SXMElections.com

Mp Tamara Leonard Calls On Women To Make It Happen

St. Maarten – United People’s party MP Tamara Leonard says the theme of International Women’s Day “Make It Happen” is a call to women on St. Maarten and all over the world to make more happen in their communities and a call to all women to strive for even more Read more

UP Faction and Coalition Partners Boycott Continuation Meeting on SMHDF

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The public meeting called by the Parliament of St. Maarten to further discuss the develepments at the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF)and SOAB saw a boycott from all members of the United Peoples Party faction including their coalition partners. Member of Parliament Cornelius de Weever was seen in the House of Parliament before the 10h on Wednesday morning but disappeared when the meeting was about to start while MP Frans Richardson informed the chair of Parliament that he would be late for the meeting Read more

Romney’S Draft Electoral Ordinance Prohibits Going Independent

St. Maarten – Political analyst Julio Romney presented on Wednesday evening his proposal for electoral reform in the form of a draft electoral reconciliation ordinance. The draft contains two key differences with the current system. One is the way seats are distributed among the parties that contest the elections; the other is a ban for Members of Parliament to declare themselves independent.

Romney supports the D’Hondt system for seat distribution. In this system, the numbers of votes won by each party are divided by a series of increasing denominators – from 1 until as high as necessary to arrive at a result.

Using this method, the results of the 2014 elections would have been exactly the same in terms of seat distribution Read more

Gracita Arrindell Candidate For Dutch Council Of State

St. Maarten –Drs. Gracita Arrindell is a candidate to fill the position for St. Maarten at the Council of State in The Hague, the former president of parliament confirmed to this newspaper on Saturday. The appointment has not yet been formally announced.

Arrindell would succeed Dennis Richardson who sat on the council until he was appointed minister of justice in the third Wescot-Williams cabinet in 2013 Read more

Mp Lake Wants More Money For University

St. Maarten – United People’s party MP Maurice Lake has submitted a list of points for the plan of action of the permanent parliamentary committee for education, culture, youth and sports. The committee will meeting today to discuss a draft a plan of action for 2015.

Lake suggests that the government recognizes the University of St Read more

Schotte, Heyliger met with security service man in 2010

~ Ronald van Raak publishes online article ~

THE HAGUE--Secret documents, supplied to Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament Ronald van Raak of the Socialist Party (SP) and published on Tuesday on the website ThePostOnline.nl, revealed a meeting on or around the 2010 elections in St. Maarten between a member of the Curaçao Security Agency VDC, candidate Curaçao Prime Minister Gerrit Schotte, candidate minister George Jamaloodin and United People's Party Leader Theo Heyliger.

The meeting in St Read more

Justice Minister Has No Knowledge Of Possible Replacement

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - According to reports on The Voice of St. Maarten News has learnt that Former head of the Coastguard Edson "Eddy" Kirindongo is tipped to be the next Justice Minister.

He will be replacing the current Justice Minister, the Honorable Dennis Richardson.

Although, it is still not clear as to when Kirindongo will take up the position, according to reports, he is currently being vetted, as the choice of Member of Parliament and leader of the United St. Maarten Read more

D66, PvdA opposed on St Maarten intervention

THE HAGUE--The Dutch Labour Party PvdA and the democratic party D66 have contradicting views when it comes to the proposed intervention by the Kingdom Council of Ministers to tackle integrity violations in St. Maarten.

The PvdA is of the opinion that intervention by the Kingdom Government in the case of St. Maarten is merited because the country has offered insufficient redress to effectively deal with integrity violations in government.

PvdA Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament Roelof van Laar made this clear during a public debate in The Hague on Thursday evening, organised by the Committee Kingdom Relations and the Kingdom Youth Parliament.

