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>PHILIPSBURG:--- The board of the United People's Party (UP) has taken note of the Democratic Party's (DP) position on the lawsuit initiated by Zebec NV against Port St. Maarten and Chief Executive Officer Mark Mingo.

"It is very unfortunate that the DP is ready to tear down a local government –owned company which is managed by a local young professional Read more

UP: DP being judge, jury before a harbour verdict

PHILIPSBURG--The board of the United People's Party (UP) has taken note of the position of Democratic Party (DP) on the lawsuit initiated by Zebec NV against St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies and Chief Executive Officer Mark Mingo.

The board said in a press statement: "It is very unfortunate that the DP is ready to tear down a local government-owned company which is managed by a local young professional Read more

Up Says Dp Being Judge And Jury Before The Verdict Is Out On Harbour Lawsuit

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – The board of the United People's Party (UP) has taken note of the Democratic Party's (DP) position on the lawsuit initiated by Zebec NV against Port St. Maarten and Chief Executive Officer Mark Mingo.

"It is very unfortunate that the DP is ready to tear down a local government –owned company which is managed by a local young professional.

The DP is at it again, the same thing they did with Postal Services St Read more

2nd Laser 101 Political Debate to be aired on Monday from 7 - 9pm.

>MADAME ESTATE:--- The 2nd and last Political Discussion that will be hosted on Laser 101, will be aired live on Monday, August 25th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. The leaders of the political parties that have representation in the present parliament have been invited to attend.

In first instance, Frans Richardson from the United St.Maarten Party, Sarah Wescot-Williams from the Democratic Party, and William Marlin from the National Alliance have all three confirmed their attendance by email to management of Philipsburg Broadcasting Read more

UPP #22 Candidate Julian Rollocks Responds to his brother’s Allegations.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The number 22 candidate on the United Peoples Party slate Julian Rollocks provided SMN News with a copy of a cashiers' check that he had a bailiff deliver to Cimmeran Marlin's lawyer. Rollocks admitted that he went to the radio station when his brother was on air doing an interview, he said he wanted to give his side of the story Read more

Political Discussion On Laser 101

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The 2nd and last Political Discussion that will be hosted on Laser 101, will be aired live on Monday, August 25th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.

The leaders of the political parties that have representation in the present parliament have been invited to attend.

In first instance, Frans Richardson from the United St.Maarten Party, Sarah Wescot-Williams from the Democratic Party, and William Marlin from the National Alliance have all three confirmed their attendance by email to management of Philipsburg Broadcasting.

Theo Heyliger of the United People's Party sent an email indicating that he could not confirm his attendance due to his agenda.

Eventually William Marlin informed Philipsburg Broadcasting officials that there was a double booking as he has to attend an interview on a TV program on the same day and time, thus making it impossible for him to attend.

The National Alliance will therefore be sending Silveria Jacobs, and the United People's Party will be sending Frankie Meyers to represent the leader of the UP.

As the two candidates that will be attending this formal discussion are veteran members of their respective parties, the vision and sentiments of their leaders, and their party should be well represented.

The topics will be of a general nature, however integrity, will be the main driver.

The program will be retransmitted on radio stations on St.Martin, St.Barths and Saba Read more

Like Four Years Ago – The Results Next Friday Could Be Different: Today Newspaper Poll Gives Up Majority Of Votes

St. Maarten – The votes are in, and boy, did Chippie-users grab the opportunity to make their political preference known. Today’s partner in this project, telecom provider UTS received no less than 1,269 text messages from Chippie-users who responded to the poll.

While the pie charts show the results from different angles, it is important to read this figures in their correct context. For this, we will also use the results of an identical poll Today organized using the Chippie-network in 2010.

