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Governor Receives Final Formation Report Theodore Heyliger

HARBOUR VIEW, Sint Maarten – On December 17, 2014, His Excellency the Governor of Sint Maarten, drs. E.B. Holiday, received the final report of formateur Theodore Heyliger.

The formateur has accepted the commission to form a new government that has a majority in Parliament and that consists of Ministers who are committed to the promotion of the wellbeing of Sint Maarten and dedicated to jointly execute the UP/I-2 Governing Accord, agreed upon by the coalition partners United People's Party, independent Member of Parliament Van Hugh C Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- A board member of the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) Elston Fos was attacked in his yard by a lone gunman late Friday night. SMN News understands that Fos who lives in the Belvedere area escaped unharmed because the weapon the gunman tried to fire at him jammed. It should be noted that Fos is the board member of the SMHDF along with another board member who suspended Henry Lynch on Friday morning for financial discrepancies.
Chief Commissioner of Police Peter de Witte confirmed that the SMHDF board member was attacked by a lone gunman but the weapon malfunctioned Read more

Lloyd Richardson Elected Chairman Of Parliament

St. Maarten – Parliament elected Dr. Lloyd Richardson of the faction of the United People’s party yesterday morning as the successor of Sarah Wescot-Williams as its chairman Read more

Former Minister To Court In January: Buncamper-Molanus Charged With Membership Criminal Organization

St. Maarten – Tax fraud, forgery and participation in a criminal organization; these are the charges the Public Prosecutor’s Office has brought against Former Minister of Public Health, Social Affairs and Labor Maria Buncamper-Molanus. She has been summoned to appear in court for a pro forma hearing on Wednesday, January 7 of next year.

The charge for membership of a criminal organization suggests that there are more suspects, but a press release from the prosecutor’s office on Friday did not elaborate on this possibility Read more

Mp Dr. Lloyd Richardson Voted In As President Of Parliament

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Members of Parliament in a Central Committee meeting on Monday morning, Member of Parliament of the United People's Party, the Honorable Lloyd Richardson was voted to the position as President of Parliament.

He is now replacing leader of the Democratic Party, Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams who resigned from the post on Thursday November 13th.

During the voting on Monday, Dr Read more

USM honours faculty and staff at 25th anniversary celebration

~ Special award for Danny's parents, Smith ~

PHILIPSBURG--University of St. Martin (USM) honoured a long list of staffers and faculty for their efforts in moulding students over the years during its 25th anniversary celebrations on Friday evening.

A special award was presented to Vice President of USM Foundation and the institution's first Director Pastor Wycliffe Smith, as well as to the parents of Treasurer of USM Foundation Danny Ramchandani, for allowing their only son to come to St Read more

style="text-align: center;">UPP candidates fuming because they got no Ministerial Positions

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the United Peoples Party (UPP) and formateur Theodore Heyliger has shuffled the deck of cards again as he tries to form the next government Read more

The St. Maarten Parliamentary Election Of August 29, 2014 Julio R. Romney

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The parliamentary election in St. Maarten on 29th of August marked a turbulent beginning to the new constituent state's political history.

The substantial loss of electorate support for the more seasoned (political) party leaders to second tier/ number two party members, the failure of only but two contesting candidates to receive the necessary electoral quota to secure a seat in parliament outright.

The eleventh hour of the appointed formateur to realize the formation of a prospective coalition government, with the subsequent appointment of two informateurs to facilitate a renewed attempt to garner political parties that are willing to come together and form a new prospective coalition government are but a few of the unanticipated consequences of the election.

Added to these and more startling was the Royal Decree issued (October 21, 2014) by the de facto Head of State i.e., the Kingdom Government/ the Kingdom Council of Ministers instructing the Governor of St Read more

André Bosman Fails To React – De Weever Takes Legal Action

St. Maarten – Member of Parliament Cornelius de Weever will take legal action against VVD-MP André Bosman who did not react to a summons to retract “erroneous, slanderous and defaming statements” before the deadline of last Monday at 5 p.m. On September 30, four different newspapers quoted Bosman as saying, “Heyliger simply paid De Weever.”

The remark refers to De Weever’s decision to withdraw his support for a coalition of the National Alliance and the United St Read more

Sarah questions reason for voting discrepancies meeting

PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot-Williams wants an elaboration on the request for a Central Committee meeting on election day "discrepancies" as called for by MPs Leona Marlin-Romeo (independent), Tamara Leonard (United People's party) and Cornelius de Weever (DP) Read more

Parliament to discuss election discrepancies

PHILIPSBURG--Reported discrepancies and issues at polling stations on Election Day, August 29, will be discussed when Members of Parliament (MPs) who were elected on that day meet in a public Central Committee session with the Central Voting Bureau and Civil Registry in Parliament House on Tuesday starting at 2:00pm.

MPs Leona Marlin-Romeo (independent), Tamara Leonard (United People's party) and Cornelius de Weever (Democratic Party) requested the meeting.

In their request letter, the MPs said there had been discrepancies at the Pointe Blanche House of Detention polling station, use of foreign identification for voting, discrepancies in ballot counting at specific polling stations, discrepancies in privacy during the supporting of the candidate lists and discrepancies in the information given to political parties about placement of campaign material.

Points to be brought forward in the meeting are changes in the Electoral Law, increased number of polling stations in 2014 compared to 2010 and implementation of electronic voting, among others.

