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EU Funding Available to Construct Waste Management Plant at Bellevue Border --- Deadline to Obtain EU Funds has to be completed by December 2015.

style="text-align: center;">What will this do to the MOU signed with GB Energy and GEBE?

PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of the French Executive Council met with members of Members of Parliament on Tuesday to discuss the usage of European funding that are available to both sides of the island.
Both President Aline Hanson and Vice President Guillaume Arnell told the Members of Parliament that the two sides of the island have to take matters seriously and work efficiently in order for the island to obtain the funding to construct some main projects, one being a waste management plant in the vicinity of Bellevue border Read more

Sarah calls for high priority for performing arts centre

PHILIPSBURG--"Put politics aside" and get moving on the development and construction of a preforming arts centre for St. Maarten was the call from Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams to her fellow MPs on Monday morning.

The arts centre should be "put as a high priority" by government and the money needs to be found for the project, Wescot-Williams said in the notification section of the plenary session of Parliament dealing with the Integrity Chamber.

Her call stemmed from the packed arts and cultural schedule in the just concluded weekend Read more

Govt. back to drawing board with Integrity Chamber Law

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament has sent Government back to the drawing board with the controversial draft National Ordinance on the establishment of an Integrity Chamber for the country.

Parliament sending Government back to make changes was not unexpected, as the majority of MPs had voiced their discontent with the draft when it was tabled in the Central Committee of Parliament about two months ago.

The reworking of parts of the law means the deadline of June 30 for Parliament to handle the law as stated in a recent protocol with the Dutch Government will not be met Read more

style="text-align: center;">Was St. Maarten’s Entities Consulted --- MP Leona Romeo Marlin.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of National Alliance and Member of Parliament William Marlin asked several questions regarding the protocol Minister Dennis Richardson signed on May 23rd with the Dutch Government on the establishment of an integrity chamber Read more

>PHILIPSBURG: --- The chairman of Parliament MP Lloyd Richardson had to go back on his decision and remove an agenda point he added on Monday even though several Members of Parliament objected to the additional agenda point claiming that procedures were not followed.
MP De Weever asked the chair of Parliament to add the motion that was suspended in December 2013 which was to widen the scope of medical coverage for independent workers, namely bus drivers, taxi drivers and vendors.
When the motion was in parliament it had to be suspended when it became clear that there was no law in place to support the motion.
MP William Marlin was the first MP to object to the chairman’s decision citing that procedures were not being followed, Marlin even ask the chairman of parliament if the Parliament of St Read more

Residents bend it for first International Yoga Day

SIMPSON BAY--The pumping sound of reggae music making its way up Simpson Bay Beach did not interfere with the quiet quite a large gathering of yoga amateurs and professionals sought on the first-ever International Yoga Day on Sunday afternoon.

Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice or discipline that originated in India.

Yoga practitioners got in the groove to bend, stretch and breathe as the music slowly faded into the background and they moved through the ancient exercise routine.

The waves lapped and sea gulls drifted above as St Read more

What’s is in it for me? Gearing up to a new era of colonialism and nepotism

Dear Editor,

Lately, our representatives seem to worry a lot, and sometimes rightly so, about the Dutch (post) colonial powers. Some of our MP's are calling for independence while presenting themselves as the last of the Mohicans. So far, the apogee of this independence rhetoric came to light when an MP was quoted as saying that he rather "die on his feet than live on his knees." The MP was quick to forget that Dutch PM Rutte already indicated that independence is just a phone call away (i).

So why so much noise? It is nothing more than putting up smokescreens in order to dr0ive the attention from the real problem, namely the new era of (corporate) colonialism and nepotism which is upon us Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the Democratic Party and Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams expressed her concerns on several issues that are playing out in the media and the community at press conference on Wednesday. The most disturbing for Wescot Williams is the ongoing saga at NIPA and the dismissal of the director Vernon Richards Read more

St. Maarten might be looking at new elections at the Expense of the People – Is there a stand off?

style="text-align: center;">St. Maarten has a Constitution that must be respected.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The current coalition government have a real problem on their hands to solve, now that MP Frans Richardson has asked the Minister of Justice by way of letter to resign effective immediately.
Political pundits says that MP Frans Richardson is getting ahead of himself and that he needs to know that St Read more

Passport fee increase passed retroactively

PHILIPSBURG--Fees for Dutch passports have been increased retroactively by Parliament. The fees are already charged to Dutch citizens applying for new passports or passport renewals since March 10, 2014. Monday’s approval of the amendments to the Stamp Ordinance was only a formality.

The amendments were unanimously passed in a Plenary Session of Parliament with very limited debate between Members of Parliament (MPs) and Prime Minister/General Affairs Minister Marcel Gumbs Read more

Dp Leader Prefers Integrity Chamber Created By St. Maarten

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Would the Parliament of St. Maarten prefer to have an Integrity Chamber created by the Dutch Government as opposed to creating one themselves?

Leader of the Democratic Party of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot-Williams stated that they are in support of an Integrity Chamber created by the Parliament of St Read more

Editorial - Not allowed

The new Penal Code that went into effect June 1 (see related story) contains some important matters of which the general public should be aware. For one thing, the sale and serving of alcoholic beverages to minors under the age of 18 is now officially prohibited, with a maximum penalty of six months in prison or a NAf. 7,500 fine.

However, the National Licence Ordinance still has 16 as the minimum drinking age, a discrepancy the local Lions Club recently requested that Parliament eliminate Read more

MPs have not yet received harbour security answers

PHILIPSBURG—Members of Parliament (MPs) have not yet received the "sensitive answers" about the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies' security contract, despite the receipt of these by Parliament's Secretariat since May 26. The delay in the dissemination is due to "administrative reasons," according to Democratic Party (DP) leader MP Sarah Wescot-Williams.

