SXMElections.com

National Alliance offers ‘responsible, honest, hardworking govt of integrity’

~ Tells voters ‘right the wrong’ with clean sweep ~

CUL DE SAC--The National Alliance (NA) profiled itself as a “serious” party committed to offering St. Maarten “a responsible, honest, hardworking government of integrity” at its last public meeting Wednesday evening, one day shy of Friday’s Parliamentary election.

The party’s 23 candidates drove home their message that NA was the party to lead St Read more

Number two candidates debate country matters

BELAIR--Coalition, government's essential duty to the people, reducing the country's debts, immigration and other topics were dealt with by the number two candidates on the slates of five parties contesting the August 29 Parliamentary Elections at the second Arts Video Studio (AVS) political debate in Belair Community Centre on Sunday evening.

Participating in the debate were Leona Marlin-Romeo (United St Read more

Large cross section of community bids farewell to Patricia Pantophlet

PHILIPSBURG--A large number of persons from the community bade farewell to veteran trade unionist Patricia Pantophlet, who was laid to rest during a ceremony at the Philipsburg Methodist Church, where she was a congressional steward, on Friday.

Pantophlet (57) passed away in Bogota, Colombia, on Friday, August 1, after a period of illness. She had been a very vocal trade union leader who championed the rights of workers in St. Maarten for many years. She had been battling lupus for some time 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

Cadastre still to be moved to VROMI

PHILIPSBURG--The Cadastre (Kadaster in Dutch) and Mortgage Registry still legally falls under the Ministry of Finance, while the practical responsibility is that of the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI.

A report submitted by Ombudsman Nilda Arduin about the operations of the Cadastre was before Parliament in a Central Committee meeting on Friday. However, after Members of Parliament asked questions, President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell suspended the meeting until further notice to give VROMI Minister Maurice Lake time to get the go ahead from the Council of Ministers to discuss the Cadastre and its work Read more

Parliamentarians irked at De Weever’s ‘condescending’ remarks in meeting

~ De Weever will offer 'no apologies' for telling truth ~

PHILIPSBURG--Several Members of Parliament (MPs) condemned on Wednesday the manner in which Minister of Health, Labour and Social Affairs VSA Cornelius de Weever addressed Parliament during the Central Committee meeting, with some MPs saying the minister had been "condescending," "disrespectful" and 'sarcastic."

De Weever responded by saying he had "sat quietly" and "took it all" from MPs in his three years going to Parliament to answer questions, while watching some MPs put on a "grand performance." De Weever said he would not sit and allow anyone to "play politics" with the work his ministry had done Read more

Crime meeting stalled due to lack of quorum

PHILIPSBURG--Tuesday's Central Committee of Parliament meeting about the crime situation in the country was stalled due to a lack of quorum. Only three fractions – National Alliance (NA), United People's (UP) people, and independent Member of Parliament Patrick Illidge – were present for the meeting with Justice Minister Dennis Richardson and the top brass of the police force.

Parliament has seven fractions thus representatives of at least four fractions are requested for a Central Committee meeting to take place.

The meeting in Parliament House was scheduled to start at 10:00am Read more

Trade unionist dies of lupus in Colombia

ST. PETERS--Seasoned trade unionist and former Windward Islands Civil Servants Union President Patricia Pantophlet (57) passed away in Bogota, Colombia, on Friday, August 1, after a period of illness. Pantophlet, who was a very vocal trade union leader and who championed the rights of workers in St. Maarten for many years, had been battling lupus for some time. She fell ill and was airlifted to Colombia on July 10, a representative of the family told The Daily Herald. She was accompanied by one of her sisters. In addition to being a trade unionist, Pantophlet held several positions over the years Read more