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Safe Expressed Dismay At Harmful Postures Towards Lgbtqia Community.

St. Martin:--- The St. Maarten/St. Martin Alliance For Equality (SAFE SxM), the islands LGBTQIA+ advocacy group, has taken note of comments circulating on social media implying that awareness for LGBTQ rights and/or including knowledge of sexual diversity in our curriculum is equivalent to forcing non-heterosexual orientation on minors. SAFE SxM notes that there is no LGBTQ-specific education curriculum, but there are models for education with gender and sexuality perspectives, which creates safer spaces for all youth Read more

~ National Alliance with the largest turnout of supporters on Postulation Day. ~

PHILIPSBURG: --- On January 11th, 2024, voters would have eight (8) political parties to choose from when they reach the polling stations to cast their votes.
The eight political parties lit up Philipsburg as they marched to the Parliament Building to submit their lists of candidates to the voting bureau that will be contesting the upcoming parliamentary elections.
At 9 am the Party for Progress (PFP) marched from Clem Labega Square chairing their leader Melissa Gumbs to submit the PFP lists of candidates Read more

Timing Slots For Political Parties On Postulation Day.

The Central Voting Bureau is pleased to announce the schedule for Postulation Day, Thursday, November 22nd, 2023, at the House of Parliament.

On Postulation Day, representatives or deputy representatives from each political party will formally submit their candidate lists to the Central Voting Bureau. Tofacilitate an orderly process, each party has selected a specific time slot for submission, as listed below. Each party is urgently requested to arrive on time.Time Political party 1 Read more

PHILIPSBURG:---  In a heartfelt appeal letter addressed to the Minister of Justice Anna Richardson, and co-copied by the council of ministers and the Parliament of Sint Maarten, Fabio Doralice, Interim President of the Haitian Association of Sint Maarten (HASMA), is urging the Government of Sint Maarten to temporarily halt the forced returns of Haitian nationals a midst the dire humanitarian crisis currently engulfing Haiti Read more

Government Wins Case In Over The Bank Land Issuance Saga.

PHILIPSBURG:---   On August 22, 2023, the Court in First Instance rendered its verdict in the Over the Bank case. In that judgment, the Court determined that Country Sint Maarten is not bound by the (draft) decrees issued by then Minister Meyers and/or that the Over the Bank group could not derive any legally justified expectation from the documents provided by then Minister Meyers due to the violations established with the public order and/or principles of good governance (including the principle of transparency) Read more

Integrity Chamber Provides Integrity Sessions To Political Parties.

PHILIPSBURG:--- In light of the upcoming elections, the Integrity Chamber provided integrity sessions to political parties as part of its public awareness campaign. Invitations were sent to all active political parties that are known to be contesting the upcoming elections. The sessions took place in June and July of 2023 with candidates and board members of the Democratic Party (DP), Party for Progress (PFP), National Alliance (NA), and United St Maarten Party (USP) Read more

Island Council Training On Bonaire Was Very Valuable.

SABA--The three-day training on Bonaire on April 11, 12, and 13 provided valuable insights for the new Island Council.

The training brought more insight into the role and responsibilities that you have as an Island Council member, said Elsa Peterson of the Windward Islands Peoples Movement (WIPM). For me, it was a bit more empowering, coming from the governments executive branch. As an Island Council member, it is important to realize that you are in fact the highest legislative body of government and the responsibility and authority that comes with that, she said.

Vito Charles (WIPM) reiterated it was good that the training was held very soon after the installation of the new Island Council Read more

SABA:--- The Island Council left Saba Sunday morning, April 9 for training on Bonaire.
For three days, the four Island Council Members will participate in an introductory course about the functioning of the Island Council and the role of the members. While on Bonaire, the Island Council will also meet with the management of the Care and Youth Caribbean Netherlands (ZJCN) to talk about healthcare, particularly the medical referral system and the medical care abroad for Saba clients. This is the first working trip of the new Island Council since its installation on March 29.
For Island Council Member Saskia Matthew of the Party for Progress, Equality, and Prosperity (PEP), this is the first working visit abroad since her swearing-in Read more

SABA:--- The new Saba Island Council 2023-2027 was installed on Wednesday, March 29. Five new members of the Island Council, Saskia Matthew, Hemmie van Xanten, Rolando Wilson, Elsa Peterson, and Vito Charles, were sworn in, as well as two new members of the Executive Council, Commissioners Bruce Zagers and Eviton Heyliger.

The new Island Council has two new faces, and both are young females. Saskia Matthew became Island Council Member for the Party for Progress, Equality, and Prosperity (PEP) and Elsa Peterson for the Windward Islands Peoples Movement (WIPM) Read more

SABA:--- Carl Buncamper of the Windward Islands Peoples Movement (WIPM) held his farewell speech in the last meeting of the outgoing Island Council on Tuesday, March 28. Buncamper has been a member of the Saba Island Council for 16 years.

Buncamper ran in six elections. He participated in five Island Council elections from 2007 to 2023 and in one election for the then Parliament of the Netherlands Antilles. When he first got elected in 2007, Saba was still part of the Netherlands Antilles and Saba had a seat in the Parliament of the Netherlands Antilles.

Buncamper was a candidate in the March 15 Island Council elections and ran as number 6 on the WIPM slate Read more

SABA:--- The Central Voting Bureau of Saba, chaired by Island Governor Jonathan Johnson, during a session on Thursday, March 23 established the final results of the March 15 Island Council and Electoral College elections.

