SXMElections.com

Ppa Introduces New Candidate Anique Liu

St. Maarten News —People’s Progressive Alliance (PPA) leader Gracita Arrindell announced on Sunday that Anique Liu will be contesting the September 26 parliamentary elections. “We are pleased to have Anique join the P.P.A Read more

Male And Female Patients Placed In The Same Ward At St. Maarten Hospital

St. Maarten News —It has become quite obvious that the St. Maarten Medical Center is in dire need of space for patients since they are currently placing male and female patients in the same ward. When the institution was contacted, they informed this newspaper that they need to get the questions submitted to them on this issue in writing before they can give a comment on the issue.

The former United People’s Party leader Theo Heyliger had said in his campaign during the last elections that he would have had the new hospital built urgently Read more

Philip Van Delden Returns To Ppa’S Slate

St. Maarten News – The People’s Progressive Alliance has announced that former candidate Philip Van Delden has returned to the PPA slate ahead of the September 2016 elections. In a statement from the party, Van Delden said he is a down to earth person.

“Now the question is who Philip is? I am the son of this soil, another down to earth person who grew up with the people of St Read more

Ppa Convention On July 9

St. Maarten News – The Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA) will hold its first party Convention on Saturday July 9 at the Lions Community Center in Sucker garden from 3 to 7 p.m.

“we are extending a warm welcome to all candidates, their families, friends, supporters, well wishers and citizens who desire to see and help bring about much needed positive change to St. Maarten,” party leader Gracita Arrindell said in a press statement Read more

“Tax Inspectorate Is Understaffed, Under Equipped And Under Trained”

St. Maarten News – Finance Minister Richard Gibson repeated in a meeting of parliament yesterday that the country needs to diversify and expand its economy to build resistance against inevitable external shocks. He mentioned the development of hydroponics, fishery, the medical industry and education as viable options.

Minister Gibson repeated his warnings about de-risking and the potential loss of correspondents banking and pointed again to local banks that want certain customers – especially casinos – to close their accounts, because they do not want to accept the risks associated with this type of customer anymore.

To improve the country’s financial position it will have to invest in its tax inspectorate, the minister said Read more

Gracita Arrindell Leads Ppa In Elections: Has Orange Become The New Green?

St. Maarten News – “Lack of leadership, not sticking to commitments and turning their back on the people of St. Maarten,” said Gracita Arrindell yesterday about her reasons for leaving the United People’s Party and returning to the revived People’s Progressive Alliance (PPA) as its leader for the September 26 parliamentary elections Read more

St. Maarten Parliament Debates Sale New Government Building

Plenty of questions but no new insights

St.  Maarten News – Parliament debated the purchase of the new government administration building in a meeting yesterday afternoon but it did not provide any new insights. Minister of General Affairs William Marlin answered a plethora of questions that mostly covered issues so far in the past that they have lost their significance or that addresses issues that are already public knowledge.

Marlin said that at this moment there is no accurate assessment of the office space the government will still need outside of the new building after departments have moved in by September Read more

Hypnotic Brothel Under Fire

Sign of the Hypnotic brothel in Sucker Garden. Photo Today / Hilbert Haar

Permit holder demands payment

St. Maarten News / By Hilbert Haar – “Duncan, Duncan, Duncan. I am not the defendant here, I stand here as an attorney for my clients,” former Minister of Justice Roland Duncan muttered yesterday morning during the handling of a lawsuit Richbenzwan NV initiated against Hypnotic Hotel and Entertainment, JMC Investments and Holdings NV and Mayoline Joan Peterson, the director of the Hypnotic brothel in Sucker Garden.