The raw numbers look like this: United People’s party 452 votes (55 percent), Democratic Party 143 votes (17 percent), National Alliance 119 votes (14 percent), United St Read more

Doing The Right Things Right: Wit-Committee Presents 40 Integrity-Recommendations

St. Maarten – Doing the right things right, the final report from the Committee Integer Public Administration chaired by Justice Bob Wit, was leaked to the media yesterday morning from the email-address integritysxm@gmail.com. The leaked version, an 80-page report containing forty recommendations for improving integrity in the government and the civil service, does not contain the comments from the government to the findings.

In March of last year, this newspaper received two press statements from the interim faction leader of the United People’s party, Sylvia Meyers-Olivacce Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of the Democratic Party announced loud and clear on Tuesday at a press conference that they have not signed any pre-election agreement with the United Peoples Party. The DP leader Sarah Wescot Williams distanced herself and her party from the banner that is being circulated via the social media Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The Electoral Council would like to remind all political parties contesting the upcoming parliamentary elections that in accordance with the National Ordinance on Registration and Finances of Political Parties they are required to timely make their manifestos public. The Electoral Council is of the opinion that all manifestos should be available for the public, with less than two weeks remaining for the Elections of 2014.
The Electoral Council has thus far received the mani Read more

Lively Political Debate On Laser 101: Connor (Up) Estimates Gray Economy To Be 50 Percent

St. Maarten – “The government has a debt of 500 million guilders to the Netherlands, and 200 million to creditors. The 2015 budget is expected to be around 465 million. Unemployment is 11.5 percent. It is your first day in office. What will you do?”

This is how moderator Glen Carty started the political debate on radio station Laser 101 on Saturday evening with participants Emil Lee (number 4-candidate Democratic Party), George Pantophlet (number 2-candidate National Alliance), Claret Connor (number 10-candidate United People’s Party) and Harlec Doran (number 6-candidate United Sint Maarten Party).

The lively debate outshone earlier debates on AVS and the political mixer at the St Read more

William: NA’s attempt to stem short term contracts obstructed.

style="text-align: center;">UP-led govt dragging feet; MPs afraid to vote on issue

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the National Alliance NA William Marlin says it appears as though the United People's Party-led parliamentary coalition is afraid to put its foot down and address the abuse of short term labor contracts once and for all.

Marlin said the National Alliance faction in Parliament had requested a meeting to debate the issue some time back, but to date the meeting was never convened to give MPs a chance to finally put the issue to a vote and bring relief to the people of St Read more

Political Parties Reminded To Publish Their Manifestos

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Electoral Council would like to remind all political parties contesting the upcoming parliamentary elections that in accordance with the National Ordinance on Registration and Finances of Political Parties they are required to timely make their manifestos public.

The Electoral Council is of the opinion that all manifestos should be available for the public, with less than two weeks remaining for the Elections of 2014.

The Electoral Council has thus f Read more

Dennis updates MPs about tackling crime

PHILIPSBURG--Justice Minister Dennis Richardson gave Members of Parliament (MPs) updates on the Police's efforts to tackle crime in the community at a Central Committee meeting of Parliament on Monday. The meeting was scheduled to take place last week, but was postponed until yesterday, due to a lack of quorum.

Richardson said the country's crime levels are at a place where other countries in the immediate surrounding will be "jealous of." The police force has been tackling preventable crimes and have been making arrests and getting breaks in large cases Read more

Romain Laville At Odds With Statement From Up Candidate

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Independent Member of Parliament, the Honorable Romain Laville, who has opted not to run for the August 29th parliamentary elections, has reacted bitterly at the statements of Read more

Dp Removed Campaign Material In Belvedere, But: Roundabout Billboards Remain An Issue

St. Maarten – The police had to intervene and in the end, the Democratic Party yielded and took down its oversized political billboard at the Belvedere roundabout on Friday. Chief Commissioner Peter de Witte said that officers had checked the situation on Thursday and concluded that the billboard stood – as was obvious to everyone except the Democratic Party – on the roundabout.