The Central Voting Bureau members checked and signed the reports (processen verbaal) of the Voting Bureau Public Entity Saba and the reports of the polling stations. No inaccuracies were found. The Central Voting Bureau first handled the results of the elections for the Electoral College Read more

SABA:---The Windward Islands Peoples Movement (WIPM) of Bruce Zagers won Sabas Island Council elections on Wednesday with three seats. The new Party for Progress, Equality, and Prosperity (PEP) of Saskia Matthew secured two seats in the Island Council.

In total, 1,040 valid votes were cast for the Island Council, of which 617 went to the WIPM and 324 votes were for the PEP. To gain a seat, parties needed to get 208 votes Read more

SABA:--- Four candidate lists for the March 15 Island Council elections were submitted during Nomination Day on Saba Monday, January 30.
Island Governor Jonathan Johnson, Chairman of the Central Voting Bureau, received the candidate lists of, subsequently, the Saba Caring People Party, the blank list of Dave Levenstone, the Party for Progress, Equality and Prosperity (PEP), and the Windward Islands Peoples Movement (WIPM) Read more

Duncan, Gumbs And Heyliger-Marten Call For Urgent Public Meeting On Heritage Preservation.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Wednesday, January 25, 2023, Independent Members of Parliament S. Ludmila Duncan and Grisha Heyliger-Marten, as well as Party for Progress (PFP) Member of Parliament Melissa Gumbs submitted a request for an urgent public meeting on the matter of heritage protection.

Following the recent demolition of the ruins at Diamond Estate in Cole Bay and the outrage by persons in the community, the Members have moved quickly to request a public meeting to discuss the incident but more importantly the regulations that would prevent such from occurring again in the future.

The Minister of ECYS and the Minister of VROMI have been requested to come to Parliament to debate the current legislation and policies regarding the preservation and management of heritage as well as to provide updates on the current work of the Monument Council and the long-awaited Monument Fund.

What is extremely disappointing is that this year marks the 160th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Emancipation Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The citizens of St Maarten will go to the polls in November 2023 according to Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs on Thursday. Questions were sent to the public relations office of the Prime Minister requesting clarity on the month and year elections are to take place. One member of parliament last week stated that elections would take place in January 2024 however the Council of Ministers in a recent meeting decided to set elections for November 2023 Read more

~Removal from Chair is not gender-based --- Marlin~

 PHILIPSBURG: --- The majority of 8 members of parliament voted out Grisha Heyliger Marten from the chair of parliament on Thursday during a public meeting. The national alliance members of parliament made it clear that their decision to remove Marten Heyliger has nothing to do with gender but mostly because of the way Heyliger Marten treated her coalition members Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Social Economic Council of Sint Maarten (SER) presented its 2021 Annual Report to the Honorable Prime Minister, Silveria E. Jacobs on Wednesday, September 28. SER Chairman Damien Richardson and Acting Secretary-General/Senior Policy Advisor, Sharon Arnell presented the report to Jacobs. The 2021 Annual report provides the history of the advisory body dating back to May 2011, as well as an overview of the activities, achievements, and financial information.
On May 1st, 2021, the SER celebrated its 10-year anniversary Read more

~ All 15 MPs graced the floor of parliament on Friday.~

PHILIPSBURG:--- The motion presented by the Party for Progress against the Minister of VROMI Egbert Jurendy Doran was rejected by 8 members of parliament that support the coalition.
Members of Parliament that voted in favor of the motion felt the Minister did not provide evidence that he did not purposely withhold documents from the Ombudsman Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- As the motion on no confidence facing the Minister of VROMI Egbert Jurendy Doran and the return of Member of Parliament William Marlin for the continuation of the meeting of parliament Read more

~ Government needs more time to analyze the information provided by NV GEBE. ~

PHILIPSBURG: --- Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs in response to questions regarding NV GEBE since the March 17th, 2022, Black byte hacking said that she received a slew of information from the government-owned company, while the shareholders meeting was held on Friday last Read more

PHILIPSBURG: --- Two months after the public meeting of parliament was called to discuss the Ombudsman report on the systemic investigation of the issuance of contracts for garbage collection.
Leader of the Party for Progress Mellissa Gumbs presented the long-awaited motion of no confidence against the Minister of VROMI Egbert Jurendy Doran on Wednesday afternoon Read more

Below is the full statement made by Minister of VROMI Egbert Jurendy Doran and the partial secret recording released to the public.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Before I officially begin my opening statements pertaining to VROMI, I would like to address the elephant in the room.

Last week I was away to attend the funeral service of a close relative Read more

~ Marlin hopes to return soon~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament William Marlin who is currently in Panama on medical in an interview with Andrew Dick said that he went to Panama some five months ago to seek medical treatment and was expected to return after three weeks. However, after a surgery there he was infected while in the hospital, thus he remained in the hospital on intravenous antibiotics Read more

Minister Of Vromi Seeks Legal Advice On How To Deal With Mp Implicated In Alegria Case.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Acting Minister of VROMI Ardwell Irion in response to questions regarding the letter that was released on Tuesday implicating a member of parliament in the Alegria court case that ends up in court.
SMN News asked the acting Minister of VROMI who is a member of the Council of Ministers said that he is aware that the Minister only last week received the letter that was part of a file for a court case and he is looking into all options on how to move forward Read more