Member of the Second Chamber Wassila Hachchi of D66 condemned the extreme measure of the Kingdom Council of Ministers to start the procedure to impose a General Measure of the Kingdom Government ("Algemene Maatregel van Rijksbestuur AMvRB") to establish an Integrity Chamber for St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Of the eight registered political parties only three of them submitted their donation registers before February 1st as is stipulated in the National Ordinance registration and finances of political parties. These political parties are the Citizens for Positive Change, the United People's Party and the Social Reform Party Read more

2015 Draft Budget is not the budget for current Coalition Government --- "This is a matter of procedures to avoid instruction."

style="text-align: left;">PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Franklin Meyers and the leader of the United Peoples Party (UPP) Theodore Heyliger made clear in their presentation to Parliament on Thursday that the draft 2015 budget is not a budget that would reflect the Governing Program of the current coalition government.
MP Meyers called on Members of Parliament to come together despite their political differences and secure St Read more

Dp-Leader Criticizes Heyliger’S Statements On Concession Fees

St. Maarten – Democratic Party MP  Sarah Wescot-Williams questions that United People’s party leader Theo Heyliger has no knowledge of the draft 2015 budget that has been sent to the governor and is from thereon on its way to parliament Read more

style="text-align: left;">PHILIPSBURG:--- Well placed information provided to SMN News states that allies from the United Peoples Party (UPP) approached the leader of the United St. Maarten Party (USP) Frans Richardson and asked him to join the current coalition Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The Board of the National Alliance calls for the immediate resignation of United People's Party Member of Parliament Mr. Silvio Matser. The National Alliance Board is of the opinion, that in light of the verdict that has been handed down to MP Matser by the Court on Wednesday January 7th, 2015, to 2 years for 'tax evasion', that the honorable thing to do would be to step down and relinquish his seat to the people of Sint Maarten.

Sint Maarten has faced extensive challenges in maintaining integrity in its Governance and considering that being elected to Parliament, the highest body in our governmental structure; it would be yet another gross injustice and ill representation of the people of Sint Maarten to have a convicted Member of Parliament continue to retain his seat in light of such a sentence.
This cannot be the state of 'readiness' that the United People's Party chanted to the people of Sint Maarten throughout the election period.

The board of the National Alliance believes that it is critical for the people of Sint Maarten to be reminded, that within 3 weeks after the Elections of 2014, the National Alliance, Democratic Party & the United St Read more

Board Of The National Alliance Requesting The Immediate Resignation Of Mp Silvio Matser

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Board of the National Alliance calls for the immediate resignation of United People's Party Member of Parliament Mr. Silvio Matser.

The National Alliance Board is of the opinion, that in light of the verdict that has been handed down to MP Matser by the Court on Wednesday January 7th, 2015, to 2 years for 'tax evasion', that the honorable thing to do would be to step down and relinquish his seat to the people of Sint Maarten.

Sint Maarten has faced extensive challenges in maintaining integrity in its Governance and considering that being elected to Parliament, the highest body in our governmental structure; it would be yet another gross injustice and ill representation of the people of Sint Maarten to have a convicted Member of Parliament continue to retain his seat in light of such a sentence Read more

UPP Coalition in shambles MP Silvio Matser convicted to 24 months.

style="text-align: center;">Maria Buncamper now MP based on the next in line.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Court of First Instance was not at all lenient with Member of Parliament Silvio Matser who was convicted to 24 months imprisonment, 18 of which are suspended. MP Matser has to also do 240 hours of community service. His company Energizer NV was condemned to pay some Naf Read more

Pm Gumbs Tasked With Completing His Cabinet

St. Maarten – The mandate for United People’s party leader Theo Heyliger as formateur ended shortly after he submitted his final report to Governor Drs. Eugène Holiday on December 17. Heyliger presented a cabinet of five ministers and stated in his one-page report that he had elected “to pursue the appointment of the remaining ministers as soon as possible.”

However, Heyliger’s role as formateur ended when the five ministers were sworn in, the press secretariat of Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs confirms.

