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Parliament Discuss Pension Matters Wednesday, Concerns Highlighted

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Central Committee of Parliament met on Wednesday.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the draft National Ordinance to change the National Ordinance General Pension Insurance and National Ordinance General Widows Insurance related to the increase in the pensionable amount and the pension age.

Whilst speaking on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, Independent Member of Parliament and leader of the United St. Maarten People Party, the Honorable Read more

Reaction to letter of Mr. Sneek

Dear Editor,

The letter by Mr. Koos Sneek in your edition of Thursday, August 7, begs a reply. Mr. Sneek should stop his lying. He says "when in 2010 the island had opted for the status of public entity" The island never opted for that status. So that is a lie.

His lies go on and on, but they are just political rhetoric, because of the upcoming elections. Not worth pointing out. But this one above is a deliberate misconstruction of the truth. That says something about how to trust everything else Mr Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The University of St. Martin (USM) and the "Woman 2 Woman, Phenomenal Women" program have partnered to present the first 'Phenomenal Women Political Debate' on Wednesday August 20th, 2014 at the USM Lecture Hall, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. This exclusive event will consist of ten female debate panelists, two from each political party contesting St. Maarten's 2014 Parliamentary Elections. The candidates chosen by their respective political parties and confirmed to participate are:

 Richelda Rodriquez Emmanuel and Mulrose Toulon (Democratic Party) Silveria Jacobs and Dorothy Richardson (National Alliance) Regina Janga and Marie-Lou Conner (One St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- On Wednesday August 6th the Honorable Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson was given a guided tour of the ongoing project of the construction of a police training center, being carried out by the police department. Present during this tour was the Chief Commissioner of Police Peter de Witte, the Acting Chief of Police Commissioner Carl John and the police advisor Klaas Groen. The tour was at the facilities of the former B.B.W.- building on the Sucker Garden road. This building which is presently being rebuilt will be used as a police training center Read more

style="text-align: center;">To address key issues important for the people

PHILIPSBURG:--- The National Alliance will kick off the first of its scheduled public meeting at the Miguel Richardson property at the entrance to The Keys in Sucker Garden tomorrow, Saturday, August 9th, from 7:30pm.

This will be the first of four meetings the National Alliance will hold in the run up to the Parliamentary elections on Friday, 29th of August, 2014.

Leader of the National Alliance NA Member of Parliament William Marlin and Deputy Leader Silveria Jacobs encourage the public and supporters to come out and listen to the party's candidates address the issues of importance to the people of St Read more

Laser 101 to Host Debate on Issues Affecting St. Maarten – Economy and Tourism main topics.

style="text-align: center;">Tune in Saturday August 16th from 7pm to 8:30pm

PHILIPSBURG:--- As we are nearing election day, August 29th, we at Philipsburg broadcasting network, as a corporate citizen of St. Maarten,
feel that is our responsibility to our listeners to assist them in providing as much information as possible regarding the position of the different political parties on the issues regarding business and the St. Maarten economy. At the end of the day it is the private sector that is the motor that drives our country, the friendly island.

Presently all parties are campaigning and indicating, if elected, what they will do to improve our country Read more

style="text-align: center;">Champions change from 'cessantia' system to modern system of unemployment insurance and pension benefits. Advocates upward mobility of own population and transparent and efficient Foreign Labor Policy

PHIILIPSBURG:--- On Thursday the Democratic Party of St. Maarten presented its Party Platform on Labor and Human Resources vision as part of the DP Party Platform Read more

Parliamentarians irked at De Weever’s ‘condescending’ remarks in meeting

~ De Weever will offer 'no apologies' for telling truth ~

PHILIPSBURG--Several Members of Parliament (MPs) condemned on Wednesday the manner in which Minister of Health, Labour and Social Affairs VSA Cornelius de Weever addressed Parliament during the Central Committee meeting, with some MPs saying the minister had been "condescending," "disrespectful" and 'sarcastic."

