SXMElections.com

The Road To The Gumbs I Cabinet: “Peddling Seats To The Highest Bidder”

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – When Governor Drs. Eugene Holiday administers the oath of office to the five ministers of the Gumbs I cabinet this afternoon, it marks the end of a tedious process that started during the night after the parliamentary elections on August 29. How did we get where we are today? A review.

To avoid any misunderstandings, the governor also administers the oath to the minister plenipotentiary today – but that is not a ‘real’ minister – it is the representative of St Read more

Sxm Mp's To Meet On Upcoming Ipko Meeting Which Is Set For January

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations (CKAIR) of the St. Maarten Parliament will be meeting again on Thursday, December 18th to discuss the upcoming IPKO (Meeting of Kingdom Parliaments) on Aruba in the first week of January 2015.

This committee of Parliament met for the first time on December 8th to elect its chairperson and vice chairperson. MP Sarah Wescot-Williams was elected to chair this committee.

On December 9th, by means of a video conference the chairpersons of the Parliaments and the parliamentary Kingdom Committees of Aruba, Curacao and St Read more

Silvio Matser facing prison time, big fine

~ In Energizer tax evasion case ~

PHILIPSBURG--United People's (UP) party Member of Parliament and construction company Energizer NV former director Silvio Matser (48) is facing 24 months in jail, eight of which are to be suspended, with two years' probation and payment of a NAf Read more

style="text-align: center;">Prosecutor demanded that a Naf. 4.5M fine be imposed

PHILIPSBURG:--- Prosecutor Gonda van der Wulp demanded that Member of Parliament Silvio Matser be sentenced to 24 months imprisonment, eight of which should be suspended. The Public Prosecutor also asked that the court impose a fine of Naf. 4.5 million guilders on the now Member of Parliament who owned and operated Energizer N.V.
Matser was charged with tax evasion to the amount of US $3.2 million in connection with non-payment of income tax, social security premiums for workers and turnover tax on behalf of his construction company Read more

Former Minister To Court In January: Buncamper-Molanus Charged With Membership Criminal Organization

St. Maarten – Tax fraud, forgery and participation in a criminal organization; these are the charges the Public Prosecutor’s Office has brought against Former Minister of Public Health, Social Affairs and Labor Maria Buncamper-Molanus. She has been summoned to appear in court for a pro forma hearing on Wednesday, January 7 of next year.

The charge for membership of a criminal organization suggests that there are more suspects, but a press release from the prosecutor’s office on Friday did not elaborate on this possibility Read more

No quorum stalls meeting on Intellectual Property Bureau

PHILIPSBURG--Only six Members of Parliament (MPs) were signed in for the plenary session of Parliament to formalise the Intellectual Property Bureau on Wednesday afternoon, two short of the quorum of eight MPs needed for the meeting to start.

The meeting now will have to be reconvened by Chairwoman of Parliament MP Sarah Wescot-Williams within four days (four times 24 hours) as stipulated by Parliament's Rules of Order Read more

Mps Unable To Give Update On Government Formation To Youth Parliament 

St. Maarten – As President of the St. Maarten Youth Parliament, Dwayne Griffith submitted to St. Maarten Parliament a motion, requesting an update on the current situation with government and the steps being taken to establish the new Council of Ministers. However, the MPs present were unable to give any information on the developments to the Youth Parliament, as many were not privy to what was taking place. Members of the Youth Parliament met with Parliament members at the Central Committee meeting on Tuesday to discuss the developments in government formation with regard to the instruction for the screening of candidate-ministers from the Kingdom Council of Ministers in The Hague.

“Our faction cannot provide any insight as to whether a list of ministers has been put forward… neither do we know the standards by which they will be screened,” said MP William Marlin Read more

MPs unanimously reject instruction

~ Motion to be sent to UN Decolonisation Committee ~

PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) unanimously adopted on Wednesday a motion rejecting the instruction handed down by the Kingdom Council of Ministers to Governor Eugene Holiday for the execution of a boundless and limitless investigation into the backgrounds of candidate ministers, their families, friends, business associates and others.

