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Central Committee Meeting Requested By Na Faction About Port St. Maarten And Checkmate Security Contract

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – The Central Committee of Parliament will meet in public session on May 07 at the request of the National Alliance (NA) faction.

The Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications Hon. Claret Connor, has been invited to be present for the House session.

The Central Committee meeting is set for Thursday at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda is related to the previous and current contract signed between the Harbour Group of Companies and Checkmate Security, and the sudden hike in the contract sum for outside security services.

This meeting was requested by the NA faction Member of Parliament (MP) Hon Read more

Three honoured on Labour Day for championing workers’ rights

Honourees and family members with dignitaries on Friday.

 

PHILIPSBURG--Three persons were honoured for their contributions to protect and champion workers’ rights in St. Maarten during a ceremony at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort on Labour Day, Friday, May 1.

Honoured were Windward Islands Federation of Labour (WIFOL, now Worker’s Institute for Organised Labour) former President Rene Richardson; Windward Islands Civil Servants Union/Private Sector Union (WICSU/PSU) former President the late Patricia Pantophlet; and former WICSU Administrative Secretary Sandra Mathew-White Read more

MPs to discuss Harbour security contract May 7

PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) will continue to seek answers about the hefty security contract signed between St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies and Checkmate Security in a meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament in Parliament House on Thursday, May 7, starting at 2:00pm. Tourism and Economic Affairs Minister Claret Connor is invited for the meeting.

The meeting originally was scheduled for today, Wednesday, but has been postponed due to the minister being ill.

The meeting was requested by opposition National Alliance (NA) MPs William Marlin, Silveria Jacobs, Christophe Emmanuel and George Pantophlet on March 5 Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament representing the Democratic Party faction Sarah Wescot Williams and the party's advisor Emil Lee told reporters on Monday that they are not amused by the request sent by the State Council to St Read more

Central Committee Meeting requested by NA Faction about Port St. Maarten and Checkmate Security Contract

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The Central Committee of Parliament will meet in public session on April 22 at the request of the National Alliance (NA) faction.

The Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications Hon. Claret Connor, has been invited to be present for the House session.

The Central Committee meeting is set for Wednesday at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda is related to the previous and current contract signed between the Harbour Group of Companies and Checkmate Security, and the sudden hike in the contract sum for outside security services.

This meeting was requested by the NA faction Member of Parliament (MP) Hon Read more

Central Committee Meeting Requested By Na Faction About Port St. Maarten And Checkmate Security Contract

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – The Central Committee of Parliament will meet in public session on April 22 at the request of the National Alliance (NA) faction.

The Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications Hon. Claret Connor, has been invited to be present for the House session.

The Central Committee meeting is set for Wednesday at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda is related to the previous and current contract signed between the Harbour Group of Companies and Checkmate Security, and the sudden hike in the contract sum for outside security services.

This meeting was requested by the NA faction Member of Parliament (MP) Hon Read more

Mechanic’s lien is placed on Central Bank building

~ Bank claims ‘signals’ of integrity issues ~

PHILIPSBURG--Taliesin Construction N.V. has placed a “mechanic’s lien” on the building and adjoining properties owned by the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten as a means of obtaining its pay-out from the bank for the termination of its contract for the renovation of its building on W.J.A. Nisbeth Road.

The company is claiming NAf Read more

MPs still have reservations about Integrity Chamber

~ Meyers: Independence only choice ~

PHILIPSBURG--Several Members of Parliament (MPs) made it crystal clear on Monday that if the proposed Integrity Chamber stagnates the growth of the country and hampers St. Maarteners from prospering, the law to establish the chamber will not receive their support.

Chief among those speaking out about the draft law was coalition member MP Franklin Meyers (United People's (UP) party) Read more

Integrity Chamber Meets Resistance From Coalition

St. Maarten – The draft ordinance for the establishment of St. Maarten’s Integrity Chamber met with unexpected opposition from within the governing coalition yesterday. Members of the opposition also expressed their doubts. Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs said that he is facing a May 5 deadline. On that date, the Dutch Council of State renders judgment on the advice the Kingdom Council of Ministers has requested about a looming instruction for St Read more

Heated Debate by Members of Parliament as to how they will deal with the Petition sent to Parliament regarding the Simpson Bay Development.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Chairlady of the petitions committee of Parliament MP Leona Marlin-Romeo opened a pandora box on Thursday when she asked the Members of Parliament to establish how they will handle petitions sent to Parliament. While the debate on how the committee will handle petitions, the three residents of Simson Bay were sitting in Parliament to be heard Read more

Prime Minister says draft law to Establish Integrity Chamber is not to please the Dutch Government.

style="text-align: center;">Parliament voted on a motion for Government to establish the recommendations in Integrity Reports --- PM

PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs made clear to Parliament on Wednesday that the draft ordinance to establish the integrity chamber on St. Maarten is not to please the Dutch Government. Prime Minister Gumbs reminded the members of parliament that the parliament of St Read more

Mp Lake As Minister Gave Advise To Soab On Smhdf Confirms Pm Gumbs In Parliament

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The House of Parliament met in a public plenary session on Tuesday afternoon.

This session was the continuation of the initial meeting that was held on December 22nd of last year.

