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Prisons officers threaten shutdown

PORT OF SPAIN--Prisons officers are threatening to shut down operations at the country's penal institutions in protest over Government's failure to implement additional security measures, promised after the murder of one of their colleagues last year.

Speaking at a press conference outside the Frederick Street entrance of the Port-of-Spain State Prison on Wednesday president of the Prisons Officers' Association Ceron Richards described the proposed action, which crippled operations at the prisons for several weeks last year, as a last resort by prisons officers to have their concerns addressed Read more

Editorial: Not Helpful (Vague Press Statement From Minister Lake)

Vromi-Minister Maurice Lake is apparently not aware of the finer details of the articles of incorporation that regulate the St. Maarten Housing Foundation. That leads to public statements that are at odds with reality – and nobody stands to benefit from that.

The foundation’s board should have five – not seven, as the minister claims in a press statement – members and as long as there is at least one member left, that board is legal.

Another point is of course that the board should take action without delay (meaning: immediately) once there are fewer than five board members Read more

Minister Cornelius De Weever Resigns From The Democratic Party

St. Maarten —Minister Cornelius de Weever yesterday officially severed ties with the Democratic Party by officially informing the leader of that party and care taker Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams that he is resigning from the party.

Minister De Weever ran on the DP’s ticket in the August 2014 elections but secretly formed a coalition with the UP party shortly after the elections while the DP had publicly announced that it has signed an agreement and was forming a coalition with the US and NA Read more

De Weever severs ties with Democratic Party

PHILIPSBURG--New Member of Parliament (MP) Cornelius de Weever has severed ties with the Democratic Party (DP), under whose slate he contested the August 29 parliamentary elections and secured a seat.

De Weever said in a press statement issued by his Cabinet on Thursday that he had notified DP leader Sarah Wescot-Williams that he “has now officially resigned from the party.” De Weever, who also functions as caretaker Minister of Health, Labour and Social Affairs, said he informed Wescot-Williams “that due to the manner in which she and/or the DP publicly tried to portray me in a negative light, I have decided to reconsider my future with the DP and hereby resign my affiliation with the Democratic Party.

“I campaigned as a new democrat with a new Democratic Party, but it is readily apparent to many that it is the same old political strategy of trying to shame and blame,” he said Read more

>GREAT BAY:--- Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Cornelius de Weever has notified the leader of the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot-Williams that he has now officially resigned from the party.
Minister De Weever informed the leader that due to the manner in which she and/or the DP publicly tried to portray me in a negative light, I have decided to reconsider my future with the DP and hereby RESIGN my affiliation with the Democratic Party Read more

Minister De Weever Resigns From The Democratic Party

GREAT BAY, St. Martin - Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Cornelius de Weever has notified the leader of the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot-Williams that he has now officially resigned from the party.

Minister De Weever informed the leader that due to the manner in which she and/or the DP publicly tried to portray me in a negative light, I have decided to reconsider my future with the DP and hereby RESIGN my affiliation with the Democratic Party.

I campaigned as a New Democrat with a "new" Democratic Party but it is readily apparent to many that it is the same old political strategy of trying to shame and blame.

Minister De Weever further stated that he expected an internal "issue" to be handled internally, professionally and avoid giving others more ammunition against St Read more

Editorial - As much about quality

Government’s personnel cost has increased more than foreseen, Finance Minister Martin Hassink told Parliament on Tuesday, and is fast becoming “unaffordable.” He gave no clear indication as to why, but a perceived lack of efficiency in certain cases resulting from sheer incompetence may well have something to do with it.

For example, in the US persons have to take a special exam to enter the civil service, where the rank and pay for those who pass it are determined at least in part by the result Read more

Renovation Golden Rock Homes cancelled!

Dear Editor,

The working relationship with the Dutch housing corporation Woonlinie and St. Eustatius is again in jeopardy. Free advice and financial aid has been turned down by government, which makes the future of decent low-income housing for Statia's citizens dimmer than ever before. Particularly, the apparent reason behind all of this is baffling.

