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>AIRPORT:--- Stagnating the expansion and projects at the Princess Juliana International Airport has taken yet another level. This time the Council of Ministers decided on August 19th 2015 that they will instruct Domain Affairs not to issue any more long lease land and or renew long lease for any land that the Operating Company of Princess Juliana International Airport (PJAIE) has and that all land must be given to the Holding of the Government owned company.
Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs dispatched a letter to the head of Domain Affairs on August 25th 2015 instructing the department head of the decision taken by the Council of Ministers on August 19th 2015 Read more

Garbage Meeting Fizzles: Many Questions, No Answers And No Solutions

St. Maarten – At the end of a long meeting, finally there were some fireworks when opposition MP asked Vromi-Minister Claret Connor to answer one question: “Is there a contract with a company to build the waste-to-energy plant and how does this jive with your visit to a project in Miami?”

Minister Connor, who had just said that he would be able to inform the parliament on Monday when he would be able to answer the more than one hundred questions MPs had asked, did not bite Read more

style="text-align: center;">Board calls for Emergency Meeting ---- FBO permit in Limbo

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten Marcel Gumbs has dispatched a letter to the chairman of the Supervisory Board of Princess Juliana International Airport ordering them to get rid of the Airport Director Regina Labega. According to information SMN News received is that Labega did not pass the screening and the Prime Minister is using it against her because he got what some board members describe as having a “hard on for Labega.” Board members of the Supervisory board told SMN News that Labega has been doing an extremely good job but the Prime Minister does not seem to like her and thus he will do any or everything possible to get rid of her.
SMN News further learnt that Labega received the letter on Tuesday and she already consulted with her lawyer, while the chairman of the Supervisory Board Gary Matser has called for an emergency meeting to discuss the letter he received from the Prime Minister Read more

Richardson to Schram: Prove underworld claims or ‘shut up’

PHILIPSBURG--Justice Minister Dennis Richardson minced no words when he publicly called on Attorney-General Guus Schram to prove his claims about the mixing of the so-called underworld with civil society.

Richardson said in Monday's plenary session of Parliament that Schram should prove his claims or "shut the hell up."

Richardson was reacting to comments made by the Attorney-General on Friday at the swearing-in of a new judge for the Court of First Instance. Schram said, "The Friendly Island has lost its innocence."

He said another threat existed in St Read more

Prime minister’s travel plans halt meeting about Zebec settlement

PHILIPSBURG--The “urgent” meeting of Parliament requested by opposition parties – National Alliance (NA) and Democratic Party (DP) about the out-of-court settlement reached by St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies and developer Zebec has stalled before it could get started.

The meeting cannot be held this week, an official Parliament meeting week, because of an already packed Parliament schedule and due to the travel of Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs from Wednesday, September 16, until Sunday, September 27, 2015.

DP leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams is not amused that yet another urgently requested meeting of Parliament has not been scheduled by Parliament Chairman Dr Read more

Faction leaders outline their achievement and failures during parliamentary year 2014 -2015.

>PHILIPSBURG:---- Faction leader of the United Peoples Party Franklin Meyers in his remarks during the closing of parliamentary year 2014-2015 said that the moment the UPP and MP De Weever formed the coalition that formed the current government they got all sorts of pressure from the Dutch Government (Kingdom Partners) which includes an instruction Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Well placed information reaching SMN News states that Minister of Finance Maarten Hassink has sent an email to the leader of the United Peoples Party Theodore Heyliger informing him that he has taken the decision to make his position as Minister of Finance available to the UPP Read more

Up Board Extends Deepest Condolences To Johnson Family And Stuart Johnson Secretary General

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – The United People's Party (UP) family and board extends its deepest condolences to the family of the late Mrs. Linda Marie Johnson, especially her son Stuart Johnson, Secretary General of the UP Board, UP Party Board President Sylvia Meyers said on behalf of the party on Monday.

“Linda Johnson has been like a mom to many of our board members and an unwavering supporter. 

