SXMElections.com

Answers Will Have To Wait Until Mid-January: Parliament Wants Clarity About Housing Foundation

St. Maarten – Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs answered the call to appear in Parliament as the acting minister of public housing within 72 hours after he was sworn in on Friday. Members of Parliament appreciated that, even though Gumbs sent them on their way with a flea in their ear, after listening to questions about the chaos of the St. Maarten Housing Development foundation for more than two hours.

The minister brought to mind the words he spoke on Friday in the constituting meeting where his team officially took over the reins: “The country needs tranquility, stability, civility and prosperity.”

Furthermore, Gumbs noted: “Integrity has been a buzz word this year Read more

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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

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André Bosman Fails To React – De Weever Takes Legal Action

St. Maarten – Member of Parliament Cornelius de Weever will take legal action against VVD-MP André Bosman who did not react to a summons to retract “erroneous, slanderous and defaming statements” before the deadline of last Monday at 5 p.m. On September 30, four different newspapers quoted Bosman as saying, “Heyliger simply paid De Weever.”

The remark refers to De Weever’s decision to withdraw his support for a coalition of the National Alliance and the United St Read more

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Notary’S Rottweilers Kill Neighbor’S Dog

St. Maarten – Three Rottweilers killed a dog in Cul de Sac yesterday morning to the despair of its owner, Paula Diasz. The distraught owner posted a picture of her dog on Facebook: “Our Freddie, the loveliest sweetest dog ever, has been attacked this morning by three of our neighbor’s Rottweiler dogs. This is the third attack with two fatal endings.” Diasz wrote.

She identified the owners as notary Steeman and his wife Say Steeman-Yau, whom she described as “a politician with mottos like “stop animal cruelty” and “quiet neighborhood.”

Steeman-Yau was a candidate for the National Alliance in the elections last August, winning just 16 votes.

“They could not care less because they do not lock up their vicious, murderous dogs and therefore terrorize the neighborhood already for years,” Diasz wrote Read more

Mp Emmanuel Faces Lawsuit Over Bribery Allegations

St. Maarten – Rookie parliamentarian Christopher Emmanuel will be taken to court in summary proceedings for insulting and slandering E.T.M., attorney Cor Merx confirmed to this newspaper yesterday.

Last week Monday, Emmanuel stated in parliament that in 2010, he had been offered $80,000, but he did not say for what. In the 2010 campaign, Emmanuel was the number 14 candidate for the National Alliance Read more

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Other Parties Stay Away From Protest Against Kingdom And Plasterk – Green March Against Instruction

St. Maarten– Between 300 and 400 people took part in the march People United for True Democracy organized yesterday afternoon in protest against the instruction from the Kingdom Council of Ministers to Governor Holiday for a stricter screening of candidate ministers – a handsome turnout with one flaw: only supporters of the United People’s party showed up.

UP party leader Theo Heyliger was there, as were his faction leader Franklin Meyers, MP Tamara Leonard and MP Lloyd Richardson Read more

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Committee For Action Plan On Integrity Reports: Parliament Calls On Governor Not To Execute Instruction

St. Maarten – The Parliament passed a motion yesterday that calls on governor Drs. Eugène Holiday “not to yield to the measure of instruction formulated by the Dutch government” and to instruct the government to establish a committee that will “study, evaluate and recommend” an action plan based on the findings of three integrity reports that are currently on the table.

With this motion, the Parliament sent a message to The Hague that it will not stand for interference in its internal affairs Read more

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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

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Up-Leader Theo Heyliger About Instruction: “Witch Hunt With Me As Primary Target”

St. Maarten – United People’s party leader Theo Heyliger released another statement to the media yesterday, announcing that the Dutch government will be held liable for the damages its “unconstitutional intrusion” is causing St Read more

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Thompson Concerned About Economic And Environmental Sustainability

St. Maarten –Rueben Thompson of the United St. Maarten party expressed his concerns for St. Maarten’s future environmental and economic sustainability under the governance of current Minister of Vromi Maurice Lake and the newly-formed UP coalition, which will constitute the new government, saying, “We’re slaughtering the goose that lays the golden egg.”

“I’m very concerned about the plans for the protection of our natural and cultural heritage Read more

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Parliament Takes Vorst Estate Purchase Out Of 2014 Budget

St. Maarten – The Parliament approved a motion to take a $5.5 million provision for the purchase of the Vorst Estate out of an amendment to the 2014 budget with 7 votes to 6. This blocks the purchase of the land, for which Vromi-Minister Maurice Lake signed an agreement in February of this year, but it does not absolve the country of liability towards the Vorst-family, because the Court in First Instance has already ruled that the purchase-agreement Lake signed is a valid one.

The meeting to handle the budget amendment has a long history Read more

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Ex-Formateur William Marlin: “Matter Of Time Before We See Another Shift”

St. Maarten – “It is a matter of time before you will see another shift,” former formateur William Marlin said at a press conference yesterday in answer to a question from this newspaper about political instability. “There is not a problem with the system, but there are too many who approach this like, I have my seat and I am going to peddle it to the highest bidder Read more

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Bewilderment In Dp About Appointment Informateurs

St. Maarten – Democratic Party leader Sarah Wescot-Williams used air quotes yesterday afternoon to express her bewilderment about Governor Holiday’s decision to appoint two informateurs on  Thursday, after UP-leader Theo Heyliger’s presentation of a coalition-agreement signed by eight elected members of the new parliament.