The agreed upon interim director, supplied by Woonlinie, who had as his mission the reorganisation and strengthening of the housing foundation has left the island after Commissioner Zaandam told him that his skin colour was not suitable to lead the foundation Read more

Editorial - Best for now

"Only in St. Maarten," some people no doubt were saying after another news-filled Saturday, with word that four candidate minsters did not pass the screening and a –thankfully false – bomb alert that caused chaos at SXM Princess Juliana International Airport precisely during its busiest day and hours of the week.

Regarding the latter one can keep it short. Authorities need to take the incident very seriously and treat it like a major crime, because that's exactly what it was, with the entire island and its tourism economy as the ultimate victims.

If the call made to the police is in any way traceable no time should be lost in trying to find out who is responsible Read more

Mexico says evidence now proves missing students were burned up

MEXICO CITY--Mexican authorities on Sunday said that mounting evidence and initial DNA tests confirmed that 43 trainee teachers who were abducted by corrupt police 10 weeks ago were incinerated at a garbage dump by drug gang members.
  Attorney General Jesus Murillo told reporters that one of the students had been identified by experts in Austria from a bone fragment in a bag of ash and bits of burned tire found in a river where drug gang members said they tossed the students remains.
  "This scientific proof confirms that the remains found at the scene coincide with the evidence of the investigation," Murillo said Read more

Four minister candidates reportedly fail screening

PHILIPSBURG--It appears that efforts to put together a new cabinet have come up a few ministers short. Four of the minister candidates reportedly have failed the extensive screening to take up a post in what has been billed as the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet.

Those said to have failed the security and integrity screenings are finance minister candidate Richard Gibson Sr., health minister candidate Leroy de Weever, infrastructure minister candidate Peggy-Ann Brandon and deputy minister plenipotentiary candidate Lucas Berman.

According to people close to the issue, attorney and former minister in the Netherlands Antilles Gibson Sr Read more

Bill Cosby performs in Bahamas amid sexual assault allegations

NASSAU, Bahamas--As the sexual assault allegations continued to pile up back home in the United States on Thursday and Friday, it was "better in The Bahamas" for veteran comedian Bill Cosby when he performed at a small theatre in the world-famous Atlantis resort.

Cosby reportedly received a standing ovation at the close of his 90-minute set at a fundraiser to support the Nassau chapter of The Links.

The audience, which included some prominent Bahamians, apparently had no problem ignoring allegations that have made headlines worldwide claiming that Cosby had drugged and sexually abused women at intervals spanning more than two decades.

"I think everybody is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty," Alfred Sears, an official with the College of The Bahamas and a former attorney general, told the Associated Press.

"Tonight is for a cause, and I think that he has contributed to the cause Read more

Sandy Ground youths protest unfinished basketball court

SANDY GROUND--A crowd of youths blocked the main road in Sandy Ground on Monday afternoon, protesting a still unfinished basketball court that apparently had been promised to be delivered completely renovated in July.

The disturbance began around 3:00pm with barricades of garbage bins placed in the middle of the road, as well as a basketball post and hoop. A section of the road near the Cultural Centre was completely blocked to traffic for a few hours.

Gendarmes and Territorial Police were on the scene immediately to control a gathering crowd, but the Gendarmerie indicated that despite the tension, the situation remained calm and the youths were not aggressive Read more

Editorial - Sooner rather than later

Today's report that Dutch Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Minister Ronald Plasterk prefers cooperation to another instruction for St. Maarten in the area of Justice is a positive development. Coupled with the news that "formateur" Theo Heyliger has submitted the names of proposed ministers for what now appears is the incoming UP/De Weever/Marlin-Romeo coalition – no longer backed by DP leader Sarah Wescot-Williams (see related story) – to Governor Eugene Holiday, it could spell a start in restoring the lately disturbed relations between Philipsburg and The Hague.