We will surely miss her advices and quick wit," the UP Party Board stated Read more

Up Family Extends Condolences To The Families Of Those Lost In Erika Flooding And Prayers For The Nation Of Dominica

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Leader of the United People's Party (UP) Member of Parliament Hon. Theo Heyliger was shocked after viewing news footage of the flooding devastation in the Caribbean island of Dominica. 

The extreme flooding is attributed to the passing of Tropical Storm Erika through the Leeward Islands Read more

Community Councils have a role to play regarding hurricane season pre-planning

Dear Editor,

I would like to see the different Community Councils play a more active role by advising the residents and helping the senior citizens protect their homes during the Hurricane season.

As the co-founder of the St. Peters Community Council, I am missing that community togetherness where we use to give out flyers and do a community walk through advising all residents, especially those that live in vulnerable prone areas within the districts to prepare for the hurricane season.

The Community Council leaders need to go around and check on the residents and senior citizens to make sure all flying debris are secure and help them protect against flying objects that can damage their homes.

Encourage clean-ups in the area Read more

Up Board Extends Deepest Condolences To Lista, Wathey, Mingo And Labega Families

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – The United People's Party (UP) family and board extends its deepest condolences to the Lista, Wathey, Mingo and Labega families, UP Party Board President Sylvia Meyers said on Friday.

"Antonio "Tony" Lista, Frank Mingo and Lillian Mildred Labega-Rohan were all upstanding members of our country who undoubtedly contributed positively in many ways Read more

Only National Alliance Votes Against Ordinance: Parliament Establishes Integrity Chamber

St. Maarten – After everything was said and done yesterday, only the opposition faction of the National Alliance voted against the establishment of the Integrity Chamber. The United People’s party faction, having voiced serious opposition against the Dutch pressure on St. Maarten, withdrew all of the amendments it proposed to the law in June, and went along with a strategic proposal from opposition MP Sarah Wescot-Williams to accept the proposal the government put on the table Read more

Will the UP Faction die standing or will they live on their knees? Coalition buckled to the Dutch instead of safeguarding country’s autonomy.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The United Peoples Party, who has the majority in Parliament seem to have wasted their summer recess to put together some 16 amendments they wanted the Minister of Justice to change in the protocol he signed on June 2nd 2015 to avoid the Kingdom from placing St. Maarten under higher supervision. Based on what transpired in the Parliament of St. Maarten on Monday it is clear that the coalition including the faction leader of the UPP Franklin Meyers chose to live on his knees rather than dying standing when he opted to vote in favor of the draft law that was signed by Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson early June.
SMN News got hold of the draft document containing the amendments the UPP wanted before they vote in favor of the protocol, which they put aside on Monday simply to appease the Dutch Read more

Up Family Extends Condolences To Officer Benjamin's Family And Police Force. Calls On Businesses To Show Solidarity And Close Half Day

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The board of the United People's Party (UP) conveys its deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Police Officer Gamali Benjamin who will be laid to rest on Thursday.

"We mourn with the entire country the passing of our local hero who proudly served with humility and honour.

We call on the business community as a move of solidarity once again to close their businesses half day on Thursday as a mark of solidarity with the family of Office Benjamin and the Police Force of Sint Maarten.

At the same time it would allow employees an opportunity to pay their respects to our hero," the UP Party Board said on Wednesday.

"On behalf of the UP family, supporters, myself and family, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of Officer Benjamin, his colleagues in the Sint Maarten Police Force, his friends, and the population of Sint Maarten.

"Officer Benjamin is a national hero Read more

Matser’S Energizer Gets Distress Warrant

St. Maarten – The bailiff has served a distress warrant to Energizer NV, the construction company of United People’s party MP Silvio Matser. The company was established at an address on the Chameleon Drive, but is now, according to a publication in yesterday’s edition of the National Gazette, “without a known address in Sint Maarten or elsewhere.”

The bailiff delivered the distress warrant at the request of the Receiver on July 7 and Energizer had to comply with its content within two days.

The Court in First Instance sentenced Matser in January to 24 months of imprisonment (with 18 months suspended) with 3 years of probation and 240 hours of community service for a string of fiscal offenses Read more

NA, DP call on Government to rework Governing Programme

PHILIPSBURG--Opposition National Alliance (NA) and Democratic Party (DP) have called on Government to rework the “Ready to Work for You” Governing Programme of the United People’s (UP) party-led coalition into “an executable and accountable programme.”