De Weever responded by saying he had "sat quietly" and "took it all" from MPs in his three years going to Parliament to answer questions, while watching some MPs put on a "grand performance." De Weever said he would not sit and allow anyone to "play politics" with the work his ministry had done Read more

Dennis: Freedom interference claims ‘horribly exaggerated’

PHILIPSBURG--"Horribly exaggerated and absurd" was how Justice Minister Dennis Richardson described claims from the United People's (UP) party that his campaign guidelines for the August 29 Parliamentary Elections were interfering with freedom of expression and were in conflict with, among others, the Constitution.

Richardson, speaking at the Council of Ministers' Press Briefing on Wednesday, did not specifically name UP, but that party has been the only party that has come out publicly to voice its disagreement with the minister's guidelines.

He said, "How does securing the safe navigation of the limited number of roundabouts that we have constitute such a breach, while one can clearly see that the island is completely pasted in signs and billboards of political parties without any interference from the minister or the police? I don't subscribe to that point of view."

Richardson said he followed "the tradition" of granting for the campaign "a general dispensation of rules and regulations" that by law would have to be followed by those engaging in political campaigns with some conditions attached to ensure that aspects that are in play, such as traffic safety, public order are, or can be adequately taken into consideration Read more

Authorities have till Nov. 6 to make decision on Buncamper-Molanus

PHILIPSBURG--The Prosecutor's Office has been given until November 6 to indicate whether or not it will pursue a case against former Minister Maria Buncamper-Molanus for the sale of the economic rights for a piece of government long-lease land, that was granted to a company owned by her and her husband.

Buncamper-Molanus resigned in December 2011, when it was made public that she had sold the economic rights and she was faced with a motion of no-confidence in Parliament Read more

Police Force welcomes four-legged colleagues

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Police Force recently welcomed its two latest recruits, who are expected to have a big impact on drug- and firearm-related crime. They are sniffer dogs Rasja and Astorie, who, together with their handlers Igmar Woodley and Rickets Moesliken, recently graduated from their dog handling course in Aruba.

Woodley and Moesliken, who joined the force in 2009 and 2010 respectively, were patrol officers before becoming dog handlers. When they became aware the force had openings for dog handlers, they applied and were selected for the new posts.

Last month, they flew to Aruba to meet their canine partners and both dogs and their handlers had to complete a challenging training course at the Justice Training Centre Read more

Trans-Border agreement to be signed on August 18

PHILIPSBURG--The draft operational programme for the European Development Fund Trans-Border Project will be made final on August 18, when representatives of the Dutch and French sides' governments sign the agreement.

Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams said the draft programme, which outlines the plans for the building of a Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Social Affairs Cornelius de Weever had huge green eraser which he said certain politicians have to use to erase their past mistakes. The Minister was referring to the press release sent by the Minister of VROMI Maurice Lake who stated that he provided shelter for the victims of the St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson confirmed to SMN News that the Minister of Justice and Security of the Netherlands have been delaying and or refusing to grant St. Maarten necessary assistance for the Landsrecherche (National Detectives) that is lacking in manpower to investigate cases that have been pending for years. When asked if he is satisfied with the functioning of the Prosecutor's Office and the Attorney General of St. Maarten that have cases as long as four years to investigate and prosecute and to date nothing has happened Read more

Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson brings clarity on Guidelines on Election Campaign.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson brought some clarity on Wednesday regarding the election campaign rules (code of conduct) he implemented for the 2014 Parliamentary Elections. He said he has been accused of using kid's gloves in maintaining the rules.
Minister Richardson reminded reporters of the April 18th, 2013 motion that was passed unanimously in Parliament. This motion he said was a call on government to ensure everything is in place to ensure there is a free, fair and balanced electoral system Read more

style="text-align: center;">"Mourning the loss of one of its great women and social activists; a woman who was the embodiment of courage and perseverance; the voice of the disenfranchised and less fortunate"

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Women's Wing of the Democratic Party of St. Maarten joined the community in mourning the loss of former president of the Windward Island Civil Servants Union (WICSU-PSI) and the Chamber Labor of Unions, Patricia "Patsy" Pantophlet.

