SXMElections.com

Reaction To Pwc Integrity Report: Dutch Want Criminal Investigation (Into The Government Of St. Maarten)

THE HAGUE – Justice has to initiate a large-scale criminal investigation into the “utterly corrupt” government of Sint Maarten. “The Second Chamber demands this, now that the controversial politician Theo Heyliger is grabbing the absolute power on the island,” the Telegraaf reported yesterday.

A majority of VVD, Socialist Party, CDA and PVV wants action according to the newspaper, after it appears from an investigation by consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers that the complete government apparatus is rife with cronyism Read more

Second Chamber calls for intervention in St. Maarten

THE HAGUE--The Dutch media reported on Monday that there is majority support in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament for intervention through a large criminal investigation of "St. Maarten's corrupt government." Dutch politicians are especially worried now that the United People's (UP) party of Theo Heyliger is about to take power.

Two major Dutch newspapers, De Telegraaf and Trouw, reported on Monday morning on PricewaterhouseCoopers' (PwC's) Integrity Inquiry report on St Read more

Local Poem Selected For Choral Music Performance In The Netherlands

St. Maarten – Newly created music to Drisana Deborah Jack’s poetry will be performed at the 55th anniversary concert of the Delft Ars Vocalis Chamber Choir in the Netherlands, according to Jack’s publisher HNP.

Dutch composers Rita Hijmans and Anke Brouwer selected Jack’s poem “I dare you” and its Dutch translation from a long list of verse proposed by Ars Vocalis to four composers that it commissioned to create “new musical composition” for its anniversary concert.

“I am very intrigued by the notion of interpreting the poetry into music for a choir,” said Jack, a leading local poet and artist Read more

Usm And Vlf Offer Eft Classes To General Public

St. Maarten – The University of St. Martin in its efforts to meet the growing needs of the community of St. Maarten, is now embarking upon an adult education class, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) in collaboration with Victorious Living Foundation.

“The EFT course provides the participant with the history, science and practical application of EFT so that he/she may utilize these techniques to overcome physical, emotional, or psychological pain, trauma, or other challenges in his or her life Read more

>GREAT BAY:--- Newly created music to Drisana Deborah Jack's poetry will be performed at the 55th anniversary concert of the Delft Ars Vocalis Chamber Choir in the Netherlands, said Jack's publisher HNP.
Dutch composers Rita Hijmans and Anke Brouwer selected Jack's poem "I dare you" and its Dutch translation from a long list of verse proposed by Ars Vocalis to four composers that it commissioned to create "new musical composition" for its anniversary concert.
"I am very intrigued by the notion of interpreting the poetry into music for a choir," said Jack, a leading St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The University of St. Martin in its efforts to meet the growing needs of the community of St. Maarten, is now embarking upon an adult education class, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) in collaboration with Victorious Living Foundation.
The EFT course provides the participant with the history, science and practical application of EFT so that he/she may utilize these techniques to overcome physical, emotional, or psychological pain, trauma, or other challenges in his or her life Read more

Usm And Vlf Offer Emotional Freedom Techniques To General Public

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten- The University of St. Martin in its efforts to meet the growing needs of the community of St. Maarten, is now embarking upon an adult education class, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) in collaboration with Victorious Living Foundation.

The EFT course provides the participant with the history, science and practical application of EFT so that he/she may utilize these techniques to overcome physical, emotional, or psychological pain, trauma, or other challenges in his or her life.

This course is relevant to persons who have never heard the term Emotional Freedom Techniques and those who have an awareness of this practice.

The participant will encounter both an individual and group participatory format that will enable him/her to apply the techniques learned immediately to improve his/her life.

The course is being taught by Dr Read more

St. Martin Poetry Selected By Dutch Composers For Choral Music Performance In Netherlands

GREAT BAY, St. Martin — Newly created music to Drisana Deborah Jack's poetry will be performed at the 55th anniversary concert of the Delft Ars Vocalis Chamber Choir in the Netherlands, said Jack's publisher HNP.

