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Say It Loud! Racism In The Dutch Kingdom Is Unacceptable.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Earlier this week we read that a young man of 21 years was gunned down in the city of Schiedam in the Netherlands. The fact that he was dark complexioned, and ethno-racial profiling among Dutch police officers in the Netherlands is condoned as an unfortunate security measure. It have caused many activists throughout the Kingdom of the Netherlands to argue that this is one of the outcomes of a situation where, it has become politically suspect to say that racism within the Dutch Kingdom is unacceptable!
In this contribution, we seek to say the new politically suspect as loud as possible: Dutch racism is unacceptable! “Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words can never hurt us.” Whoever wholeheartedly believes that this saying holds all the time, and in every occasion, is either lying to themselves or not part of the human species Read more

***Breaking News***: Major Break In “Zucchini” Murder Case

~Two prime suspects are detained in Dominica~

Deyanida Clarisa Faynete

SINT MAARTEN/DOMINICA – There was a major break in the “Zucchini case” after a news website published the pictures and names of six persons, who were arrested in Dominica, for armed robbery at Jewelry International, located at Fort Young Hotel in Dominica.

Out of the six persons arrested, three of them are from St. Maarten and out of the three, two are wanted as prime suspects in the case called by the Prosecutor’s Office as “Zucchini.”

On March 18, 2014, the young lady Deyanida “Clarisa” Faynete (19) was shot in Dutch Quarter 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

PHILIPSBURG:--- The landfill (dump) in Philipsburg is on fire again and the perils with the new garbage collection contracts in general have only added to the frustration.
Some might feel that this is open political season and we could now point fingers at the persons who were in charge of areas like Public Works etc. for many years, and under whose responsibility this matter fell.
We could use the lack of visible action by those persons as political ammunition and start to "shoot" at these persons who over the years and for mainly selfish reasons have stalled, turned back, reversed or whatever the case might have been, any plan that had to do with arriving at a solution for the Philipsburg landfill.
However, this blame game will not get us any closer to a solution at this time.
The people of St 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

Debt Standard Proposed For Curaçao, St. Maarten

~ CFT advices in 2015 annual report ~

By Suzanne Koelega

THE HAGUE--A debt standard with a maximum threshold should be introduced for Curaçao and St. Maarten to keep the debts of the countries manageable in case the interest rates of capital loans increase.
The Committee for Financial Supervision CFT for Curaçao and St. Maarten drafted an advice to this effect early in 2016 on the request of Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk. The advice was mentioned in the CFT 2015 annual report which was presented in The Hague on Wednesday.
The CFT advised Plasterk that the two countries should be able to maintain a debt quota standard of 40 per cent on a medium term Read more

Fake Land Transfer To Eco Green Designed To Duck Income Tax

By Today Newspaper

GREAT BAY – Former Public Health Minister Maria Buncamper-Molanus and her husband Claudius told the court at the Eco Green trial that they had trusted the advice from (now retired) notary Gijsbertha when they set up the construction with the bogus company Eco Green and that they had no reason to be concerned about its legality.

The court rejected this argument in its ruling yesterday Read more

On the occasion of the first CBCS Central Banking Conference Caribbean Central Banking since the Financial Crisis

Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Sint Maarten
March 31st, 2016

Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening.

It gives me great pleasure to join you this evening at the welcome dinner for the first central banking conference of the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten.

Firstly, on behalf of the government of Sint Maarten, allow me to extend a warm welcome to all the speakers and participants who have travelled to Sint Maarten for this conference Read more

Obama Meets Castro In Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba – “This is a new day between our two countries,” President Obama said after meeting with Cuban President Raúl Castro in Havana.

The two leaders agreed that there are still deep fissures between the two countries and that a healthy relationship between them will take work.

That uneasiness was apparent as soon as journalists began asking questions. Obama and Castro were not supposed to take questions, but a last minute change made that possible.

In Spanish, a journalist asked Castro why his country kept political prisoners.

Clearly miffed, Castro asked the reporter to hand over a list of political prisoners.

“If there are political prisoners, they will be released by nightfall,” Castro said.

Obama was diplomatic when he addressed Cuba’s human rights record Read more

National Institute Of Arts Gymnastic Competition

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — On Saturday March 19th, the National Institute of Arts in collaboration with Club de Gym St.Martin will present part 2 of the 2nd Annual Gymnastic Competition at the Asha Stevens Christian Hillside School Campus in Cay Hill. 50 students born during the years 1998 to 2008 will compete in a parcours that covers gymnastic apparatus of floor, uneven bars, horse and balance beam.

The 2nd Annual Gymnastic Completion is the qualifier to compete at the Regional Competition that will take place in Guadeloupe.