Debating the Governing Programme in Parliament would “inevitably lead to much rhetoric, but little substance,” said the two parties Read more

The Up-Coalition Governing Program 2014-2018 Is Definitely Not A Program For The People Of St. Maarten, So Who Is The Government Really Working For?

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Opposition parties National Alliance and Democratic Party met recently to discuss the governing program presented to parliament by the current United People's Party-led coalition.

The first impressions of this program leave a lot to be desired and much more was expected, not only after the long wait, but especially after the many promises that were made by the United People's Party, leading up to and during the 2014 electoral campaign.

However, more disturbing than that is the fact that the program as presented provides no basis for a constructive discussion in Parliament about government's plans, its priorities, available and needed resources.

The people of St Read more

Laville Still Under Investigation

St. Maarten – Former Member of Parliament Romain Laville is not off the hook yet as the Public Prosecutor’s Office still considers charging him for gun possession and two cases of gun threats. Officers of the National Detective Agency arrested the former politician on Thursday March 26 at his home but they released him the same day.

“The case is still under investigation Read more

Claude Wathey Commemoration: Everybody On The Same Page Again

Family members and representatives of DP and UP gather for a group picture together with Minister Claret Connor. Photo Today / Leo Brown

St. Maarten – After the awkward split in the election year 2014, when the Democratic Party and the United People’s party organized separate wreath laying ceremonies to commemorate the birth date of the late Dr Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---- 89 years later the late Albert Claudius Wathey also known as Claude Wathey was honored with a wreath laying ceremony in front of the Government Administration Building on Friday moring.
Family members of the late politician and supporters flocked by his statue to pay tribute to the “ole man” Erno Labega started out the wreath laying session with some words about the late politician.
Al Wathey laid the first wreath along with Michaela Hodge on the part of University of St Read more

Parliament to co-sign letter on shelving of dispute regulation

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Parliament will be a co-signer along with the legislatures of Curaçao and Aruba on a letter to the First and Second Chambers of the Dutch Parliament, seeking that body’s position on the Dutch Government in effect shelving the establishment of a dispute regulation, and a related body for the kingdom.

The letter, drafted by the Curaçao Parliament, came after last month’s Kingdom Conference -a meeting of the countries of the kingdom- saw the Dutch Government putting up a road block on the issue Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---- The annual wreath laying ceremony, commemorating the life of the late Dr. A. C Wathey will be held on July 24th at his statue in front of the Government Administration building in Philipsburg at 9.00 a.m.
July 24this the birthdate of the “Old Man”, as Claude was affectionally called.
During the short annual ceremony, wreaths are laid by the Government of St. Maarten, the Democratic Party, which he co-founded, the United People’s Party, the University of St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- As the uproar continues within the United Peoples Party (UPP) since most Members of Parliament from the UPP faction are in disagreement with their leader Theodore Heyliger, at least two Members of Parliament from the UPP faction and two of their coalition partners have decided to take the bull by its horns to do the work of the people.
SMN News understands that some of the UPP MP’s are saying that their leader is not leading the country instead he is always off island making his business deals which is causing serious problems within the party.
Therefore MP Franklin Meyers who is the deputy leader of the UPP and faction leader took the bull by its horns and decided along with MP Tamara Leonard, coalition partners Independent Members of Parliament Leona Marlin Romeo and Cornelius de Weever and presented their governing program to Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs in the presence of Minister Claret Connor on July 16th 2015 Read more

Only 6 Of 22 Motions Since 2012 Yielded Results: Motions Carry The Day – But Only In Parliament

St. Maarten – The motions Members of Parliament submit during the annual budget debate seldom yield results. This newspaper examined 28 motions a host of parliamentarians tabled since 2012. With 22 of them successive government did absolutely nothing. Six of them yielded (some) results.

When governments fail to execute motions, parliament never retaliates. In the Netherlands, a cabinet that refuses or neglects to execute a motion that is carried by a majority in parliament, could lead to a cabinet crisis Read more