Richbenzwan holds the permit for the Seaman’s Club that has now been renamed Hypnotic Read more

Little Opposition To 2016 Draft Budget

MP Tamara Leonard: “I feel like we have to take a hit too.” Photo Today / Milton Pieters

St. Maarten News – The parliament seemed to be going in record tempo through the debate about the draft 2016 budget yesterday. By 6.35 p.m. all speakers had put in their two cents in the first round; only nine MPs used their right to address the issue Read more

Former Pm Marcel Gumbs Reacts To Dr. Martha “Not Possible To Revoke Dissolution Decree”

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – “I think that not all the facts were presented to him,” former Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs told this newspaper yesterday in a reaction to the interview with Dr. Rutsel Martha. “He is a good friend and very clever, though somewhat controversial, but his specialty is not in constitutional law.”

Gumbs said that he had acquired advice from three constitutional experts – professors Arjen van Rijn, Tijn Kortmann and Joop van den Berg Read more

People’S Progressive Alliance Banned From 2016 Elections

St. Maarten – The People’s Progressive Alliance (PPA) of Don Hughes will not be allowed to contest the February 9 elections. This appears from a decision by the electoral council.

Already in the day Hughes came to the council’s offices on Back Street to register the party it appeared that there was a problem Read more

Up-Board Slams Coalition “The Dp Membership Is In Shambles”

St. Maarten – “History surely repeats itself and it seems more so in the formation of the coalition of eight,” United People’s Party (UP) President Sylvia Meyers said in a press statement on behalf of her party’s board yesterday. 

“Imagine the UP-led coalition was heavily criticized for not having a full council of ministers appointed and today the coalition of eight is greeted with the same reality.  Out of seven ministerial positions, they were only able to fill five.” 

“The National Alliance should have led with the same collective responsibility any coalition faces and not hide behind a press release only promoting their minister nominees having passed the screening,” the release states. 

“We are closely monitoring the inconsistencies and political rhetoric which clearly indicates of a weak new majority government.  It is quite obvious there is an apparent weakness in the new coalition and further testimony is the new recruitment effort of the Democratic Party led-ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor with the placement of an advertisement in the daily newspapers looking for persons to join the cabinet.” 

According to the UP-board it is “unheard of when the DP cannot find individuals within its own ranks to join its cabinet.  It’s a crying shame that they have to resort to this route.  It’s widely known the DP membership is in shambles and it seems no better way to recruit new members than by promising cabinet jobs.” 

“We will continue to be the eyes and ears of the people who undoubtedly continue to support us knowing all the trials and tribulations we’ve faced during the past 11-months,” the statement continues Read more

Seven New Political Parties Report For 2016 Elections

St. Maarten – An astonishing number of seven new political parties reported to the offices of the Electoral Council yesterday to submit their request to be registered for the February 9 elections. Among them is the St. Maarten Christian Party, led by Pastor Wycliffe Smith. On the other hand, the party of European Dutch residents did not show up, reportedly because they did not have enough time to prepare their documentation.

With the seven new parties – if they get all their formalities in order – the field for the elections will consist of eleven and possibly twelve parties Read more

Parliament Goes All Out Against Attorney-General Schram “His Remarks Are As Bad As The Crimes He Fights”

MP William Marlin: “The AG insults everybody in St. Maarten.” Photo Today / Leo Brown

St. Maarten – Parliament unanimously make minced meat of the remarks Attorney-General Guus Schram made on September 11 during the installation of Judge Sander van Rijen and demanded his resignation (see related story on our front page).

“I do not want to get into a debate with the attorney-general,” National Alliance faction leader William Marlin said Read more

Tax-Compliance Measures Are Not Working

Cft: “Structural overhaul personnel costs necessary”

St. Maarten – Measures the government has put in place to increase tax compliance are not working. This appears from the reaction from financial supervisor Cft to the second execution report 2015. In the first half year, tax revenue fell 8 million guilders below budget. For the whole year, St. Maarten expects to collect 8.6 million guilders less than budgeted.

Nevertheless, the government wants to increase income levels for 2015 to 470 million guilders but, as this newspaper already reported last week, this does not have the approval of the financial supervisor.