Part 1 of the Gymnastic Competition was held on Saturday March 12 and 70 children born in 2005 to 2009 competed in a parcours that consisted of floor, bars and horse in basics skills and gymnastic alignment Read more

Summary Of Buncamper Case

Claudius-Buncamper

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The suspects are accused primarily of committing forgery. The core issue revolves around a piece of land that the couple B. had held since 2005. First by renting it from the island territory of St. Maarten, then by acquiring a lease. To obtain the land, however, conditions were attached. For example, the land could not be sub-leased or made available to a third party. The price paid by the couple B. was about NAf Read more

Prosecution Demanded Prison Time For The Buncampers And Co-Defendants.

decided to drop money laundering charge due to prosecutor’s misconduct.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The prosecution requested that the Buncamper’s namely Maria Buncamper Molanus and Claudius Buncamper be sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, six of which suspended and a three year probation be placed on the couple. As for notary Gijsbertha the prosecution demanded 15 months prison sentence, five of which suspended also with a three year probation.
For Ivan Haverthong the prosecution demanded 12 months imprisonment, four of which suspended along with a three year probation Read more

“I want to make clear that there is a government in place, all I wanted is support to approve the 2016 draft budget”

PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister William Marlin dispelled the allegations and rumors and even statements made during a radio program on Friday that he went tried to form a government on Thursday with the United Peoples Party Read more

Dutch Mps Laud Vote Buying Investigation

THE HAGUE--The liberal democratic VVD party, the Labour Party PvdA, Socialist Party (SP) and the Party for Freedom PVV in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament lauded the move of the St. Maarten Prosecutor’s Office in Wednesday’s arrest of St. Maarten Member of Parliament (MP) Silvio Matser and two others in the vote buying investigation.

Members of the Second Chamber André Bosman (VVD), Roelof van Laar (PvdA) and Ronald van Raak (SP) were especially content that the Prosecutor’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies were moving ahead with the active investigation and prosecution of illicit acts by elected/government officials.

Sietse Fritsma (PVV) stated that Matser’s arrest in connection with election fraud didn’t come as no surprise as “vote buying has been the common practice for many years in the banana republic St 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

Orient Beach Tenants Mull Legal Action If Satisfaction Not Obtained

~ Architect insists project has ‘been done by the book ~

ORIENT BAY--Three local proprietors of the new restaurant units on Orient Beach who have not signed contracts with the Collectivité based on their claims the buildings have not been constructed to French code in addition to contesting what they view as prohibitively high rent said Monday this was their “final stand.”

They alluded to a legal action if satisfaction is not obtained from the Collectivité. Meanwhile, other restaurants and boutiques in the new complex have signed contracts and opened, giving the project a half-opened look Read more

Nature Foundation Puts Warning Buoy On Object Causing Injuries To Swimmers On Simpson Bay Beach

SIMPSONBAY, Sint Maarten — Nature Foundation divers placed a white marker Buoy with information warning swimmers away from an area on Simpson Bay beach close to Karakter beach bar.

Many swimmers were injured, some seriously, when they cut themselves on an underwater object right in the surf zone as they were bathing in the area. The Nature Foundation was contacted by Member of Parliament the Honorable Maurice Lake as well as the owners of Karakter Beach Bar and residents of Simpson Bay regarding the incident.

“We dove the area in order to see exactly what it was that was causing cuts, some quite deep, to swimmers in the area Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Nature Foundation divers placed a white marker Buoy with information warning swimmers away from an area on Simpson Bay beach close to Karakter beach bar. Many swimmers were injured, some seriously, when they cut themselves on an underwater object right in the surf zone as they were bathing in the area. The Nature Foundation was contacted by Member of Parliament the Honorable Maurice Lake as well as the owners of Karakter Beach Bar and residents of Simpson Bay regarding the incident 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

Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Member of Parliament Maurice Lake commends the Marlin Cabinet for looking into projects that during the last minute before the swearing in of the new Cabinet, were signed off by the former Minister VROMI without a plan being in place. â€œThe new Minister of VROMI will also pay attention to these matters. As a representative of the people and a former Minister of VROMI, I was very amazed by the outgoing Minister of VROMI list of accomplishments in his thank you letter to the people since being Minister of TEATT and Minister of VROMI 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

City Manager Announces Retirement Date, Service To Tallahassee Spans 25 Years

SISTER CITY TALLAHASSEE, united States of America - Tallahassee City Manager Anita Favors Thompson announced that she will retire effective November 20, 2015.

“When I became City Manager in 1997, I made the commitment to always put people first and to focus on providing the best services possible to meet the needs of our community,” Favors Thompson said.

“Through my 25 years working for the city and through challenges and accomplishments, I’ve never wavered in my belief that a city’s greatest asset is its people 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