The parliamentary session is open to the public and will be carried live on St Read more

Heyliger says impasse looms

THE HAGUE--St. Maarten’s United People’s Party (UP) Leader Theo Heyliger said in an interview with the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad on Wednesday that an impasse was imminent in the conflict with the Netherlands about the extra screening of the candidate prime minister and ministers Read more

Court Documents Indicate: Theo Heyliger Attempted To Blackmail Tender Services

St. Maarten/ By Hilbert Haar – United People’s party leader Theo Heyliger attempted in 2001 to blackmail the owner of St. Maarten Tender Services, Bobby Velasquez, with a bogus consultancy contract in the name of Coal Pot Inc., an offshore company established in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands Read more

Theo Heyliger Submits List To Governor

St. Maarten —After weeks of speculation, the biggest vote getter in the 2014 general elections, Formateur and leader of the United Peoples Party Theo Heyliger, confirmed he will not be taking up the position of Prime Minister of St 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

Youth Parliament wants more of a role in decision-making

PHILIPSBURG--The Youth Parliament wants a more active role in the decision-making process of the country.

A delegation of the Youth Parliament, headed by Dwayne Griffith, presented a motion requesting the possibility to make recommendations on the findings of the various integrity reports to the Parliament of St. Maarten on Tuesday afternoon in a Central Committee meeting in Parliament House.

The "emergency" meeting during which the motion was presented to the Parliament was requested by the Youth Members of Parliament (YMPs) Read more

Prominent Lawyer Allegedly Failed Screening due to Molestation Investigation.

style="text-align: center;"> Coalition dispute ongoing

PHILIPSBURG:--- Well placed sources have informed SMN News that a prominent lawyer on St. Maarten has failed the screening process to become a Minister in the UP/DP/ Marlin coalition. SMN News learnt that the candidate is allegedly under investigation for molesting a teenager. According to the information SMN News received a relative of the victim filed charges against the prominent citizen and lawyer on St. Maarten about two months ago Read more

Other Parties Stay Away From Protest Against Kingdom And Plasterk – Green March Against Instruction

St. Maarten– Between 300 and 400 people took part in the march People United for True Democracy organized yesterday afternoon in protest against the instruction from the Kingdom Council of Ministers to Governor Holiday for a stricter screening of candidate ministers – a handsome turnout with one flaw: only supporters of the United People’s party showed up.

UP party leader Theo Heyliger was there, as were his faction leader Franklin Meyers, MP Tamara Leonard and MP Lloyd Richardson Read more

style="text-align: center;">St. Maarten and its people will continue to fight for their rights

PHILIPSBURG:--- Organizers of the Peoples United for True Democracy (PUTD) began gathering on the Pondfill just after 1pm on Sunday as they prepared for the march they organized to protest against the instruction the Kingdom Council of Ministers gave to Governor Holiday on September 17th, 2014. The Kingdom Council instructed the Governor of St. Maarten not to sign any Landsbesluit to appoint Ministers that are appointed by the current coalition government.

The march which was scheduled to take off from the vicinity of the WIFOL building on the Pondfill on Sunday afternoon left the location close to 3pm as buses were circling in the various districts to pick up people who wanted to participate in the march deemed as protecting the country and its people's democratic rights.
Despite the delay and several publications in the newspapers, radios, and the social media just about 100 persons attended the march, included were several members from the UP party including its leader Theodore Heyliger, MP Lloyd Richardson and MP Franklyn Meyers, children and even some workers from the brothels on the island were among those that marched down the Pondfill road to the Government Administration Building.
As the marchers marched they chanted they wanted freedom, justice and respect Read more

Protesters March Against Dutch Instruction To Governor Sunday

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Over 200 persons turned out for the march which was organized by Citizens for true Democracy on Sunday afternoon.

The march was in protest against, among other things, the instruction given to the Governor regarding the screening of Ministers and Prime Minister.

One of the persons organizing the protest was Elton Jones.

Whilst addressing the gathering he expressed his dissatisfaction with the measure as is being proposed to the Governor of St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Reliably information reaching SMN News states that members of the RST visited the House of Parliament on Thursday where they took a statement from Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel regarding the statements he made on the floor of Parliament on Monday during a public meeting. When contacted Emmanuel said that he did get a visit from members of the RST but he said he will not divulge any information as to what transpired in that meeting on Thursday.
SMN News contacted Acting Chief Prosecutor Karola van Nie for a statement on the visit paid by the RST to the Member of Parliament Read more

Committee For Action Plan On Integrity Reports: Parliament Calls On Governor Not To Execute Instruction

St. Maarten – The Parliament passed a motion yesterday that calls on governor Drs. Eugène Holiday “not to yield to the measure of instruction formulated by the Dutch government” and to instruct the government to establish a committee that will “study, evaluate and recommend” an action plan based on the findings of three integrity reports that are currently on the table.

With this motion, the Parliament sent a message to The Hague that it will not stand for interference in its internal affairs 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

St. Maarten creates its own problem --- MP Emmanuel said he was offered $2m to jump ship and join the UPP.

style="text-align: center;">St. Maarten needs to fix its own house before trying to cross the ocean

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel unleashed an unexpected bomb on the floor of Parliament on Monday afternoon during the urgent meeting of Parliament that was called to discuss the instruction given to Governor Eugene Holiday Read more