This conclusion has a lot to do with the fact that Heyliger did not include himself Read more

De Weever again seeks retraction from Bosman

THE HAGUE/PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten attorney-at-law Jairo Bloem by letter dated November 10, 2014, has reminded Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD party of his demand to retract his "slanderous" statements in relation to his client caretaker Minister Cornelius de Weever.

Mid-October 2014, Bloem sent an open letter to Bosman asking him to do the "honourable thing" and to retract his "erroneous and defaming remarks." On October 1, during the handling of the 2015 draft Kingdom Relations budget in the Second Chamber he stated that De Weever was "simply bought" by United People's Party (UP) Leader Theo Heyliger to join the UP in Parliament as an independent member.

On behalf of his client, Bloem asked Bosman to refrain from making such remarks in the future Read more

APNU brands decision to suspend parliament ‘dark day’ for democracy

GEORGETOWN, Guyana--The main opposition grouping, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Monday described the decision of President Donald Ramotar to prorogue Parliament as "the darkest day for democracy in Guyana."

The APNU said that it is resolved to resist the President's "Proclamation" and was calling "on all the good people of Guyana everywhere to join in a civil movement for the restoration of parliamentary democracy by peacefully resisting the PPPC's resort to dictatorship and to call for the revocation of this 'Proclamation.'"

In a statement, the APNU said that it is "enraged" that Ramotar's decision to prorogue Parliament "has effectively paralysed the parliamentary process and smothered the voices of the people's legitimate representatives in the National Assembly.

"It is an affront to the Guyanese people who three years ago, in November 2011, voted for A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change (AFC) to have the majority of seats in the National Assembly."

The APNU, which together with the AFC controlled 33 seats in the outgoing 65-member Parliament, said President Ramotar "has now single-handedly engineered a constitutional crisis."

It said the main purposes of the Proclamation are to allow the ruling People's Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) to avoid parliamentary scrutiny while it attempts to "prevent debate on the Opposition "no-confidence" motion; prevent the holding of local government elections; prevent debate on financial excesses and impropriety; protect the reputations of his ministers from parliamentary sanction; permit the PPPC's campaign for general and regional elections to proceed; and permit the continued expenditure of state funds without parliamentary scrutiny."

In his statement, President Ramotar justified the decision to prorogue Parliament saying he had earlier indicated a desire for the National Assembly, in its post-recess sittings, to deliberate and give priority to important matters relating to the development of the country.

"I also extended a hand to the Opposition for us to put the nation's business first rather than political gamesmanship."

He said he had further advised that should he be provided with reasons to believe that the Parliamentary Opposition intends to disrupt government's business by forcing a debate on their no confidence motion, "I resolved to respond immediately by exercising my Constitutional options to either prorogue or dissolve Parliament, paving the way for holding of general elections.

"Consistent with my earlier position and in accordance with powers conferred on me by Article 70(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Guyana, I earlier today [Monday – Ed.] issued a Proclamation proroguing the 10th Parliament."

Ramotar said that his decision to exercise this constitutional option "was not taken lightly, but it was the sole recourse that was left to me to ensure that the life of the 10th Parliament was preserved.

"It is no secret that the Parliamentary Opposition parties had, at every conceivable opportunity, made known their clear intention to have their motion of no confidence against my government debated instantly at the first post-recess sitting which was called for [Monday – Ed.] today, November 10 Read more

style="text-align: center;">Attorney at Law Jairo Bloem Issued Summon to Bosman if not face court injunction