Parliament is not in agreement with the instruction from the Kingdom Council, because the screening of candidate ministers is "not flawed Read more

St. Maarten Parliament Is Convinced That Screening Process Is Working: Motion Will Ask Governor To Reject Kingdom Instruction

St. Maarten – The United People’s party announced that it would table a motion that asks Governor Holiday not to go along with the instruction from the Kingdom Council of Ministers to execute additional screening of candidate-ministers for the new government. However, parliament adjourned until Wednesday morning after the first round. UP-leader Theo Heyliger told this newspaper that he had not delivered his final report about the new cabinet yet, even though yesterday was the deadline for his task as formateur.

A one-man protest action by Etienne Toochie Meyers – a representative of the movement People United for True Democracy – preceded the first meeting of the new parliament yesterday afternoon Read more

Urgent Plenary Session of Parliament to continue on Wednesday.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The Monday urgent plenary session of the House of Parliament was that was adjourned will continue on October 22nd.
The plenary session is set for Wednesday at 10:00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.
The agenda is the instruction of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations given to the Governor of Sint Maarten to postpone ratification of the country decree in the appointment of the Ministers and Prime Minister.

This meeting was requested by Members of Parliament (MPs) Hon Read more

Urgent Plenary Session Of Parliament To Continue On Wednesday

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – The Monday urgent plenary session of the House of Parliament was that was adjourned will continue on October 22nd.

The plenary session is set for Wednesday at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda is the instruction of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations given to the Governor of Sint Maarten to postpone ratification of the country decree in the appointment of the Ministers and Prime Minister.

This meeting was requested by Members of Parliament (MPs) Hon Read more

Parliament Meets On Dutch Govt. Instruction To Governor Monday Afternoon (Full Audio Now Included!)

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The House of Parliament of St. Maarten met in an urgent plenary session on Monday.

It was the first meeting of the newly elected Members of Parliament since the August 29th parliamentary elections, and the swearing of the lawmakers on October 10th.

The purpose of the plenary session was to discuss the instruction of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations given to the Governor of Sint Maarten to postpone ratification of the country decree in the appointment of the Ministers and Prime Minister.

During the meeting on Monday afternoon, which was requested by Members of Parliament the Honorable Franklin Meyers, the Honorable Tamara Leonard and the Honorable Silvio Matser, Members of Parliament denounced the instruction given to the Governor.

Whilst speaking on the floor of Parliament, the Honorable Silvio Matser noted that the instruction given was an attack on democracy.

Member of Parliament, the Honorable Leona Romeo Marlin stated on Monday on the floor of parliament that the instruction as is given by the Dutch government degrades our parliamentary system, our Council of Advice and even our Governor.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament of the National Alliance, the Honorable George Pantophlet reminded his colleagues the Dutch are here, and that the question is how we get them out of here.

Meanwhile, speaking on the floor of Parliament, the Honorable Christopher Emmanuel made it clear that St Read more

MPs to meet Monday on Dutch gov’t instruction

PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) will discuss in an urgent plenary session of Parliament on Monday the Kingdom Council of Ministers' instruction to Governor Eugene Holiday to execute a thorough screening of candidate-ministers from the United People's (UP) party-led coalition.

The plenary session is set to start at 2:00pm. On the agenda is the instruction from Minister of Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk to Holiday "to postpone ratification of the country decree in the appointment of the Ministers and Prime Minister."

The meeting was requested by UP MPs Franklin Meyers, Silvio Matser and Tamara Leonard on Friday.

Meyers said the instruction was "yet another example of interference into St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Several citizens and persons who bought confiscated items from the Public Prosecutors Office on St. Maarten and Weather Eyes Yacht Sales that was representing the Prosecutor's Office are now calling on the Dutch Members of Parliament and the Kingdom Council of Ministers to send down experts to investigate the Prosecutors that were appointed by them. "We are in full support of the Dutch using their powers to put a halt to corruption and self-enrichment among politicians, but the Dutch must also realize that the Dutch prosecutors they appointed to St Read more

Three Up Mps Requests Urgent Parliament Meeting On Screening Instruction

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - United People's (UP) party Members of Parliament Franklin Meyers, Silvio Matser and Tamara Leonard have requested an urgent meeting of Parliament to respond to the recent instruction by the Kingdom Council of Ministers for Governor Eugene Holiday to execute a thorough screening of all minister candidates of the new coalition government.

The request for the parliament meeting was submitted on Friday to President of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams Read more

St. Maarten Will Not Allow Dutch To Make A Mockery Of Its Democracy

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - With the instruction given to Governor Eugene Holiday by Dutch Minister of Kingdom Relations Plasterk, the Dutch government has one again shown that it will spare no measure in setting aside St. Maarten's constitution and continue disrespecting St. Maarten's Parliamentary democracy.

