Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
Los Miembros Del Parlamento (Mp) Piden Reunión Urgente Sobre La Situación Financiera Del PaÃs
Traducido por Máximo Castro
PHILIPSBURG .– La Coalición de Miembros del Parlamento (MP) solicitó a este hemiciclo una reunión urgente sobre el tema de la situación financiera del paÃs.  En la solicitud, los parlamentarios: George Pantophlet, Frans Richardson y Sarah Wescot-Williams, presentaron el siguiente punto para la agenda del orden del dÃa: “perspectiva financiera de St Read more
Mps Request Urgent Meeting On Country’S Financial Status
PHILIPSBURG – The Coalition Members of Parliament (MPs) sent a request to Parliament for an urgent meeting on the topic of the financial status of the country. In their request, MPs George Pantophlet, Frans Richardson and Sarah Wescot-Williams submitted the following agenda point: “Short, medium and long-term financial outlook of St Read more
Mps Pepper Ministers With Questions In Budget Debate
Independent MP Leona Marlin-Romeo (standing) speaks in the budget debate on Monday.
PHILIPSBURG--The 2016 draft budget was tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister Richard Gibson on Monday morning in Parliament House. Members of Parliament (MPs), who had up to 90 minutes to speak, peppered the Council of Ministers with a barrage of questions spanning from the budget and Government policies to general topics of interest.
The seven Ministers, who all made presentations about the working of their Ministries on Monday, will be back in Parliament today, Tuesday, starting at 2:00pm to deliver answers to the questions from MPs Read more
Opinion: The Spirit Of Giving
Sometimes, initiatives that may have started with the best of intentions are raising eyebrows. Such is the case with the “giving back to the community†initiative of parliamentarian Leona Marlin-Romeo – and we’d like to place this in the context of 2016 – an election year.
We are all familiar with the vote buying scandal dating back to 2010 when a couple of police officers sold their vote for $300 a pop to the United People’s party Read more
Plasterk About Dispute Regulation “Kingdom Cannot Deviate From Decisions, Unless …â€
St. Maarten News:  The Kingdom Council of Ministers cannot deviate from an advice issued by a dispute regulator, unless such a deviation is properly motivated,†Kingdom Relations Minister Ronald Plasterk said at a press conference yesterday at the end of his visit to St. Maarten. With this statement, Plasterk seems to come back from his earlier stance that the Kingdom Council of Ministers should always have the last word in disputes between the countries in the kingdom.
The only issue that separates Plasterk and the Caribbean autonomous countries St Read more
Constitutional Court Rules On Alexander’S Petition
By Today Newspaper
St. Maarten News – The Constitutional Court will take a decision on Friday morning about the petition Lisa Alexander filed about the election date. The court is in session on Friday to handle the review of the Integrity Chamber-legislation.
At the beginning of this hearing, at 9 a.m., the court will rule on Alexander’s petition.
“His Excellency Governor Eugene Holiday’s attempt to cancel the national decree of October 29 is unconstitutional,†Lisa Alexander said in a press statement on December 15 of last year Read more
Constitutional Court Rules On Alexander’S Petition
St. Maarten News – The Constitutional Court will take a decision on Friday morning about the petition Lisa Alexander filed about the election date. The court is in session on Friday to handle the review of the Integrity Chamber-legislation.
Government About To Collect 13 Million From Casino Sector
Parliamentarians happy with withdrawal increased road tax
St. Maarten – By providing the receiver’s office with a mandate, the government is able to collect 13 million in tax arrears from the casino-sector, Finance Minister Richard Gibson said yesterday afternoon during a meeting of the Central Committee where he, as announced on Wednesday, withdrew the draft law to increase the road tax in 2016.
In a brief introduction, the minister told parliament that he would like to make some changes to the draft the previous government had submitted Read more
Lisa Alexander: Canceling National Decree Is Unconstitutionalâ€
St. Maarten – “His Excellency Governor Eugene Holiday’s attempt to cancel the national decree of October 29 is unconstitutional,†Lisa Alexander said in a press statement last night. “There is absolutely no provision in the Constitution that gives the governor the authority to cancel a published National Dissolution Decree. This decree affects the fundamental rights of the citizens of St Read more
Mp Johan Leonard About The Cause Of Ship Jumping: Our Party Leaders Blatantly Disrespect Their Members
MP Heyliger is still smiling after the severe criticism from his fellow-faction member Johan Leonard (left). Photo Today / Milton Pieters
St. Maarten – The attitude of party leaders is the main reason for ship jumping, United People’s party MP Johan Leonard said yesterday morning in an unexpected sharp attack on UP-leader Theo Heyliger Read more
City Manager Announces Retirement Date, Service To Tallahassee Spans 25 Years
SISTER CITY TALLAHASSEE, united States of America - Tallahassee City Manager Anita Favors Thompson announced that she will retire effective November 20, 2015.
“When I became City Manager in 1997, I made the commitment to always put people first and to focus on providing the best services possible to meet the needs of our community,†Favors Thompson said.
