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FREEDOM PARTY [Freedom] In The News DEC 2016

PPA
Source: SXMIslandTime
21 Mar 2016 05:57 PM

Obama Meets Castro In Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba – “This is a new day between our two countries,” President Obama said after meeting with Cuban President Raúl Castro in Havana.

The two leaders agreed that there are still deep fissures between the two countries and that a healthy relationship between them will take work.

That uneasiness was apparent as soon as journalists began asking questions. Obama and Castro were not supposed to take questions, but a last minute change made that possible.

In Spanish, a journalist asked Castro why his country kept political prisoners.

Clearly miffed, Castro asked the reporter to hand over a list of political prisoners.

“If there are political prisoners, they will be released by nightfall,” Castro said.

Obama was diplomatic when he addressed Cuba’s human rights record Read more


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Source: SMN-News
14 Mar 2016 04:59 PM

Three Players Win $85,165 With Caribbean Lottery Games.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Monday, March 14, 2016: The Caribbean Lottery over the past two weeks has produced three significant winners for the Lucky Pick, Pick 4 and Instant Scratch games. The three winners have collectively amassed $85,165 in fortune!
The first winner bought his Lucky Pick ticket from Caribbean Lottery’s Tackling Shell retail outlet. An overjoyed Michael Francis, who is a father of two, walked away with a cheque for $43,500 with 02-03-24-27-28 as his winning numbers for the March 2 draw.
Michael is as avid lottery player with his favourite games being Lucky Pick, Pick 3 and Pick 4 Read more


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Source: The Daily Herald
12 Mar 2016 06:17 AM

Official Funeral Ceremony Today For Officer Boasman

PHILIPSBURG--Police are mourning the death of police officer Alexander Anselmo Boasman, who will be laid to rest today. Police released an extensive programme for public knowledge.

At 10:00-10:30am, family members will be escorted to the Royal Funeral Home and colleagues will be able to pay their last respect. At 10:30-10:45am, family members will have a private moment with the deceased.

From 11:00-11:20am, the body of Selmo will be escorted to the Philipsburg Police Head Quarters where in the presence of the Chief of Police, a picture of the deceased will

be placed in the photo gallery, along with a route of honour guards in the street Read more


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Source: 721 News
11 Mar 2016 08:01 PM

Road Closure On Saturday Related To Officer Boasman Funeral

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI), announces that there will be several road closures in connection with the funeral services of Police Officer Anselmo Boasman.

The E.C. Richardson Street will be closed to motorised traffic from 06.00 to 18.00.

Sucker Garden Road will be closed at 14.45 from Read more


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Source: 721 News
11 Mar 2016 07:53 PM

Police Notice: Funeral Ceremony Anselmo “Selmo” Boasman  

Date:: March 12th 2016

Time: 

10.00-10.30 a.m.: Family members escorted to the Royal Funeral Home and colleagues will

be able to pay their last respect.

10.30-10.45 a.m.: Family members will have private moment with the deceased.

11.00-11.20 a.m.: Body of “Selmo”will be escorted to the Philipsburg Police Headquarters

where in the presence of the Chief of Police, a picture of the deceased will

be placed in the photo gallery. Along the route a honor guard will be in

place.

11.20-12.30 p.m.: Body of “Selmo” will be escorted to the Main Fire Station in Cay Hill

for a short ceremony by his colleagues at the Fire Department.

Honor Guard of the Fire Department will also be in place.

12.30-13.30 p.m: Body will be escorted to the Roman Catholic Church in Front Street for

public viewing

 13.45-14.00 p.m: Minister of Justice and Chief of Police will deliver speech to the

public Read more


Candidates in this article:
HOPE
Source: SXMIslandTime
11 Mar 2016 07:50 PM

Antigua & Barbuda’S Journey To The Ccj

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – A three-month public education campaign was launched on Thursday in Antigua & Barbuda as the government prepares to hold a referendum to determine whether to replace the London based Privy Council as its apex court with the Trinidad based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

The campaign, which has bi-partisan support, will span three months on a budget which government said will exceed two million dollars.

Demonstrating a united front, Prime Minister Gaston Browne and Leader of the Opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) Baldwin Spencer who were both at the head table at the launch, urged the electorate to choose the CCJ, contending it will provide easier access to justice.

Spencer noted that “true freedom” will only come when the country and region move from a position “where colonialism and imperialism controlled our decision making processes to a position where we are not only a free people, but we have to make sure we form a society in which our decision making processes are ours.”

Supporting Spencer, PM Browne made “a clarion call for all registered voters in Antigua and Barbuda to support this important institution of regional Governance and sovereignty.”