This time, they have put Governor Holiday in a complicated unenviable position by instructing him not to ratify decrees appointing candidate ministers and the Prime Minister until an expanded vetting process that they (the Dutch) want to set in place in addition to St Read more

Holiday says MPs play critical role to foster good governance

~ MPs sworn in ~

HARBOUR VIEW--The fifteen Members of Parliament (MPs) elected during the August 29 Parliamentary Elections took their oaths to serve in the presence of Governor Eugene Holiday on Friday.

Sworn in were United People's (UP) party MPs Theo Heyliger, Franklin Meyers, Silvio Matser, Tamara Leonard, Maurice Lake, Lloyd Richardson and Johan "Janchi Leonard; Democratic Party (DP) MPs Sarah Wescot-Williams and Cornelius de Weever; United St Read more

15 New Mps Take The Oath Friday

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The swearing in ceremony of the 15 parliamentarians to govern the country for the period 2014/2018 took place on Friday morning.

The ceremony was held at the Governor's office at Harbor View. Taking the oath were members of the National Alliance William Marlin, Silveria Jacobs, George Pantophlet and Christopher Emanuel, the United People Party, Theo Heyliger, Dr Read more

Sarah, Leona join UP/De Weever to form broad-based government

PHILIPSBURG--Outgoing Prime Minister and Democratic Party (DP) leader Sarah Wescot-Williams and United St. Maarten Party Member of Parliament (MP)-elect Leona Marlin-Romeo have joined the United People's (UP) party/De Weever coalition to form a broad-based government for 2014-2018.

The two new coalition members signed on to the existing UP/De Weever governing accord as "addendum two and three" on Thursday, paving the way for a majority of 10 seats in Parliament.

The news of, in particular, Marlin-Romeo joining the coalition comes after much speculation about this possibility taking place even after she publicly had denied any such intentions Read more

UP/De Weever coalition signs Governing Accord

~ Portfolios to be decided on 'collectively' ~

PHILIPSBURG--The eight Members of Parliament (MPs)-elect forming the United People's (UP) party/De Weever coalition signed their 2014-2018 Governing Accord on Friday, October 3. This accord and its attached division of portfolios for the incoming cabinet were submitted to Governor Eugene Holiday by informateurs Joseph Richardson and Marcel Gumbs last week.

Formateur UP leader MP Theo Heyliger continues his work to formalise the incoming government.

Both the Governing Accord and the Division of Portfolios documents were signed by all eight coalition members – MPs-elect Heyliger, Cornelius de Weever, Franklin Meyers, Silvio Matser, Tamara E Read more

New Mps Officially Formalized By Central Voting Bureau, Names Of Mps To Be Published

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten -The results of the 2014 Parliamentary election which was held on August 29th, have been formalized.

In adherence with the Electoral Law, the results will now have to be published in the National Gazette and the elected members of Parliament officially informed.

The elected MPs will also have to advise the Central Voting Bureau if they will accept the position of member of Parliament for St. Maarten.

This was announced on Monday afternoon during a public meeting of the Central Voting Bureau which is chaired by Attorney Jason Rogers.

Fifteen (15) members of Parliament were elected on Friday August 29th from four political parties Read more

Heyliger: UP parliamentarians to be ‘formidable’ opposition

PHILIPSBURG--Developments over the past days will see the United People's (UP) party playing its role in Parliament from the opposition benches. UP party Leader Member of Parliament Theo Heyliger said the party and its Members of Parliament (MPs) "will be a formidable force to be reckoned with when it comes to the role of keeping the government in check."

"We are ready to govern, to hold in check and control the decision of the coalition government that is in the making Read more

Editorial - Top 10

The individual votes-count of Friday's election that only became fully available late Saturday afternoon makes for some interesting reading (see related story). For one thing, UP leader Theo Heyliger confirmed he is by far the most popular politician in St Read more

style="text-align: center;">Preliminary Results UPP – 7 Seats, NA – 4 seats, USp – 2 seats, DP – 2 seats --- NA, USp and DP signed working document

PHILIPSBURG:--- The United Peoples Party got a resounding amount of votes from the voting population on Friday Read more