"The Women's Wing of the Democratic Party joins the community of St Read more

style="text-align: center;">Ebony Steel Orchestra to Provide Entertainment

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Democratic Party of St. Maarten is reminding the communities of Dutch Quarter, Belvedere, Middle Region, Defiance, Oyster Pond, Dawn Beach, Sucker Garden, Guana Bay, Madame Estate and French Quarter to come out to the Party's first public meeting this Friday, August 8th starting at seven pm at the de Weever property in Dutch Quarter. The Board, membership and candidates invite the public to come out to listen to the red thread and hear what the DP plans for its vision bringing St Read more

Minister Lake Says Public Housing Needs To Be Restructured By Holding Those Accountable For Lack Of Action

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry of VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake, says the current functioning of the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) leaves a lot to be desired and needs to be restructured.

"I have been able for the past 12 months to meet with the board and management of SMHDF, but there hasn't been any change coming for the tenants Read more

Theo: Dp Only Interested In Piggy-Backing, Not Governing

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten — Leader of the United People (UP) party Theo Heyliger on Wednesday asked the general public to ask themselves a very important question: What kind of political party chooses to contest an election and says it doesn't want to win which means it has no interest in governing and doing good by the people? The answer, Heyliger said, is the Democratic Party of St Read more

Up Invites The People North And South To Second Public Meeting On Thursday In Dutch Quarter

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – The United People's party (UP) will kick off its second out of six scheduled public meetings on Thursday, August 7 in Dutch Quarter at the Plantz property near the Mc. Donald's establishment at 7:00pm.

Party leader Theo Heyliger as well as the candidates of the < Read more

Social Affairs Minister Not Pleased With Vromi Minister

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Minister in charge of Health, Social Affairs and Labor, the Honorable Cornelius de Weever has lashed out at Minister with the responsibility for VROMI; the Honorable Maurice Lake for what he says was meddling with matters pertaining to his ministry.

Minister de Weever who was at the time speaking at the weekly Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday, also providing an update to the media regarding the recent fire in St Read more

Crime meeting stalled due to lack of quorum

PHILIPSBURG--Tuesday's Central Committee of Parliament meeting about the crime situation in the country was stalled due to a lack of quorum. Only three fractions – National Alliance (NA), United People's (UP) people, and independent Member of Parliament Patrick Illidge – were present for the meeting with Justice Minister Dennis Richardson and the top brass of the police force.

Parliament has seven fractions thus representatives of at least four fractions are requested for a Central Committee meeting to take place.

The meeting in Parliament House was scheduled to start at 10:00am Read more

Woman mauled to death by pit bulls

LAMAHA SPRINGS, Guyana--Joan Carter (51) died Tuesday, August 5, after she was viciously attacked by two pit bulls at her Lamaha Springs home.

The woman's brother-in-law Leslie Thomside told iNews he found her dead on her knees at the door of the apartment. Thomside is now considering "putting the dogs down" even though they pose no threat to him or his wife [Carter's sister – Ed.] and serve as a form of security for them.

Thomside explained that his sister-in-law would be in the dogs' company whenever he or his wife is at home Read more

Argentina rights activist will meet kidnapped grandson after 36 years

BUENOS AIRES--A leading human rights activist in Argentina will finally meet the grandson torn from her family 36 years ago when he was kidnapped by agents of the country's right-wing dictatorship.

Guido was born in 1978 to an imprisoned mother who was executed shortly afterwards by the junta that ruled the South American country from 1976 to 1983, in a case that has come to symbolize the struggle of families riven by the U.S.-backed dictatorship.

The junta ordered that hundreds of children of assassinated leftists be handed over to families more sympathetic to the dictatorship Read more