SXMElections.com

Court Rules Reappointment Rennie Maduro Null And Void (Former Gebe C.O.O.)

St. Maarten – Utilities Company Gebe won its lawsuit against its former Chief Operating Officer Rennie Maduro and by extension against the Council of Ministers (CoM) on Thursday. The Court in First Instance ruled that the CoM’s decision Ministers to extend Maduro’s contract by two years is null and void. It banned Maduro from taking management decisions for the company, barred his access to the Gebe-officers and authorized Gebe to de-register Maduro as a director of the company. Gebe does not have to pay Maduro any more salary.

The court ruling brings the rules for the appointment of directors at government-owned companies sharply into focus and sets a clear limit to the CoM’s authority.

On May 29, the CoM signed a decree to extend Maduro’s contract that formally ended on May 31, by two years Read more

Police Honor Justice Minister Richardson

Justice Minister Richardson receives a badge of honor from Commissioner Carl John. Photo Today / Leo Brown

 

International Justice Day commemorated 

St. Maarten – The uniformed services celebrated International Justice Day yesterday afternoon at the Festival Village. Eighteen men and women who dedicated more than 40 years to the justice system were honored.

The VKS stood out during the marching showcase with creative chants and in synch footwork, earning applause from the attendees Read more

Ombudsman registered 68 new complaints in 2014

PHILIPSBURG--The Ombudsman Bureau registered 68 new complaints in 2014 while four cases from 2012 and 24 from 2013 were handled last year. A total of 130 investigations were closed in 2014, of which 54 were new complaints registered from that year.

In 30 cases, the Ombudsman issued recommendations, according to the bureau's Year Report 2014. Some 26 to 43 per cent of the 62 recommendations were followed up by the year's end by government.

A highlight for the past year was Ombudsman Nilda Arduin making use of her competence provided for by law to inform Parliament immediately upon closing the investigation of a case regarding the findings and the decision.

By letter of June 10, 2014, the Ombudsman reported, pursuant to article 23 of the National Ordinance Ombudsman, to Parliament regarding the findings in a complaint filed by a resident against Kadaster and Hypotheekwezen (Land Titles and Mortgages) 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

International Association For Caribbean Archaeology Opens 26Th Congress On St. Maarten

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The 26th congress of the International Association for Caribbean Archaeology was officially opened on St. Maarten Monday morning.

Hundreds of delegates from the wider Caribbean are currently on the island for the congress which opening ceremony was attended by officials from Host St. Maarten north and south, Anguilla and Guadeloupe.

Prime Minister the Honorable Marcel Gumbs in his opening address welcomed the congress attendees to the island whilst sharing with them information on the strong bonds that exist between the islands.

Also in attendance on Monday morning was Cathrine Questal, the honorable Minister of Culture on St Read more

International Association For Caribbean Archaeology Opens 26Th Congress On St. Maarten

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The 26th congress of the International Association for Caribbean Archaeology was officially opened on St. Maarten Monday morning.

Hundreds of delegates from the wider Caribbean are currently on the island for the congress which opening ceremony was attended by officials from Host St. Maarten north and south, Anguilla and Guadeloupe.

Prime Minister the Honorable Marcel Gumbs in his opening address welcomed the congress attendees to the island whilst sharing with them information on the strong bonds that exist between the islands.

Also in attendance on Monday morning was Cathrine Questal, the honorable Minister of Culture on St Read more

Mp Emanuel Seeking Information On Gebe

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - MP the honorable Christopher Emanuel issued a call to the Prime Minister the Honorable Marcel Gumbs over the weekend to provide information on the matter of GEBE and the street lights project.

According to the MP, the legal battle involving the company is now over and that there is no more excuse for the Pr Read more

Mp Emanuel Seeking Information On Gebe

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - MP the honorable Christopher Emanuel issued a call to the Prime Minister the Honorable Marcel Gumbs over the weekend to provide information on the matter of GEBE and the street lights project.

