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Opinion: Vote Of No Confidence

Research by the Central Bureau of Statistics in Curacao returned a near fatal blow for the country’s politicians. Only 2.3 percent of the respondents among 2,620 households said that they trust their politicians. In other words, 97.7 percent do not trust the country’s legislators.

Suspicion towards politicians is nothing new and it is not uniquely prevalent in Curacao. It is a phenomenon across the board, and we suspect – though we obviously do not have hard evidence for it – that a similar research in, say, the Netherlands, Japan, the United States or St Read more

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First Female Calypso Monarch In 47 Years

Akinerom Charles Arrindell, the first female to ever win a Calypso Crown suitably rewarded with the symbol which was placed on her head by Lisa Brown, Senior Marketing Manager at Nagico and assisted by Edwardo Radjouki, from the SCDF. Photo Today / Milton Pieters

Shakiya stays one point ahead of Kaiso Brat

St. Maarten News – As far as the other participants in the finals of the Nagico Calypso competition was concerned, Shakiya, real name Akinerom Charles Arrindell, was just another female in the quest for glory, but at the end of the show, she became the first female in 47 years to be crowned as the country’s Calypso Monarch.

Shakiya, an employee of social insurance agency SZV, immediately received congrats from her employer.

In doing so, Arrindell who finished on 471 points dethroned the reigning King Alberto Arrindell, stage name Fish Da Mega Boss who had to settle for the second runner up position with 446 points Read more

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Former Pm Marcel Gumbs Reacts To Dr. Martha “Not Possible To Revoke Dissolution Decree”

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – “I think that not all the facts were presented to him,” former Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs told this newspaper yesterday in a reaction to the interview with Dr. Rutsel Martha. “He is a good friend and very clever, though somewhat controversial, but his specialty is not in constitutional law.”

Gumbs said that he had acquired advice from three constitutional experts – professors Arjen van Rijn, Tijn Kortmann and Joop van den Berg Read more

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“Governor Holiday Made Gumbs Look Like A Fool”

Dr. Rutsel Martha: revoking dissolution decree perfectly legal

By Hilbert Haar – LONDON / GREAT BAY – The decision by the Marlin-cabinet to withdraw the October 29 dissolution decree and to replace it by another one that pushed the elections back to September of next year is perfectly legal. That is the opinion of Dr. Rutsel Martha, a former Minister of Justice in Curacao who is now based in London as an international legal consultant. From a distance, Dr. Martha has followed the political developments in St Read more

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Former Minister Ernest Sams: “This Country Still Has Great Potential”

St. Maarten – “My brief term in office has been an accelerating learning experience as well as one of recognizing that there is an urgent need for Government to restructure and optimize its organizational processes to become more effective and efficient, and above all eliminate waste,” former Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication Ernest Sams said in a statement he issued this weekend.

“Entering with an energetic team of a tourism expert, a transportation expert, an economist, a junior policy adviser and secretary our hopes were high to accomplish many of the existing, shelved projects and some of our own ideas-one main one being developing a sound strategy to market St Read more

Position Airport Director Labega Under Pressure

Managing director Regina Labega at her desk at Princess Juliana International Airport. File photo SXM

Court rejects suspension of government-decision

St. Maarten – Starting tomorrow, Regina Labega is no longer authorized to function as the managing director of Princess Juliana International Airport, but it is at this moment uncertain whether she will be removed from her position, her attorney Cor Merx told this newspaper yesterday. “It is unclear what is going to happen on November 13.”

Labega’s position requires a certificate of no objection, but Minister of General Affairs Marcel Gumbs refused to give this to her, based on the result of a screening by the national security service VDSM.

The airport risks a fine of 1,000 up to 500,000 guilders – per violation – if it allows Labega to stay on as managing director Read more

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St. Maarten Day Speeches Focus On Cooperation

From left: Collectivité President Aline Hanson, Préfète Délégué Anne Laubies, Governor Eugène Holiday, Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, Chief Inspector Denise Jacobs, Franklin Richards, MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, MP Cornelius de Weever, Justice Minister Dennis Richardson and Education Minister Rita Bourne-Gumbs at the border monument in Cole Bay Read more

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February Elections Will Cost Almost 230,000 Guilders

St. Maarten – The cabinet has budgeted 229,763 guilders ($128,359) for the upcoming elections on February 9. The money comes from the budget of the Ministry of General Affairs.

Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs said yesterday that the voter registry will close on November 23 and that the members to the Central Voting Bureau will be appointed on December 23.

Postulation Day is on December 22 and a day later, parties will have to submit the signatures of voters who support their list.

The elections will take place on February 9 – a Tuesday 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

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“Saying That Elections Will Stop Ship Jumping Is Lying To Voters”

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

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Attorney Asks Court To Suspend Decision Against Airport Director

St. Maarten – Attorney Cor Merx filed an administrative lawsuit yesterday against the decision by Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs to refuse airport managing director Regina Labega a certificate of no objection. Such a certificate is required for Labega to keep her position of confidence as the managing director of the airport. PM Gumbs refu Read more

Parliament Discusses The Dissolution Of Parliament

St. Maarten – Parliament meets on Wednesday morning at 10.a.m. to discuss the dissolution of parliament. On the same day, the minister of the Marcel Gumbs cabinet are at the Governor’s cabinet to sign their resignation letters. Governor Holiday has confirmed that he will subsequently sign the national decree to dissolve the parliament.

National Alliance MPs George Pantophlet, Silveria Jacobs and Christophe Emmanuel requested the meeting in a letter dated October 20.