PHILIPSBURG:--- Attorney at Law Jairo Bloem has issued a summons to Dutch MP Andre Bosman to issue an apology to his client MP/Minister Cornelius de Weever by Monday November 17th, 2014 or face a court injunction.
In a letter sent to MP Bosman dated November 10th 2014, Bloem stated that MP Bosman made erroneous, slanderous and defaming statements against his client MP De Weever shortly after MP De Weever abandoned the NA/DP/USp coalition and formed a government with the UPP.
Bloem said on October 22nd, 2014 an article was published in the Amigoe newspaper in Curacao stating that you received the open letter of client and first wanted to discuss the content thereof within your party Read more

Letter From St. Maarten’S Council Of Ministers To Rutte And Plasterk: No Cooperation With Additional Screening

St. Maarten – The Council of Ministers will not cooperate with the instruction to Governor Holiday to subject candidate-ministers for the new cabinet to additional screening. In a letter, signed by outgoing Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, the council makes this position clear to Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Kingdom Relations Minister Ronald Plasterk Read more

Editorial - For a better position

It appears the decision to appoint someone else than UP leader Theodore Heyliger as prime minister has been taken (see related article). The by-far-biggest vote-getter during the end of August elections apparently will remain in Parliament despite earlier intentions to lead his first cabinet.

This development obviously is related to Governor Eugene Holiday being ordered by the Kingdom Council of Ministers to hold off on installing any candidate-ministers until a more stringent screening process determined and executed by officials from the Netherlands is completed Read more

UP PR is a perfect case study of how it’s done

Dear Editor,

I'm a third year marketing student in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. For new, innovative, practical approaches we are taught to observe our surroundings. Being from St. Maarten (by way of Suriname) I keep my eye on advertising campaigns and such at home. In many cases St. Maarten is still using old methods, but I know a few friends who have returned to the island, trying to do new things in our field.

This brings me to what I observed during the last election campaign. I was truly impressed with the innovation, organisation, speed and ability to pivot on the fly of the UP party Read more

St. Maarten Parliament Is Convinced That Screening Process Is Working: Motion Will Ask Governor To Reject Kingdom Instruction

St. Maarten – The United People’s party announced that it would table a motion that asks Governor Holiday not to go along with the instruction from the Kingdom Council of Ministers to execute additional screening of candidate-ministers for the new government. However, parliament adjourned until Wednesday morning after the first round. UP-leader Theo Heyliger told this newspaper that he had not delivered his final report about the new cabinet yet, even though yesterday was the deadline for his task as formateur.

A one-man protest action by Etienne Toochie Meyers – a representative of the movement People United for True Democracy – preceded the first meeting of the new parliament yesterday afternoon Read more

Shidokan athlete second in Japan championship

MARIGOT—Ruben Girault-Darteyre from St. Martin achieved a second place overall in the Under 18 division of the International Junior Shidokan Championships held in Japan.

Girault-Darteyre (13) who was born in St. Martin December 1, 2000, was apparently disqualified in the final however. Details of his bouts and results could not be obtained from coaches by press time.

According to brief information on the athlete, he took up Shidokan in 2005 and although overweight he worked hard to lose pounds to become the best in the class Read more

Dutch Instruction Is A Direct Attack On The Country’S Autonomy (Screening Process Of Candidate Ministers)

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – The anger, indignation and apparent frustration about the instruction the Kingdom Council of Ministers gave to Governor Drs. Eugène Holiday has left many seething – not only in St. Maarten, but also in Curacao and Aruba. According to a report in Antilliaans Dagblad, the country has two weeks to agree with the package of measures Kingdom Relations Minister Ronald Plasterk has in store – otherwise another instruction could follow.

United People’s party leader Theo Heyliger stated in a rather emotional reaction on Friday that the instruction is unconstitutional Read more

Editorial - For a change

The Kingdom Council of Ministers has given Governor Eugene Holiday an instruction not to install any new cabinet members until there are sufficient guarantees regarding their integrity. This is to be determined by applying a more stringent screening, for which the Dutch Government will appoint a team of experts to assist the governor.

The highly unusual and unprecedented move has to do with a 2010 vote-buying case involving the UP party and developments since this year's elections held at the end of August Read more