“By taking additional measures St Read more

Mp Marlin Wants To Talk About Dress Code

St. Maarten – There are zero journalist here. They are boycotting this meeting of parliament,” National Alliance faction leader William Marlin said yesterday afternoon during the debate about the deal the harbor made with developer Zebec Read more

Mp Marlin Wants To Talk About Dress Code

St. Maarten – There are zero journalist here. They are boycotting this meeting of parliament,” National Alliance faction leader William Marlin said yesterday afternoon during the debate about the deal the harbor made with developer Zebec Read more

Minister Richardson Criticizes Attorney-General Schram: “Justify Your Claims Or Shut The Hell Up”

Justice Minister Richardson is tired of accusations about corruption. Photo Today / Milton Pieters

St. Maarten – “My position has changed: it is put up or shut up. Justify your claims or shut the hell up. This has to stop,” Justice Minister Dennis Richardson said yesterday afternoon in parliament about the statements Attorney-General Guus Schram made last Friday about the interconnection between the underworld and the legitimate part of St. Maarten’s society.

“There are numerous indications showing that the underworld and the legitimate society in St Read more

Dp Wants Action With Timeshare Legislation

St. Maarten– The ministry of tourism and economic affairs is going back to the drawing board with timeshare legislation and that is not to the liking of the Democratic Party. DP-MP Sarah Wescot-Williams said yesterday that the party would take back its initiative legislation and go forward with it if there is no fast action forthcoming from the ministry.

Former DP-MP Leroy de Weever submitted draft timeshare legislation Read more

Erna Mae Francis Contributes To “Amazing” Book: Success From The Heart Comes With Stunning Bonus Offer

Erna Mae Francis co-authored Success from the Heart. Photo contributed

St. Maarten – Success from the Heart is a book published by a company called New Peaks. It contains a chapter written by Erna Mae Francis-Cotton of the Victorious Living Foundation. In many ways this is, as the email we received about the publication described it, an “amazing book,” if only because the authors give away bonuses they claim to be worth a stunning $15,078. The book itself is for sale at amazon.com for just $18.95 Read more

Mike Ferrier About The Aftermath Of The Shooting: “Hopefully, Parliament Will Get A Grip On Reckless Spending”

Michael Ferrier. File photo Today / Leo Brown

St. Maarten – Businessman Michael Ferrier, a former president of the Democratic Party – as party he left in disgust last year – analyzes in this article the situation the country finds itself in in the wake of the shooting that cost sergeant Gamali Benjamin his life.

Last week’s shooting of a police 0fficer by a coward with a gun has brought our once tranquil “Friendly” Island to an all-time new low in societal behavior Read more

Transparency International Presents Integrity Assessment: “Political Parties Are Weak In Representing Social Interests”

Transparency International’s regional director for the Americas Alejandro Salas and lead researcher Cora de Voit. Photo Today / Leo Brown

GREAT BAY – At 7 p.m. local time last night, Transparency International’s National Integrity System assessment for St. Maarten came online. The company presented the report at the same time at the university on Pond Island. St. Maarten has now come full circle with probing its integrity issues. There are four reports on the table: the Baseline Study Institutional Integrity from the General Audit Chamber, the integrity-reports from the Bob Wit-committee and PricewaterhouseCoopers and now the transparency assessment.

It contains three core recommendations, of which the third one is the most concrete Read more

Opinion: Paying Lip Service

What is most amazing about the never-ending procession of court cases the new owner of the former Caravanserai Resort, Alegria, gets involved in, is the lack of response to this very detrimental situation from the government, and in particular from Tourism and Economic Affairs Minister Claret Connor, with the parliament closely on his heels.

Whatever the outcome of the court case may be, the effect on our tourism industry will be devastating Read more

Na Mp Pantophlet Seeks Clarity On Internal Control Department

St. Maarten – Member of Parliament George Pantophlet disclosed yesterday that he will be submitting some questions to Minister of Finance Martin Hassink regarding the setting up of an internal control department. Pantophlet also plans to request a copy of an agreement signed between the SOAB and government. “This agreement apparently has in it that the SOAB would set up the internal control department within 2 years, write the internal control process and also train the employees Read more