On Wednesday, party-leader and Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams still declared that the situation did not fall within the description of a roundabout Read more

Up-Candidate Terry Peterson: “A Vote For Frans Means Four More Years Of Laville”

St. Maarten – “A vote for Frans (Richardson – ed.) and the US Party is a vote for another unstable Romain Laville government,” Terry Peterson, the number 8 candidate on the list of the United People’s party (UP)  stated in a press release yesterday Read more

Marlin: “Up Is Ready To Rip The People Off”

National Alliance meeting draws a large crowd

St. Maarten - A large crowd came out to listen to the National Alliance party candidates as they launched their first political meeting in Sucker Garden on Saturday evening. NA-leader William Marlin called on the electorate to come out in numbers and vote for his party.

“Come August 29 make no mistake, don’t vote because of the green flags, because you were given 100 cents, vote because you need a decent honest government, with hard working ministers and parliamentarians who will look out for you every day Read more

Up-Candidate Suspect In Money-Laundering Investigation: Prosecution Gets Three Months For Buncamper-Molanus Probe

St. Maarten – United People’s party candidate number 21, Maria Buncamper-Molanus remains the subject of a criminal investigation. The Judge of instruction decided yesterday that the prosecutor’s office has to complete the investigation into suspicions of money laundering within three months Read more

"Woman 2 Woman, Phenomenal Women" To Hold Political Debate At Usm

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The University of St. Martin (USM) and the "Woman 2 Woman, Phenomenal Women" program have partnered to present the first 'Phenomenal Women Political Debate' on Wednesday August 20th, 2014 at the USM Lecture Hall, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.

This exclusive event will consist of ten female debate panelists, two from each political party contesting St. Maarten's 2014 Parliamentary Elections.

The candidates chosen by their respective political parties and confirmed to participate are:
• Richelda Rodriquez Emmanuel and Mulrose Toulon (Democratic Party)
• Silveria Jacobs and Dorothy Richardson (National Alliance)
• Regina Janga and Marie-Lou Conner (One St Read more

Laser 101 to Host Debate on Issues Affecting St. Maarten – Economy and Tourism main topics.

style="text-align: center;">Tune in Saturday August 16th from 7pm to 8:30pm

PHILIPSBURG:--- As we are nearing election day, August 29th, we at Philipsburg broadcasting network, as a corporate citizen of St. Maarten,
feel that is our responsibility to our listeners to assist them in providing as much information as possible regarding the position of the different political parties on the issues regarding business and the St. Maarten economy. At the end of the day it is the private sector that is the motor that drives our country, the friendly island.

Presently all parties are campaigning and indicating, if elected, what they will do to improve our country Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The University of St. Martin (USM) and the "Woman 2 Woman, Phenomenal Women" program have partnered to present the first 'Phenomenal Women Political Debate' on Wednesday August 20th, 2014 at the USM Lecture Hall, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. This exclusive event will consist of ten female debate panelists, two from each political party contesting St. Maarten's 2014 Parliamentary Elections. The candidates chosen by their respective political parties and confirmed to participate are:

 Richelda Rodriquez Emmanuel and Mulrose Toulon (Democratic Party) Silveria Jacobs and Dorothy Richardson (National Alliance) Regina Janga and Marie-Lou Conner (One St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson confirmed to SMN News that the Minister of Justice and Security of the Netherlands have been delaying and or refusing to grant St. Maarten necessary assistance for the Landsrecherche (National Detectives) that is lacking in manpower to investigate cases that have been pending for years. When asked if he is satisfied with the functioning of the Prosecutor's Office and the Attorney General of St. Maarten that have cases as long as four years to investigate and prosecute and to date nothing has happened Read more

Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson brings clarity on Guidelines on Election Campaign.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson brought some clarity on Wednesday regarding the election campaign rules (code of conduct) he implemented for the 2014 Parliamentary Elections. He said he has been accused of using kid's gloves in maintaining the rules.
Minister Richardson reminded reporters of the April 18th, 2013 motion that was passed unanimously in Parliament. This motion he said was a call on government to ensure everything is in place to ensure there is a free, fair and balanced electoral system Read more