Speaking at a DP press conference in Parliament House on Monday, Wescot-Williams said she is patiently awaiting the answers to see if they satisfy her burning questions Read more

style="text-align: center;">DP faction taking note of the developments at PJIAE.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament from the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot Williams told reporters on Monday at a press conference that several topics were discussed during the IPKO meeting held in the Netherlands last week Read more

Highly successful IPKO closed off

THE HAGUE--A great success, probably the most constructive ever. That is how the leaders of the delegations of Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten and the Netherlands perceived the Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultations IPKO, which was closed off in The Hague on Friday, with one major triumph: a dispute regulation for the Kingdom.

Reaching an agreement on the format of a dispute regulation, a higher body where the partners can seek a binding ruling on "strictly legal differences of stipulations of the Kingdom Charter," took years, because the Netherlands was never in favour of a binding dispute arrangement.

"We reached an agreement which I am very proud of Read more

Agreement is reached on dispute regulation format

THE HAGUE--Following intense discussions on Thursday and many years of delay, the Parliaments of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten finally reached an agreement on the dispute regulation (geschillenregeling) for the Kingdom. Rulings of the body in charge of the dispute regulation will be binding rather than a mere advice, which is a major victory for the islands.

Besides the aspect of a binding ruling, the delegations agreed to give several pointers for the four governments at the Kingdom Conference in Curaçao on June 16 Read more

Sarah questions Govt on integrity protocol

THE HAGUE--"Does the government consider the maintenance of law and the other judicial parts in the document part of the Integrity Chamber? If not, why are those agreements part and parcel of the protocol regarding an Integrity Chamber?" was one of several questioned posed by Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams in a letter to the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet via Chairman of Parliament Dr Read more

MP Sarah Wescot Williams asks questions on Integrity Chamber.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- MP Sarah Wescot Williams sent a letter to the chair of Parliament asking several questions about the agreement signed between the government of St. Maarten and the Netherlands. The letter sent to the chairman of Parliament reads:-

Questions Integrity Chamber protocol
Honorable Chairperson of Parliament,

During my stay in the Netherlands, I have been apprised of the protocol agreed upon between the governments of St Read more

Dp Leader Questions Integrity Chamber Protocol

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - More questions are being asked about the details of the Integrity Chamber agreement which was signed in The Hague last Saturday.

The agreement was signed between St. Maarten's Minister of Justice, the Honorable Dennis Richardson and the Dutch Government.

Many members of Parliament have expressed their disapproval about the manner in which the agreement was signed and the impact it will have on the authority of the island's highest legislative body, the Parliament of St Read more

Islands want individual membership of WTO

THE HAGUE--The possibilities of individual membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for the Dutch Caribbean countries will be looked at, as well as the development status of the islands so they might make use of facilities for developing countries.

That was one of the proposals that were made at Wednesday's Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultations, IPKO, which started off in The Hague. Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten are now a member of the WTO through the Netherlands, which means that the three countries can't make use of WTO funds and expertise because the Netherlands is considered a developed country.

Member of the Curaçao Parliament Alex Rosaria of the PAIS party said that the membership through the Netherlands presented obstacles for the islands Read more

Parliaments discuss joint integrity norms

THE HAGUE--The Parliaments of Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten and the Netherlands debated on Wednesday about establishing parameters for common norms to safeguard and improve integrity of the governments in the Dutch Kingdom.

In the presence of Dutch National Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen, the delegations talked about the importance of integrity, how integrity is perceived in the Kingdom and how to achieve more integrity in the governments and parliaments of the Kingdom.

Integrity is about one’s own behaviour, being transparent and consistent in one’s actions, said Van Zutphen Read more

St. Maarten Parliament annoyed over protocol

THE HAGUE--The days of St. Maarten’s Justice Minister Dennis Richardson may very well be numbered now that he has signed a protocol with the Dutch Government to establish an independent Integrity Chamber for St. Maarten and to strengthen the island’s law enforcement sector. Members of the St. Maarten Parliament are not accepting that Parliament is being sidetracked in the protocol.

The protocol Minister Richardson and Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk signed on Saturday states that the St Read more

Parliaments set on resolving dispute regulation dilemma

THE HAGUE--Delegations of the Parliaments of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten are resolute to conclude the Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultations IPKO this week with a solution for the design of a dispute regulation (geschillenregeling).

"We want to get this solved for once and for all. More and more things are getting stuck in a dilemma in the relations between the Kingdom partners," said Member of the St. Maarten Parliament and Chairperson of Parliament's Kingdom Affairs and Inter-Parliamentary Relations Committee Sarah Wescot-Williams (Democratic Party (DP)) on Monday.

The three Dutch Caribbean Parliaments held tripartite meetings in The Hague on Monday in preparation for the IPKO which starts on Wednesday Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- From May 27-29, 2015 delegations from the Parliaments of the Netherlands, Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten will be meeting in The Hague, the Netherlands for the Inter-parliamentary Kingdom Consultations (IPKO).
On Monday, the three parliamentary delegations from Sint Maarten, Curacao and Aruba met in the Tripartite setting in The Hague to prepare for the IPKO discussions with Dutch parliamentarians.
The Tripartite meeting took place at the Mercure hotel in The Hague. Among the topics discussed were appeal in tax cases, the use of articles 15 and 21 of the Regulation of the Governor by the Kingdom Council of Ministers, screening of candidate ministers with a joint standards system, dispute regulation, nationality research as well as the feedback from several IPKO workgroups.
The goal of the meeting is to prepare for the Inter-parliamentary Consultation as well as discuss topics of mutual interest.
The Sint Maarten delegation partaking in the IPKO and Tripartite meetings consist of the following members:

Member of Parliament (MP) Hon Read more