According to the MP, the legal battle involving the company is now over and that there is no more excuse for the Pr Read more

Cooperation underscored by country’s justice officials

POND ISLAND--The strength that comes from cooperation and the need for it within the justice chains and with the wider community was the common thread in the messages given to mark International Justice Day on Friday. The Ministry of Justice hosted a ceremony in Festival Village to recognise those that have given long and outstanding service to the community.

Justice Minister Dennis Richardson told the gathering a lot is being said about what is wrong in St. Maarten, but those naysayers are not aware or do not fully understand the challenges the country faced when it started to build its justice ministry with very little almost five years ago.

St Read more

Groeneveldt calls for law faculty at USM

POND ISLAND--Acting Governor Reynold Groeneveldt issued a strong call to government, the private sector and the University of St. Martin (USM) to work together post haste on the establishment of a law faculty at the university.

A “concerted effort” to get the law faculty in place must be made “without further delay,” said Groeneveldt at the ceremony in Festival Village on Friday afternoon to mark International Justice Day. Among those listening to his call were members of the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet, the Judiciary, uniformed services and private sector representatives.

The law faculty, when established, will “help strengthen” the justice chain and “provide opportunities” to people in the justice sector.

“Many people” in the community want to study the law, but are unable to go abroad to study due to job and other commitments Read more

Court orders Maduro not to act on behalf of GEBE

PHILIPSBURG--Pending the outcome of the court case concerning the validity of his reappointment as GEBE's Chief Operations Officer (COO) and Managing Director, the Court of First Instance has ordered Romelio Maduro not to perform any acts of administration on behalf of the utility company.

Maduro was banned from accessing the GEBE offices and the Judge empowered GEBE to scrap Maduro's name as company Director from the Chamber of Commerce's registers.

GEBE's Supervisory Board and Maduro squared off in the Court of First Instance in an injunction concerning his suspension Read more

Court orders Maduro not to act on behalf of GEBE

PHILIPSBURG--Pending the outcome of the court case concerning the validity of his reappointment as GEBE’s Chief Operations Officer (COO) and Managing Director, the Court of First Instance has ordered Romelio Maduro not to perform any acts of administration on behalf of the utility company.

Maduro was also banned from accessing the GEBE offices. The Judge also empowered GEBE to scrap Maduro’s name as company director from the Chamber of Commerce’s registers.

GEBE’s Supervisory Board and Maduro squared off in the Court of First Instance in an injunction concerning his suspension Read more

style="text-align: center;">International Justice Day

PHILIPSBURG:---- Acting governor for country St. Maarten his excellency Reynold Groeneveld called for a law faculty for the island during his address at the ceremony for comemorate justice day on Friday July 17. St. Maarten should work with the University of St. Martin to establish this as soon as possible said the acting governor.
The uniform division of the Justice chain marched from the Police station
in Philipsburg to the Festival village for the ceremony Read more

Govt: contractors must plan, prepare for hurricane threat

PHILIPSBURG--Contractors and builders are requested to have a plan in place to prepare and secure their job sites in the event of a hurricane threat to the country, a press release by Department of Communication DComm urged. “Every effort should be made to be prepared in the event of a threat.”

Contractors and home builders during severe weather are responsible for securing job sites for the protection of the public, property and surrounding areas. Materials such as plywood, shingles, zinc, and other construction material could become flying missiles capable of impaling brick walls or anything in its way, the department warns.

“Construction debris can cause severe damage to property and lead to possible loss of life Read more

>AIRPORT/ PHILIPSBURG:--- The Management and Supervisory Board of Directors of the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE) has yet another set of questions to answer before the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Marcel Gumbs decide on whether or not he will sign the building permit registered under the number BP 229/14 that was sent to him on June 29th 2015 for signature since the department of VROMI completed their task and found no reason to withhold the building permit.
SMN News learnt that instead of Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs signing off the building permit so that PJIAE could continue with its renovations; he dispatched a letter to the Chairman of the of the Supervisor Board Mr Read more

Locally Born Cardiologist Emiko Bird-Lake Sworn In

From left: Acting Governor Reynold Groeneveldt, cardiologist Emiko Bird-Lake, and Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs. Photo DCOMM

St. Maarten – Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs attended the oath-taking ceremony at the Governor’s Cabinet on Friday for Emiko Bird-Lake, the first-Sint Maarten born cardiologist.