The meeting will be broadcast live on St Read more

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Marcel Gumbs Cabinet Tenders Resignation On Wednesday

St. Maarten- The Council of Ministers will meet this coming Wednesday with Governor Drs. Eugene Holiday at the Governor’s Cabinet to tender its resignation.

At this meeting all ministers will make their positions available and the national decree to dissolve parliament will be signed by the governor and countersigned by Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, the prime minister’s cabinet states in a press release last night Read more

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Constitutional Advice Does Not Impress Prime Minister

“The governor cannot tell me what to do”

St. Maarten – Based on the advice he received from a panel of three judges Governor Drs. Eugène Holiday confirmed yesterday in a press release that he will sign the national decree to dissolve parliament as soon as the members of the Council of Ministers make their positions available. “In that case he can wait for a very long time,” Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs told this newspaper last night Read more

Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs: “I Will Not Back Down”

Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs (left) makes his position perfectly clear while Ministers Hassink, Sams and Connor look on. Photo Today / Andrew Dick

St. Maarten – “I will not back down,” Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs told this newspaper yesterday afternoon while he was walking back to the government building, where earlier yesterday he shed his light once more on the constitutional crisis that holds the country in a deadly embrace.

Professor Arjen van Rijn repeated yesterday in the Antilliaans Dagblad his firm position on the constitutional crisis: when the parliament hits, the cabinet is allowed to hit back Read more

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Governor’S Explosive 2013 Letter Supports Dissolution Parliament

Possible elections pushed back to February 2016

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs has sent an amended national decree to dissolve the parliament to Governor Drs. Eugène Holiday on Wednesday that would push elections back to February of next year. The amendment to the decree was necessary because the Electoral Council needs more time to give possible new parties the opportunity to register.

An explosive letter Governor Holiday wrote in May 2013 and to then Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams shows that, at that time, the governor supported the dissolution of parliament Read more

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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

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Pm Gumbs Invites Faction Leaders

St. Maarten – Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, announced on Tuesday that he has extended an invitation to all parliamentary faction leaders for today at the Government Administration Building.

The agenda point for the meeting is seeking support for solutions for stability in government.

The first meeting between the Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, along with his advisors from his Cabinet is slated for 9.00 a.m.  Subsequent thereto, meetings will continue with the faction leaders throughout the day.

As indicated in his first meeting with the Parliament of Sint Maarten, the Prime Minister stressed the need for stability, civility and tranquility in the country.  Prime Minister Gumbs has requested the various faction leaders to meet in order to discuss solutions for stability in government. 

Invitations from Prime Minister Gumbs to faction leaders were issued on Tuesday, October 13.

The members of the Council of Ministers decided on Tuesday to explore this avenue in seeking a solution to the current impasse that would be in the long-term interests of the country and its people.

“This approach being offered brings parliament and government together to work in the interests of the people Read more

Opinion: Something’S Brewing

We know since last night that Governor Holiday sent a letter to Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs. We do not know the content of this letter, but there is no doubt that this will come out some time today.

The past couple of days, two political parties have come out with press conferences where they made their positions clear. The National Alliance nor the Democratic Party fear elections, they say.

Do they really want elections? Not really Read more

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Green Light For New Government, But Pm Gumbs Disagrees: “Even The Governor Can Make A Mistake”

St. Maarten – Governor Drs. Eugene Holiday has given the green light to the National Alliance-led coalition to form a new government. There will therefore be no elections on December 8, as would have been the case if the governor had ratified the national decree the cabinet sent to his office to dissolve the parliament and to call new elections.

Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs “absolutely disagrees” with the decision and his cabinet does not intend to make its positions available Read more

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Prof. Van Rijn In 2012: “The Wish Of Parliament Prevails”

St. Maarten – Prof. Arjen van Rijn offered a different opinion about the position of parliament and government in an article in the Nederlands Juristenblad of December 7, 2012 that shows that constitutional law is not black and white. While Van Rijn advised the Marcel Gumbs cabinet this past weekend that its right to dissolve the parliament is autonomous and cannot be limited by parliament, in 2012 he wrote “If there is a serious clash between parliament and government and the tensions need to find a way out, then the wish of the parliament obviously prevails as the body with the most direct democratic legitimacy.”

Van Rijn refers in this article also to the situation in Curacao, where the majority of parliament sent home the Schotte-cabinet immediately Read more

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New Elections For St. Maarten Possible December 8

From left: Ministers Rafael Boasman, Rita Bourne-Gumbs, Marcel Gumbs, Dennis Richardson, Martin Hassink and Claret Connor during what could be their last press conference. Photo Today / Hilbert Haar

St Read more

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Opinion: “Self Above Country” 101

Who said politics is boring? The conspirators in parliament had their first laugh on Wednesday when they lured all MPs to the House of Representatives with an irresistible agenda point – the remarks made by Attorney-General Guus Schram about the ties between the criminal underworld and St. Maarten’s legitimate society. Then followed an agenda point about the situation at the government-owned companies, in particular the airport.

But those who thought that the opposition intended to wash the ears of airport director Regina Labega were in for a nasty surprise Read more

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St. Maarten Prime Minister In The Netherlands For Talks With Kingdom Relations Minister

Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs is in the Netherlands for talks with Kingdom Relations Minister Ronald Plasterk. There is no information available about the content of these talks at this moment, but the photo seems to suggest that, after all the tensions that have marred the relationship between the Kingdom and St. Maarten, Gumbs and Plasterk now appear to be the best of friends Read more