP gets Parliament President ~

PHILIPSBURG--United St. Martin (US) party, Democratic Party (DP) and National Alliance (NA) agreed to a division of portfolios in a Governing Declaration for an "open and stable" government signed early Monday.

The coalition partners have also agreed that an operational and forensic audit will be conducted on government-owned companies to determine their overall health Read more

Heyliger: UP parliamentarians to be ‘formidable’ opposition

PHILIPSBURG--Developments over the past days will see the United People's (UP) party playing its role in Parliament from the opposition benches. UP party Leader Member of Parliament Theo Heyliger said the party and its Members of Parliament (MPs) "will be a formidable force to be reckoned with when it comes to the role of keeping the government in check."

"We are ready to govern, to hold in check and control the decision of the coalition government that is in the making Read more

style="text-align: center;">NA, USp and DP Sign Governing Accord --- Rumors must be put to rest

PHILIPSBURG:--- Formation talks between three political parties that obtained seats in the Parliamentary Elections that were held on Friday are continuing. Early Saturday morning shortly after the election results were announced the leaders of the United St. Maarten People's Party, the National Alliance and the Democratic Party signed an agreement to work together to form the next Government of St Read more

Leader of the Democratic Party Prime Minister Wescot-Williams’ Post-Election Message.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The Leader of the Democratic Party of St. Maarten Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams released a statement regarding the outcome of the 2014 elections on Monday. The Prime Minister highlighted the way forward in her statement released amidst ongoing negotiations regarding the formation of Government; "The Democratic Party of St Read more

Holiday starts consultation on formation of new gov’t today

HARBOUR VIEW--Governor Eugene Holiday will start consultations for the formation of a new government as of today, Monday, September 1. The consultations will be held with Vice Chairperson of the Advisory Council; Ombudsman Nilda Arduin-Lynch; outgoing President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell and the leaders of the four political parties that obtained seats in the elections: United People’s (UP) party leader Theo Heyliger, National Alliance (NA) leader William Marlin; Democratic Party (DP) leader Sarah Wescot-Williams and United St Read more

Coalition talks amongst NA, DP, US continue over weekend

CAY HILL--Talks to form a new coalition government for the next governing period continued amongst the Democratic Party (DP), United St. Martin (US) Party and National Alliance (NA) over the weekend.

The Daily Herald understands that parties met on Sunday to hammer out a more detailed agreement on working together in a new government for Country St Read more

Leader Of The Democratic Party Prime Minister Wescot-Williams' Post-Election Message

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Leader of the Democratic Party of St. Maarten Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams released a statement regarding the outcome of the 2014 elections on Monday.

The Prime Minister highlighted the way forward in her statement released amidst ongoing negotiations regarding the formation of Government; "The Democratic Party of St Read more

Political Parties Share Portfolios

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The combination of the National Alliance, Democratic Party and the United St. Maarten Party have decided on the division of seats in the wake of the agreement signed on Saturday morning, August 30th.

According to documents obtained, the National Alliance will be responsible for portfolios of VROMI, Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs.

The party will also be responsible for appointing the new Prime Minister of St 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

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

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

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

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

Democratic Party holds its last public meeting

SIMPSON BAY--Democratic Party (DP) supporters turned out for one last public meeting at Kim Sha Beach in Simpson Bay last night. The nineteen candidates reiterated what they stood for, what needs to change in St. Maarten and what the party has been accomplishing so far.

Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams, DP #1, reiterated her views that the party had put United People’s party leaders where they are today, which was why they could shine Read more

Democratic Party Presents Party Platform On Sports And Culture, Emphasizes Sports And Culture As A Means To Promote National Identity

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Democratic Party on Tuesday presented its Party Platform on Sports and Culture to the electorate on St. Maarten, highlighting its standpoint on the development of national culture and the support of sports as a vehicle for national identity on St. Maarten; "It is the conviction of the Democratic Party that Sports and Culture should feature prominently as we pursue national development.

"True to this conviction, where sports is concerned, during the D.P.'s most recent governing period the Department of Sports was created to exclusively concentrate on, stimulate and support developments in the area of sports.

Whereas the Department of Sports is charged with the policy and planning aspects with regard to sports development, the National Sport Institute has been recently established to execute planned projects and sport programs.

The N.S.I Read more

style="text-align: center;">"St. Maarten's foreign policy cannot be divorced from its national development"

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Democratic Party of St. Maarten over the weekend highlighted its party platform on Foreign Relations, placing both within the context of the development of the St. Maarten Nation and its position within the global and regional community; "Since becoming a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Democratic Party has been working to carve out St Read more