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>CUL DE SAC:----  Seven sixth form students of St. Maarten Academy's CAPE (Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination) programme returned to St. Maarten on Saturday (April 25, 2015) after a week-long field trip to the Commonwealth of Dominica, which culminated with a visit to the Prime Minister, Mr. Roosevelt Skerrit.
The visit to the Nature Isle was aimed at exposing the students and teachers to a myriad of experiences that meet their curriculum goals in Physics and Biology. Led by the school's Vice Principal Mrs Read more

Academy Cape Science Students Visit Dominica

CUL DE SAC, St. Maarten – Seven sixth form students of St. Maarten Academy's CAPE (Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination) programme returned to St. Maarten on Saturday (April 25, 2015) after a week-long field trip to the Commonwealth of Dominica, which culminated with a visit to the Prime Minister, Mr. Roosevelt Skerrit.

The visit to the Nature Isle was aimed at exposing the students and teachers to a myriad of experiences that meet their curriculum goals in Physics and Biology.

Led by the school's Vice Principal Mrs Read more

style="text-align: center;">The governing coalition parties and their independent affiliates have "suddenly" lost interest in our own integrity chamber.

PHILIPSBURG:---  DP Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams said based on the response she got from the Prime Minister of St Read more

Former US President Jimmy Carter to head observer team to Guyana polls

GEORGETOWN, Guyana--Former United States President Jimmy Carter will lead an observer mission to monitor the May 11 regional and national elections in Guyana.

"I look forward to leading our delegation to observe Guyana's elections on May 11," Carter said.

"The Carter Center has a long history in Guyana and great respect for the Guyanese people. These will be the fourth elections we have observed there since 1992, and we trust they will be peaceful and inspire hope for the future."

The Carter Center is joining the Organization of American States (OAS) that have been invited to monitor the polls by the Guyana government.

The Carter Center in a statement said that the core team of experts will be joined this week by six medium-term observers, together representing nine countries.

The Center's observers will meet regularly with representatives of the Guyana Elections Commission, political party candidates, civil society organisations, the international community and citizen election observers to assess electoral preparations and the pre-electoral environment, including election administration, campaigning, voter education, and other issues.

They will be joined by a larger delegation of election observers in May, led by Carter, who will assess the voting, counting and tabulation processes.

The election here is seen as a straight fight between the ruling People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) which is seeking to extend its more-than-two-decades hold on power and the coalition alliance comprising the main opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the small Alliance for Change (AFC) Read more

Editorial - Reckless move?

It's always a bit difficult to judge having heard only one side of the story, but Wednesday's news that the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten (CBCS) terminated its agreement with a local contractor for renovation of the complex in Philipsburg due to "signals" of integrity issues no doubt raises questions. It supposedly regards the construction company's role in a project of St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF), where the managing director was dismissed recently based on perceived irregularities.

However, one has to seriously doubt whether such concerns can be a valid reason not only to break a contract for work that seemingly has nothing to do with the SMHDF-case, but also to withhold payment Read more

Editorial - In a bad light

It was interesting to see the picture of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in Panama City with St. Maarten's Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs and Telecommunication Claret Connor and Port of St. Maarten CEO Mark Mingo on Monday's front page. The three men attended a round-table meeting about opportunities offered by the expanded Panama Canal, among other things.

This is noteworthy especially because Members of Parliament (MPs) in The Hague, particularly from Rutte's own VVD party, have been very critical about the Harbour Group of Companies on several occasions Read more

Editorial - Preferred option

How much is enough? The Dutch side alone currently has 480 taxis and 263 buses (see Friday paper). This certainly sounds like a lot for such a small territory, but readers should keep in mind that it regards a one-pillar tourism economy and tens of thousands of visitors without their own means of transportation are present at any given time.

Nevertheless, there is a reason moratoriums were placed on these types of licences. This becomes all the more evident when one takes into account that there were 321 taxis and 211 buses prior to 2012, but respectively 69 and 14 were added that year, plus another 87 and 38 in 2013.

That seems questionable at best, as the apparent oversaturation of the market must have been pretty clear by then, certainly to the local associations representing the drivers Read more

Halley land saga heard by Petitions Committee

~ 'Something wrong,' way forward to be determined ~

PHILIPSBURG--Marlon Halley, supported in particular by community spokesperson Yvette Halley, had the transfer of land rights plaguing him heard by Members of Parliament on Thursday during a Petitions Committee meeting at Parliament House.

The meeting was the result of a petition submitted March 4 that called for Parliament to thoroughly investigate "fishy business" surrounding the land deal that entailed government taking ownership of the land where Marlon Halley has operated a business for some 28 years, and long-leasing it to developers without his knowing Read more