In the presence of her mother, Veronica Lake, and the cardiologist’s husband, Acting Governor Reynold Groeneveldt administered the oath.

Bird-Lake is part of a specialist rotational program established by St 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

Lakes seeks update on solid waste ordinance

PHILIPSBURG--United People’s (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Maurice Lake has asked government to give an update on the progress of the draft solid waste ordinance. The ordinance, which will serve as a cornerstone in the solution of the country’s solid waste woes, is said to still be in the Legal Affairs Department and dates to the time when Lake was a minister almost a year ago Read more

Coalition to outsource schools to private sector

PHILIPSBURG--The private sector soon will be asked to adopt public schools in an effort by the United People's (UP) party-led coalition "to reallocate responsibility to the business community."

This outsourcing seeks to persuade businesses to contribute to the community "in a productive, structured, visible manner," according to the UP-led coalition's "Ready to Work for You" 2014-2018 Governing Programme submitted to the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet on June 9.

It is now up to the cabinet to formulate an execution policy for the "Adopt-A-School" programme in which the private sector will have to participate Read more

Emmanuel calls on Govt. to address Haiti matter with DR

PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel has issued a call to Governor Eugene Holiday and the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet to talk with the Government of the Dominican Republic (DR) about putting a halt to the stripping of that country’s nationality from people of Haitian descent and from the move to deport tens of thousands of Haitians living in that country Read more

Gendarmes, Firemen, honoured in Bastille Day pinning ceremonies

MARIGOT--The usually predictable format of the Bastille Day programme took on a different twist Tuesday when military medals were bestowed on six Gendarmes and, in a separate ceremony, three professional firemen promoted in rank received their stripes.

The medal ceremony for the Gendarmes of St. Martin and St. Barths conducted by Colonel Thiriot, second in command of the Guadeloupe Gendarmerie, preceded the wreath-laying ceremony at the war memorial in the garden of Hotel de la Collectivité.

Dignitaries from both sides of the island and Anguilla had attended a service in the Catholic Church just earlier.

The Military Medal, France’s third highest military distinction, was pinned on the lapels of Adjudant-Chef Nicolas Heslon (48) of the St Read more

Prime Minister Gumbs Attends Bastille Day Celebrations

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Prime Minister Hon. Marcel Gumbs and Minister Hon. Claret Connor represented the Council of Ministers at the 14 of July Bastille Day Celebrations that took place in Marigot on Tuesday.

His Excellency Acting Governor Reynold Groeneveldt and several Members of Parliament were also present.

President of the Collectivite of Saint-Martin and Members of the Territorial Council extended an official invitation to the Council of Ministers to observe the July 14 celebrations.

The delegation from the Sint Maarten attended a Religious ceremony at the Catholic Church in Marigot; this was followed by a wreath laying ceremony at the Memorial Monument of the Collectivite; then an official parade at Boulevard de France, Marigot Waterfront; Saint-Martin's Fire Department Pinning Ceremony, Marigot Waterfront.

The official ceremony concluded with speeches and cocktails Read more

First St. Maarten-born cardiologist takes oath

PHILIPSBURG--The first-St. Maarten-born cardiologist Dr. Emiko Bird-Lake took the oath of office before Acting Governor Reynold Groeneveldt on Friday.

Bird-Lake is part of a specialist rotational programme established by St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) with the Netherlands. She will be at the hospital for one month.

Groeneveldt stated on Sunday that it was "a very proud moment" for the St. Maarten community. "I have administered the oath on several occasions before, but it was the first to a local-born cardiologist Read more

Editorial - How many?

The oath-taking ceremony for the first St. Maarten-born cardiologist, Emiko Bird-Lake, no doubt filled her family with pride, as it did acting Public Health Minister Marcel Gumbs (see related story) and rightly so. It’s important in general for locals to be successful and hold significant positions, because they can be considered positive role models for the island’s much maligned youth.

Of course, she won’t be practicing here permanently, but only during one month as part of the specialist rotational programme established by St Read more