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Raising The Bar In Parliament In 2017

The people of St. Maarten expect a higher level of functioning from our Parliament in the New Year. Following a trial and error period of six years, our MPs should begin to raise the bar in 2017.

We expect our MPs, while on the floor of Parliament, to stick to the business at hand and not be carried away by personal or emotional circumstances. According to article 53 of the Constitution, parliamentarians should refrain from debating and voting on issues related to their person, their spouses or family members to the second degree.

If MPs are not pleased with the way family members are treated, this should be handled privately and not addressed on the floor of Parliament Read more

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Candidates in this article:

PHILIPSBURG:--- The people of Sint Maarten expect a higher level of functioning from our Parliament in the New Year. Following a trial and error period of six years, our MP’s should begin to raise the bar in 2017.
We expect our MP’s, while on the floor of parliament, to stick to the business at hand and not be carried away by personal or emotional circumstances. According to article 53 of the Constitution, parliamentarians should refrain from debating and voting on issues related to their person, their spouses or family members to the second degree Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, Isaiah 9:6. This prophecy was uttered by the Hebrew prophet Isaiah some 700 years before Jesus was born. Isaiah became a prophet, after the death of King Uzziah who reigned for fifty-two years. Under Uzziah’s reign, the land of Judah enjoyed a period of prosperity not known since the reign of King Solomon Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:---- I must commend our parliamentarians for raising the budget debate in the Central Committee a notch higher this year. Compared to the debate on the 2016 Budget, Parliamentarians were better prepared to deal with details, to ask critical questions and to consequently carry out one of their very important functions, namely to control and monitor Government.
Parliamentarians were in their right to call out the NA-DP-USP-Lake-Matser caretaker Government and Ministers on the 2016 expenditures of the country Read more

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Parliament And The Budget

Parliament’s website states that Parliament has two main tasks, namely to act as co-legislator and to exercise control over Government’s policies. The budget is an excellent example of co-legislation. It is drafted by the Government, but must be approved by Parliament in order for it to become a law.

On Monday, December 5, the Central Committee of Parliament, which consists of all fifteen members of Parliament, will meet to discuss the 2017 Budget of Country St Read more

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PHILIPSBURG – Parliament’s website states that Parliament has two main tasks, namely to act as co-legislator and to exercise control over Government’s policies. The budget is an excellent example of co-legislation. It is drafted by the Government but, must be approved by Parliament in order for it to become a law.
On Monday, December 5th the Central Committee of Parliament, which consists of all fifteen members of Parliament, will meet to discuss the 2017 Budget of Country Sint Maarten Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- By the end of November our Members of Parliament would have been on the job for one month and it is good took to take a look at how well they have represented us during their first month in office.
In the first week, seven of our MPs took part in an orientation week. At the end of the orientation, all five, first-time MPs and two former MP’s received a certificate of participation. Special congratulations to the five new MPs, for taking their position and their function seriously Read more

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PHILIPSBURG: ---Management and staff at utility company GEBE had their hands full Monday morning as over thirty persons showed up to express their displeasure with the constant power outages that have been plaguing the island. The protest was the brainchild of a disgruntled consumer who took to social media to begin a petition and organize the protest of like-minded individuals.
Tempers were especially frayed over this weekend’s outages, coming on the heels of a public announcement by GEBE’s management last week Wednesday morning that the problems with engine 19 had been resolved Read more

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Why All The Fuss About The Screening Of Ministers?

The fuss about the screening of candidate ministers has to do with the shroud of secrecy surrounding the screening process.

SMCP believes that if government were more transparent concerning the screening criteria as well as the process, there would be a lot less speculation concerning who passed and who failed the so-called screening test. Before accepting a ministerial nomination prospective ministers and their families should know what is expected of them.