He said the current final appellate court “is clearly an outmoded colonial construct that was designed exclusively for the wealthy few and has failed to provide broad-based accessibility and dispensation of justice to the masses.”

Elaborating on Spencer’s point on access to justice, PM Browne said justice is not only delayed because of the remoteness of the Privy Council but, in many instances was denied because of inaccessibility associated with the prohibitively high costs.

“Even today, justice is being denied to the majority of our people who find it cost-prohibitive to take their case to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council,” he said.

“Having the CCJ as an all-inclusive final appellate court, will cure this egregious injustice of exclusivity that has plagued us since 1834,” Browne said, while adding that the fact that the CCJ is an itinerant court (travelling court) will help offset costs for litigants.

Former attorney general Justin Simon QC noted that between 2007 and 2014 about a dozen cases from Antigua and Barbuda were taken before the Privy Council, while over 30 cases were taken before the CCJ which was inaugurated in 2005 and which also serves as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised treaty of Chaguaramas.

Simon said the statistics suggest there is a serious problem of a lack of access to justice as he pointed to two cases where litigants spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover legal expenses before the Privy Council.

In a video message, Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque also expressed support from the proposed move, stressing it will “complete the country’s circle of independence.”

He said the court was set up with the highest levels of international standards and steps were taken, and remain in place to ensure there’s no political interference in the management and operations of the court.

According to him, the CCJ is also staffed with some of the “highest intellectual minds” and “there’s no other court in the world as independent” as the CCJ since it is funded under a unique trust fund arrangement and does not have to rely on governments for money.

Another point noted was that the judges are not appointed by the heads of government.

CCJ President Sir Dennis Byron, who applauded the main opposition UPP and the ruling administration for dealing with this issue with “political maturity”, said there’s no evidence justifying public concern of political interference, while he highlighted that the “high quality” judgments of the court are readily available for public perusal.

Explaining the system used to ensure the financial independence of the institution, he said, “The financial arrangements of the court included the establishment of a trust fund where member states invested US$100 million with the expectation that the interest of that investment would fund the court in perpetuity.”

Meanwhile, head of the education campaign mission, Ambassador Dr Clarence Henry said in order for the national referendum to be executed, elections rules must be drafted and that is currently being done by Dr Francis Alexis, a constitutional lawyer based in Grenada.

“He has been provided with all necessary legislation from which draft rules for the referendum will be drawn, in consultation with the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission and there’s also a parliamentary process to be followed,” he reported.

On Friday morning, there will be another session which will be led by youth Read more


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Source: SMN-News
11 Mar 2016 05:56 PM

Road Closure On Saturday Related To Officer Boasman Funeral.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):----- Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI), announces that there will be several road closures in connection with the funeral services of Police Officer Anselmo Boasman.

The E.C. Richardson Street will be closed to motorised traffic from 06.00 to 18.00.

Sucker Garden Road will be closed at 14.45 from FreedomRead more


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Source: SMN-News
09 Mar 2016 05:23 PM

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Prosecution on Wednesday afternoon in the case brought forward by Attorney at Law Cor Merx who pleaded with the court to have the restrictions placed on his client MP Silvio Matser be lifted and he be released from pre-trial detention. The verdict was expected since 9am Wednesday morning but the verdict was only handed down at almost 5pm Read more


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Source: SMN-News
07 Mar 2016 04:49 PM

PHILIPSBURG:--- Beyond Kultura Events Foundation is proud to get the support of the Be The Change Foundation to participate in the SXM DOET project that will take place on 11th and 12th of March coming.
'The Sky is the limit, when it comes to innovative thinking is our motto, and the Kite is the symbol of the BKE', Loekie Morales, President of the BKE stated. It is also the symbol of the Freedom of Thought and is the logo of BKE.
The Foundation is giving young and old Free Workshop Kite Making, so they can make the nicest kite on the 11th of March coming Read more


Candidates in this article:
PPA
HOPE
Source: The Daily Herald
03 Mar 2016 11:31 PM

Dutch Mps Laud Vote Buying Investigation

THE HAGUE--The liberal democratic VVD party, the Labour Party PvdA, Socialist Party (SP) and the Party for Freedom PVV in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament lauded the move of the St. Maarten Prosecutor’s Office in Wednesday’s arrest of St. Maarten Member of Parliament (MP) Silvio Matser and two others in the vote buying investigation.

Members of the Second Chamber André Bosman (VVD), Roelof van Laar (PvdA) and Ronald van Raak (SP) were especially content that the Prosecutor’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies were moving ahead with the active investigation and prosecution of illicit acts by elected/government officials.

Sietse Fritsma (PVV) stated that Matser’s arrest in connection with election fraud didn’t come as no surprise as “vote buying has been the common practice for many years in the banana republic St Read more


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