In his New Year’s message, Heyliger emphasized that he would like to see a complete 7-member cabinet in place within the first sixty days of 2015 – setting a deadline at March 1.

“The task of nominating remaining ministers falls with Prime Minister Gumbs,” the press secretariat confirmed Read more

Today’S Predictions For The New Year: Still No Waste-To-Energy Plant, No Plastic Bag-Ban, No New Hospital

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – “It seems almost too easy: predict what will and what will not happen in St. Maarten in any given year.” that was the first sentence of the article we published exactly a year ago about our predictions for the New Year – and it is still true. Our headline read “Emilio Wilson estate purchase but no waste-to-energy plant.” Needless to say, both predictions were on the mark.

The Today newspaper made its first predictions in 2010, when we looked ahead at 2011 Read more

Up-Leader Theo Heyliger: Budget, Economy And Education Are Priorities

St. Maarten – Financial management, education and the economy are three of the priorities United People’s party leader MP Theo Heyliger mentions in his New Year’s address. “Along with my coalition partners I will be working diligently with the government for a more productive, competitive and robust economy,” Heyliger stated Read more

>My Fellow Citizens,

Once again another year has come to end and a new year has begun. Over the past year of 2014, it was not without the many challenges, which we had faced. As the people of St. Maarten; we have experienced a lot of setbacks and by speaking out on those issues that had affected us the most; it didn't yield any sort of positive results or outcomes.
The cost of living, here on the island continues to rise with no limit in sight. Those, who are in authority has repeatedly shown no type of effort or indication towards the citizens that any plans would be set in motion for a relief in the coming new year Read more

New Year 2015 Message From The Leader Of The Ospp: Lenny F. Priest

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - My Fellow Citizens, Once again another year has come to end and a new year has begun. Over the past year of 2014, it was not without the many challenges, which we had faced.

As the people of St. Maarten; we have experienced a lot of setbacks and by speaking out on those issues that had affected us the most; it didn’t yield any sort of positive results or outcomes.

   The cost of living, here on the island continues to rise with no limit in sight Read more

Person of the Year

French-side entrepreneur perseveres in difficult times

MARIGOT--For many people Marigot always had the potential to be the more attractive capital of the island and still has, to paraphrase a Kia commercial, "the power to surprise."

After all what could be more enticing to the vacationer than a little corner of France tucked away in the Caribbean, a sea front town with quaint streets, outdoor cafés, markets, shopping, the classic French boulangeries, fine restaurants , the ambiance, the savoir faire? Blend all of this with Caribbean culture and it should be a recipe for success.

The French-side enjoyed its heyday in the 80s and 90s with an up-market clientele, and Americans got a "good bang for their buck" against the franc Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- As the yearly challenge comes around to select the person of year, this year was not as challenging as it was in the past years, simply because the candidate that was selected made the headlines both locally and internationally more than any other person on St. Maarten. While being in politics for half of his life, during the entire time he was in opposition for a mere 18 months.
That person is none other than Theodore Heyliger who had over 18 years to make this sunshine city really shine Read more

Tranquillity, stability and civility

Dear Editor,

The new government is hardly in place and already I find myself having to comment on the behaviour of our political leaders during Parliament meetings. Let me say that I cannot say A said so and so when everyone knows that B said it. On Saturday, December 20, 2014, I read in the paper how the newly sworn in Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs said the country needs tranquillity, stability, civility and prosperity Read more

MPs to get answers about housing foundation in Jan.

PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) will have to wait until mid-January for answers about the suspension of St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) Director Henry Lynch and two other members of the management team. Prime Minister/Ad Interim Housing Minister Marcel Gumbs said he required time to gather the facts about the investigation ordered by the foundation's supervisory board and the other actions leading to the suspensions.

Gumbs, who had only been in office for a mere 72 hours, was before Parliament on Monday in an urgent plenary session requested by opposition MPs Sarah Wescot-Williams (Democratic Party), Frans Richardson (United St Read more