The screening of ministers, dates back to pre-10-10-10, when the Island Council approved the law on the Promotion of the Integrity of Ministers Read more

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Candidates in this article:

PHILIPSBURG:--- The fuss about the screening of candidate ministers, has to do with the shroud of secrecy surrounding the screening process. SMCP believes that if the government were more transparent concerning the screening criteria as well as the process there would be a lot less speculation concerning who passed and who failed the so-called screening test. Before accepting a ministerial nomination prospective ministers and their families should know what is expected of them.
The screening of ministers dates back to pre-10-10-10 when the Island Council approved the law on the Promotion of the Integrity of Ministers Read more

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Candidates in this article:

PHILIPSBURG:--- We commend Prime Minster, William Marlin, for insisting that the Oyster Pond border dispute be brought to our Parliament which is indeed the direct representative of the people of Sint Maarten. After presenting the problem to Parliament his proposal should have been to request parliament to invoke article 67 of the State Regulation (Constitution) as suggested by MP Sarah Wescott-Williams Read more

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Candidates in this article:

Should Parliamentarians Vote Their Conscience?

PHILIPSBURG – After our new parliamentarians are sworn in on Monday, October 31, they will be faced at some point during their tenure with having to vote their conscience.

A careful look at St. Maarten’s State Regulation, commonly called the Constitution, reveals that there is no such article or phrase in our law that charges parliamentarians to vote their conscience.

In the State Regulation of the former Netherlands Antilles, however, voting one’s conscience was regulated in article 61 which read: “the members of Parliament will vote in good conscience, without interference by or consultation with those who elected them.” This article was taken from the constitution of the Netherlands Read more

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Candidates in this article:

PHILIPSBURG:--- After our new parliamentarians are sworn in on Monday, October 31st they will be faced at some point during their tenure with having to vote their conscience. A careful look at Sint Maarten’s State Regulation commonly called the Constitution, reveals that there is no such article or phrase in our law that charges parliamentarians to vote their conscience. In the State Regulation of the former Netherlands Antilles however, voting one’s conscience was regulated in article 61 which read: “the members of Parliament will vote in good conscience, without interference by or consultation with those who elected them.” This article was taken from the constitution of the Netherlands Read more

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It’S Election Day

By Alita Singh

PHILIPSBURG--The fate of the country of St. Maarten, just two weeks shy of its sixth birthday, and its 59,800 plus residents from more than 115 countries lies in the hands of 22,302 people. Those voters, privileged by birth or naturalisation with the Dutch nationality, head to the polls today, Election Day, to cast their ballots for one of the 125 candidates across the slates of nine political parties.

The number of eligible voters may change this morning when the Court of First Instance hands down its decisions on several petitions filed by people with Dutch nationality who registered in the Civil Registry after the Voters Register was closed on June 11 Read more

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Hundreds Of People Joined Smcp In National Prayer Vigil

PHILIPSBURG – Hundreds of people participate in a national prayer vigil that has been organized by the St. Maarten Christian Party (SMCP).

The prayer vigil took place on Thursday, September 22, between 12:00pm to 2:00pm and called for all civic-minded individuals to join with the party in praying for a safe parliamentary election and for the success of St. Maarten as a nation.

Party president Jacqueline Godet explained that prayer is a universal language Read more

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Unknown Culprits Attacked Smcp Candidates And Supporters With Rocks During The Public Meeting On Wednesday Night

~SMCP attacked at Belvedere public meeting -party refuses to be silenced~

BELVEDERE, Sint Maarten — The St. Maarten Christian Party condemns in the strongest possible terms the use of projectiles and missiles that were hurled at party candidates during a meeting in Belvedere on Wednesday night.

At about 9:15 pm huge rocks were flung over the perimeter fence of the Belvedere Community Centre from a dark area sending party supporters and onlookers scampering for cover Read more

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Unknown Culprits Attacked Smcp Candidates And Supporters With Rocks During The Public Meeting On Thursday Night

~SMCP attacked at Belvedere public meeting -party refuses to be silenced~

BELVEDERE, Sint Maarten — The St. Maarten Christian Party condemns in the strongest possible terms the use of projectiles and missiles that were hurled at party candidates during a meeting in Belvedere on Thursday night.