“Through my 25 years working for the city and through challenges and accomplishments, I’ve never wavered in my belief that a city’s greatest asset is its people Read more
Sxm Airways Gets Support From Parliamentarians
SXM Airways Managing Director Rolando Brison during his presentation to Parliament. Photo contributed
Upstart airline SXM Airways received encouraging words of support from Members of Parliament on Tuesday as management and shareholders briefed the Central Committee on the airline’s plans and vision. The MP’s urged management to “keep pushing†and not to be afraid of competing with other airlines including Winair.
Managing Director Rolando Brison and shareholders Elvis Queeley, Michel Carter and Jeff Oliver, gave a comprehensive presentation about everything from the origins of the idea for the on-demand airline, to educational initiatives, market analysis, market share, share availability for local purchase and operational perspectives Read more
Winners And Losers: Who Will Survive The Polls In February?
St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – February 9, 2016 is crunch day for politicians and those who aspire to become one. The parliamentary elections – for some mysterious reason perceived by some as ‘snap elections’, whatever that may be – will give voters the opportunity to speak their mind about the constitutional drama that concluded on Wednesday when the ministers of the Marcel Gumbs cabinet tendered their resignation and Governor Drs Read more
“Saying That Elections Will Stop Ship Jumping Is Lying To Votersâ€
St. Maarten – Parliamentarians bitched and moaned about rules and regulations yesterday all the way until the final vote on the two motions the new majority presented yesterday morning. It was a losing battle for the opposition UP and its faithful independents and in the end, it did not change anything at all.
Independent MP Cornelius de Weever started with an attack on the new president of parliament, Sarah Wescot-Williams Read more
Motion adopted in Parliament to annul the LB to dissolve the Parliament of St. Maarten. PM Refused to attend meeting of Parliament and to submit documents.
PHILIPSBURG:--- After some severe resistance from the now minority in Parliament the new majority managed to pass two motions that they presented on Wednesday.MP William Marlin tabled a motion to annul the Landsbesluit sent by Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs to the Governor of St Read more
Independent Mp Leona Marlin-Romeo Invited To Join New Coalition
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - With the expected snap elections now just around the corner, the independent members of Parliament have been giving the electorate more insight into the inner workings that led them to becoming independent members of Parliament.
Seemingly Independent Member of Parliament, the Honorable Leona Marlin-Romeo was asked by the leader of the United St Read more
“Criminal Organizations Are Killing Each Otherâ€
Justice Minister Dennis Richardson about rising crime:
St. Maarten – The recent hike in crime can be attributed to criminal organizations fighting over territory and killing each other, Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson said at the Council of Ministers press briefing yesterday. The minister has taken notice of the crime situation and would rather focus on crime prevention efforts then contributing more money to capturing and locking up criminals. In a meeting with the police on Monday, the minister was informed that in 2014 there were ten murders while this year there are seven thus far Read more
PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the USP and Member of Parliament Frans Richardson on Monday called on Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson to resign immediately in the wake of unprecedented crime on St Read more
Sarah elected new Parliament Chair in spite of De Weever’s cancellation
PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams is again at the helm of Parliament. She was elected Parliament Chairwoman by the new National Alliance (NA)-led coalition in an extraordinary meeting of Parliament on Thursday evening Read more
Government has ‘autonomous right’ to dissolve Parliament
~ Governor wrote in 2013 letter ~
PHILIPSBURG--“The right to dissolve Parliament by national decree is a constitutional and autonomous right of the Government,†wrote Governor Eugene Holiday in a letter dated May 16, 2013, to then-Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams when she tried to stopped the then-National Alliance (NA)-led Council of Ministers from invoking Article 59 of the Constitution.
The letter came to light this week as political tension intensified between the newest NA-led coalition with a majority in Parliament and the UP/De Weever/Marlin-Romeo-supported Council of Ministers, after the crumbling of the United People’s (UP) party-led coalition.
The current Marcel Gumbs Cabinet has held tight to the view that it is its right to dissolve Parliament in the face of the shifted majority in Parliament Read more
Chair Aborts Meeting Within Sixty Seconds: New Majority Calls Action Mp De Weever Illegal
St. Maarten – Acting as the second vice president of Parliament, independent MP Cornelius de Weever wrong-footed parliament yesterday morning by opening and closing a meeting designed to appoint a new chair within sixty seconds after which he “ran out of the hall,†according to Democratic Party MP Sarah Wescot-Williams.
De Weever called on article 37 of the rules of order, after remarking that the cabinet had submitted a national decree to dissolve parliament Read more
Protest against Ministers draws only a small crowd
PHILIPSBURG--The angry sentiments expressed on radio and in some quarters of the community against the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet for not resigning in the face of the September 30 motion of no confidence passed by the new National Alliance (NA)-led coalition did not translate into a large turnout for the protest in front of the Government Administration Building on Wednesday morning.
Some people on the scene are planning to return to the site again today, Thursday, for similar action Read more