When the DP, together with the National Alliance and the United St Read more

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Mps Prefer Trip To Panama To Parliament Meeting

St. Maarten – It was to be expected, but it still was a sight for sore eyes when the rescheduled meeting of Parliament yesterday morning to handle an amendment to the 2014 budget did not get a quorum. Only MPs Hyacinth Richardson and George Pantophlet (National Alliance), Roy Marlin (DP) and Parliament President Gracita Arrindell (UP) were present Read more

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Rumors Run Amok In Local Politics: Coalition May Fall Apart With De Weever’S Departure

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St. Maarten Governing Program In Final Stages

St. Maarten – The workgroup charges with drafting the governing program for the coalition of National Alliance, Democratic Party and United St. Maarten party exports to complete its tasks by the end of the week. The draft will first be presented to the leaders of the three coalition parties Read more

Departing Politicians Become A Burden For The Treasury

Political pensions could cost country St. Maarten $4 million

St. Maarten – The change of government could cost the country over the next two years more than $4 million if all departing ministers and not re-elected members of parliament claim the political pension they are entitled to by law. To put this number in perspective: on a national budget of 440 million guilders (about $245 million), it represents 1.6 percent of total expenditures.

Four ministers (Patricia Lourens, Martin Hassink, Dennis and Ted Richardson) are not expected to return in the new cabinet Read more

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Gracita Arrindell Closes Parliamentary Year

St. Maarten – Parliament President Gracita Arrindell closed off the parliamentary year 2013-2014 yesterday morning in a meeting MPs used to express countless thank you’s and also to express their respect for each other. Highlight of the meeting was an initiative by the departing MP Roy Marlin, who tabled a motion that asks the prime minister to “inform” the ministers of her cabinet not to enter into any long-term commitments during their last weeks in office Read more

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Usp-Candidate Leona Marlin-Romeo: “I Am Not Going Anywhere”

St. Maarten – Leona Marlin-Romeo is firmly committed to the United St. Maarten party. During a press conference at the  Parliament building yesterday morning, the party’s number 2-candidate laid to rest rumors triggered by a baseless article that appeared on a notorious local gossip website on Thursday.

The website insinuated that Marlin-Romeo had “jumped ship” and taken money to join the United People’s party to form a government.

Marlin thanked blogger Bibi Shaw for the publicity the story has generated, but the sarcasm was lost on Shaw, who later acknowledged the “compliment.” Marlin-Romeo, however pointed out the obvious: “Before you slander my name and the name of my campaign manager I think you should get your facts straight Read more

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Johan Leonard Squeezes Past Buncamper-Molanus Into Parliament

“Mister 7-UP” sends rival home

St. Maarten – Maria Buncamper-Molanus will not become a member of the new Parliament after all. After the Central Voting Bureau had scrutinized yesterday all the ballots the twenty polling stations had deemed invalid, it found two valid votes that went to Johan Leonard Read more

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National Alliance: Hold Minister Lake Liable For Vorst Estate Land Purchase

St. Maarten – National Alliance says UP’s Vromi-Minister Maurice Lake should be held liable for his wrongdoings in the Vorst Estate land deal and for putting the people of St. Maarten in unnecessary expense of having to pay for the significantly overpriced property.

NA-Leader William Marlin pointed to statements made by the judge in his verdict last week indicating that Parliament could call Minister Lake to account for an irresponsible purchase and that Lake could be held personally liable for damages incurred, if these were caused deliberately or by grave neglect.

“It is wrong what Minister Lake did Read more

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National Alliance: Focus On Realistic Achievements

St. Maarten – The National Alliance (NA) plans to focus on responsible, attainable and realistic achievements for residents by addressing the issues that directly affect the people of St. Maarten in the next governing period, the party said in a press release yesterday in the wake of its public meeting in Cole Bay on Saturday evening..

Addressing the issues in health care; working towards an increase in the minimum wage and pension; the construction of a Center for the Performing Arts, an initiative first pursued by Deputy NA Leader Silveria Jacobs while she was minister; the creation of affordable housing; reducing the exorbitant utility rates and fast-tracking the party’s draft ordinance to stem the abuse of short term labour contracts are some of the issues NA will be tackling according to the press release.

The NA said its comprehensive approach to resolving the issues in health care in St Read more

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Like Four Years Ago – The Results Next Friday Could Be Different: Today Newspaper Poll Gives Up Majority Of Votes

St. Maarten – The votes are in, and boy, did Chippie-users grab the opportunity to make their political preference known. Today’s partner in this project, telecom provider UTS received no less than 1,269 text messages from Chippie-users who responded to the poll.

While the pie charts show the results from different angles, it is important to read this figures in their correct context. For this, we will also use the results of an identical poll Today organized using the Chippie-network in 2010.

The raw numbers look like this: United People’s party 452 votes (55 percent), Democratic Party 143 votes (17 percent), National Alliance 119 votes (14 percent), United St Read more

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Lively Political Debate On Laser 101: Connor (Up) Estimates Gray Economy To Be 50 Percent

St. Maarten – “The government has a debt of 500 million guilders to the Netherlands, and 200 million to creditors. The 2015 budget is expected to be around 465 million. Unemployment is 11.5 percent. It is your first day in office. What will you do?”

This is how moderator Glen Carty started the political debate on radio station Laser 101 on Saturday evening with participants Emil Lee (number 4-candidate Democratic Party), George Pantophlet (number 2-candidate National Alliance), Claret Connor (number 10-candidate United People’s Party) and Harlec Doran (number 6-candidate United Sint Maarten Party).

The lively debate outshone earlier debates on AVS and the political mixer at the St Read more

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