Dutch composers Rita Hijmans and Anke Brouwer selected Jack's poem "I dare you" and its Dutch translation from a long list of verse proposed by Ars Vocalis to four composers that it commissioned to create "new musical composition" for its anniversary concert.

"I am very intrigued by the notion of interpreting the poetry into music for a choir," said Jack, a leading St Read more

Ronald Plasterk: “Buying Votes Undermines St. Maarten’S Democratic Character”

THE HAGUE – Socialist Party parliamentarian Ronald van Raak received predictable answers from Minister Ronald Plasterk to his questions about the election fraud trial in St. Maarten. “It is not up to the minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations to comment on court rulings,” the minister wrote, though he also noted that buying and selling votes undermines St. Maarten’s democratic character.

Van Raak posed questions to Plasterk on August 27, two days before the parliamentary elections in St Read more

‘Vote-buying undermines St. Maarten’s democracy’

THE HAGUE--The reported trading of votes in St. Maarten is worrisome and has an undermining effect on the country's democracy.

That is what Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk stated on Monday in response to written questions submitted by Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament Ronald van Raak of the Socialist Party (SP).

Van Raak sought clarity on August 27, two days prior to the elections, after reading in the local media that the Court of First Instance had declared admissible the Prosecutor's Office's cases against five persons involved in the selling and buying of votes on behalf of the United People's (UP) party in the September 2010 election.

Van Raak had asked the minister's opinion on the court's decision and the accusation of the judge that the Prosecutor's Office was guilty of "class justice" by only prosecuting the five suspects in question, and to leave the management of UP in peace despite evidence that pointed in their direction Read more

First hearing in sports coach paedophilia case

PHILIPSBURG--Thursday saw the first appearance in the Court of First Instance of E.Y., the 49-year-old basketball coach who is suspected of sexually abusing minors.

The hearing was pro-forma, as the prosecutor was not ready to proceed and Y.'s lawyer had investigation requests.

The prosecutor read out that Y. had currently been charged with two offences: the rape of an underage boy on April 2, 2014, after he had groomed the child on the Internet, using Facebook, and persuaded him to meet up for a one-to-one coaching session, and the second charge being a series of rapes of another underage boy, between August 2013 and February 2014, where he had groomed the child in a similar manner.

The prosecutor added that the investigation is still ongoing, and that "multiple further allegations are being investigated."

As the case would not be heard before the end of Y.'s current period of pre-trial detention, the prosecutor asked for this detention to be extended.

Y.'s lawyer, Brenda Brooks, in a manner that would have befitted an American court room drama, complained of receiving the summons of the accused at too short notice, something that was seconded by the judge.

She asked for the immediate release of her client, who "denies all involvement and has fully cooperated with the investigation." She stated the prosecution was "desperately looking for evidence that is not available."

She stated her client's image had been damaged by the case, that he would have "no life" after the case and that he would do anything to prove his innocence.

She stated that there were a number of discrepancies, and demanded that victims and witnesses be further questioned on behalf of the prosecution.

The prosecutor responded that the statements of the victims were exceptionally detailed, and apart from those, there were evidential files from Facebook and medical statements to back up accounts of the witnesses, as well as a statement from the basketball team to state it was not normal for Y Read more

Ukraine, pro-Russian rebels reach ceasefire deal

MINSK--Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels reached a ceasefire agreement on Friday, the first step toward ending fighting in eastern Ukraine that has caused the worst standoff between Moscow and the West since the Cold War ended.

The ceasefire deal was struck in the Belarussian capital Minsk along with a deal allowing for prisoner exchanges, deliveries of humanitarian aid and the withdrawal of heavy weapons after five months of a conflict that has killed more than 2,600 people.

Despite some initial shelling in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk after the truce began at 6 p.m., the ceasefire appeared to be holding Read more

Market-style reforms widen racial divide in Cuba

HAVANA--Cuba's experiment with free-market reforms has unintentionally widened the communist-led island's racial divide and allowed white Cubans to regain some of the economic advantages built up over centuries.

Under President Raul Castro, who took over from his brother Fidel Castro in 2008, Cuba has expanded its non-state workforce, loosened travel restrictions and promoted private cooperatives and small businesses Read more