At about 9:15 pm huge rocks were flung over the perimeter fence of the Belvedere Community Centre from a dark area sending party supporters and onlookers scampering for cover Read more

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Smcp Issues National Call To Prayer

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Hundreds of people are expected to participate in a national prayer vigil that has been organized by the St. Maarten Christian Party (SMCP).

The prayer vigil takes places on Thursday September 22, 2016 from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm and calls for all civic-minded individuals to join with the party in praying for a safe parliamentary election and for the success of St Read more

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Political Parties mostly involved in the peaceful protest at the groundbreaking site.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The chairman of New Lifetown Shuqiang Cui aka Trey called on the less than 50 persons that showed up at the Belair Beach where the groundbreaking ceremony for the Pearl Caribbean China was taking place Saturday afternoon to put their hands together and join them as they seek to develop St. Maarten and its economy with the Pearl Caribbean China Resort that will be constructed in Belair.
At Belair beach the protestors with no more than 50 persons bearing placards included the leader of the St Read more

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Esté Preparado Para Las Elecciones De Este Año: Sintonice Fresco Con La Tripulación Y2x

Traducido por Máximo Castro

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten.- Es tiempo de elecciones otra vez. El 26 de septiembre está a la vuelta de la esquina. La pregunta es, “¿estás listo (a)?”

Youth 2 Xtreme (Y2X), el ala juvenil de Victorious Living Foundation, tiene las herramientas que necesitas para estar listo para las próximas elecciones. Y2X presenta: Elecciones de 2016 en su programa de radio semanal, FRESCO, a través de Youth Radio 92.5FM.

Durante esta serie de programas sobre las elecciones, los candidatos de diversos partidos políticos tienen la oportunidad de debatir sobre temas importantes, como la educación y la salud, así como demostrar al pueblo de San Martín que ellos son la elección correcta para las elecciones de este año.

Los invitados recientes para esta serie de elecciones incluyen a: Chasen Williams del Partido Democrático (DP); Pastor Wycliffe Smith y Claude Peterson, del Partido Cristiano St Read more

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Be Prepared For This Year’S Election: Tune Into Fresh With The Y2x Crew

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — It is election time again. September 26 is just around the corner. The question is, “are you ready?”

Youth 2 Xtreme (Y2X), the youth wing of Victorious Living Foundation, has the tools you need to be ready for the upcoming election. Y2X presents: Election Series 2016 on their weekly radio program, FRESH, on Youth Radio 92.5FM.

During this election series, candidates from various political parties have the opportunity to debate on important topics, such as education and health as well as to prove to you, the people of St Read more

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Candidates in this article:

PHILIPSBURG:--- It is election time again. September 26th is just around the corner. The question is, ARE YOU READY?
Youth 2 Xtreme (Y2X), the youth wing of Victorious Living Foundation, has the tools you need to be ready for the upcoming election. Y2X presents Election Series 2016 on their weekly radio program, FRESH, on Youth Radio 92.5 FM. During this election series, candidates from various political parties have the opportunity to debate on important topics, such as education and health as well as to prove to you, the people of Sint Maarten that they are the right choice for this year’s election.
Recent guests for this election series included: Chasen Williams of the Democratic Party (DP), Pastor Wycliffe Smith and Claude Peterson of the St Read more

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Parties Awarded Numbers And Colours For Ballot

St. Maarten Christian Party (SMCP) leader retired pastor Wycliffe Smith presents his party's request for brown to the Main Voting Bureau. 

List Numbers and Colours for Sept. 26 Parliamentary Elections

1 Read more

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The Role Of Your Elected Parliamentarian

As a politician, campaigning for the elections on September 26th, I am constantly bombarded with questions such as, what can you do for me? Will you fix my papers? Can you make sure that I get a job? Will you increase the pension of my aged mother who is unable to survive on such a meager income?

I truly understand the plight of these persons and I wish I could tell them yes. But that would be only telling them lies, making empty promises and giving them false hope. Unfortunately, this is what the majority of parties and politicians are doing Read more

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