The meeting was at the request of the National Alliance, the Democratic Party and the USP, and dealt with among others, the request to the Governments Accountants Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation into the operations of the St Read more

Plenary Session of Parliament scheduled for Tuesday about the SCHDF.

>PHILIPSBURG:---  The House of Parliament will meet in a public plenary session on April 7. This session is the continuation of the initial session that was held on December 22, 2014. On March 24, the meeting was called, but was adjourned and is now being reconvened.

The plenary session is set for Tuesday at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point is the request to the Governments Accountants Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation into the operations of the St Read more

Sarah says ‘didn’t know’ meeting lacked quorum

PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams says she "didn't know" Monday's aborted Central Committee meeting to deal with the draft law to establish the integrity chamber did not have a quorum Read more

Opinion: Transparency

Opposition politics is one part criticism and one part coming up with better ideas than the government has to offer. We’re not into politics for dummies, but we do wonder at times about the way our politicians are going about their business.

We’re living in a time where integrity and transparency are on everybody’s mind. For as long as we remember, politicians have opted to speak in veiled terms about any subject they touch – in the former Island Council, in parliament and also during press conferences.

That’s what we’d call old-school politics Read more

Mp Silveria Jacobs Becomes New Na-Leader Next Year

St. Maarten – The leadership of the National alliance will transfer in 2016 from MP William Marlin to MP Silveria Jacobs, current party leader Marlin said yesterday in answer to a question from this newspaper Read more

Some Carnival Booth Holders Contracts Not Renewed Confirms Scdf

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Member of Parliament of the National Alliance, the Honorable George Pantophlet recently accused the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation of victimization.

According to him, the SCDF has opted not to renew the contract of certain booth holders, who has been established in the Village for several years.

Meanwhile, whilst speaking on the Lady Grace Morning show on Friday, President of the St Read more

Parliament Ad Hoc Integrity Committee meeting stalled

PHILIPSBURG--The second meeting of Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee for Integrity stalled on Thursday, when sufficient Members of Parliament (MPs) failed to show up for the session to have a quorum.

Ad Hoc Committee Chairman Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Lloyd Richardson opened the meeting just to announce that three MPs were signed in and present in the General Assembly Hall of Parliament House Read more

NA calls for a ‘unified approach’ from Govt.

PHILIPSBURG--The United People’s (UP)-led coalition has failed to show exactly what it is ready for, as its election campaign “We Ready” stated, said National Alliance (NA) Members of Parliament on Wednesday. They called on the governing coalition to present a “unified approach,” to table its long-overdue governing programme and appoint the two missing ministers.

NA leader MP William Marlin said at a press conference in Parliament House on Wednesday that UP members had proven only they were ready to take care of themselves and “to cut more deals and use the infrastructure” for their own personal enterprises.

In his estimation, UP is not ready “to bring much needed changes” to the country’s infrastructure and to tackle social ills Read more

EXCLUSIVE: Rainforest Adventure got steal of a deal in Long Least at Emilio Wilson Estate.

style="text-align: center;">Government stand to lose Naf1.6M per year --- Reliable Sources.

PHILIPSBURG: --- Rainforest Adventures allegedly got what one could describe as a steal of a deal from the interim Minister of VROMI Marcel Gumbs and Leader of the United Peoples Party Theodore Heyliger.
In an advice it is stated that Rainforest Adventures will get 375,000 square meters land in long lease at the Emilio Wilson Estate that the Government of St Read more

National Alliance Leader William Marlin Looking Forward To Supporting Party In Different Capacity

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Who will be leading the National Alliance in the next election? Will it be the party's current leader William Marlin or is it going to be the deputy leader Silveria Jacobs?

The answer became evident when the question was put to Mr Read more

William: NA leadership transition expected in 2016

PHILIPSBURG--The leadership of the National Alliance (NA) may transition from current party leader Member of Parliament William Marlin to now deputy leader MP Silveria Jacobs at the 2016 NA Party Congress.

Asked at a press conference on Wednesday in Parliament House if discussions on leadership transition have taken place considering the results of the September 2014 Parliamentary Election that saw Jacobs gain more votes than him, Marlin said "absolutely not." There has not been any discussion to that effect.

Marlin said the reason for this is that he told the party congress in 2014 that he was ready for a transition as it is not his intention to remain party leader "for ever and ever."

Jacobs was elected deputy leader of the party at the 2014 congress.

However, it will be "up to the congress" to decide in 2016 "to make the transition," he said.

Marlin claimed it was the indication from him about the desire to transition the leadership of the party that may have reflected in the results of the election Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the National Alliance William Marlin clarified on Wednesday when he was asked if he will lead his party in another parliamentary election. Marlin said that during the National Alliance congress in 2014 he along with the members of the National Alliance agreed that he will pass on the leadership of the party to its deputy leader Silveria Jacobs who was duly elected deputy leader Read more

style="text-align: center;">People are fed up and wants to know what the UPP was Ready to do.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The four members of parliament from the National Alliance faction told reporters during a press briefing on Wednesday that they would like to know what the United Peoples Party was ready for when they campaigned in 2014 Parliamentary elections and won seven of the 15 parliamentary seats Read more