SXMElections.com

Mp Johan Leonard About The Cause Of Ship Jumping: Our Party Leaders Blatantly Disrespect Their Members

MP Heyliger is still smiling after the severe criticism from his fellow-faction member Johan Leonard (left). Photo Today / Milton Pieters

St. Maarten – The attitude of party leaders is the main reason for ship jumping, United People’s party MP Johan Leonard said yesterday morning in an unexpected sharp attack on UP-leader Theo Heyliger Read more

Mp Lake Says People Relieved With Gumbs Cabinet’S Resignation

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Maurice Lake says he welcomes the resignation of the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet and the making of the way for the new cabinet to be installed.
“It is good they have finally tendered their resignations on Wednesday and will stop embarrassing themselves by not following the rules and making mockery of our Constitution Read more

Gumbs cabinet expected to submit their resignation on Wednesday next week.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Reliable information reaching SMN News states that the ousted Prime Minister of St. Maarten Marcel Gumbs will be taking in the resignation of his cabinet latest Wednesday next week.
It is not yet known why the Prime Minister and the other Ministers making up his cabinet choose to stay a few more days in office after being notified of the Governor’s final decision on Wednesday.
SMN News could not reach Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs on Friday for a confirmation on whether or not he will submit the resignation of his cabinet or if he will wait for the police to knock on the doors of the Ministers to remove them from office forcefully.
Former Minister of Constitutional Affairs and also former Minister of Justice Roland Duncan told SMN News that the Gumbs cabinet has committed a criminal act and they can be held accountable for their actions Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---- The new coalition in parliament or the governor of St. Maarten should seriously consider filing a criminal complaint against the ministers based on the "ley Suzy" law says former Minister of Constitutional Affairs and former Minister of Justice Roland Duncan.
Duncan said this is an article of the Criminal Code that states if a Minister deliberately acts or omits against better knowledge he/she is acting criminally Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Today our young island nation is in a constitutional crisis because of the different interpretations of articles #33 and #59 of our constitution. The Council of Ministers has requested the opinions of various Dutch constitutional experts from the Hague. Our governor has taken the high road and requested three judges to provide an advice on this political impasse in five working days. We don’t know if the eight majority in the parliament of St. Maarten has acquired advice from any legal minds locally or from the Hague.
What bothers me is that time after time our elected officials especially those supporting the Council of Ministers have ridiculed the same Dutch for meddling in our internal affairs Read more

Focus needs to be on fighting crime & helping unemployed

Dear Editor,

With all of the political situation on the island, we can't lose focus on some of the issues affecting our economy and neighbourhoods, especially with the spate of crime on the island.

Education is key to fighting crime by starting with the young generation, by teaching them morals and values within the school system. We have a lot of houses but few homes in the community and we need to get back to basics where it concerns fighting crime, but also preventing crime on this island by improving our rehabilitation centre where young prisoners, when released early from jail, work them slowly back into the community so they can be productive citizens within society again.

Prison is becoming like a merry go around for a lot of youngsters where they come out and go right back to crime and then back to prison Read more

>ST. PETERS:---- “With all the political situation on the island, we can't lose focus on some of the issues affecting our economy and neighbourhoods especially with the spate of crime on the island.
“Education is key to fighting crime by starting with the young generation by teaching them morals and values within the school system. We have a lot of houses but few homes in the community, and we need to get back to basics where it concerns fighting crime, but also preventing crime on this island by improving our rehabilitation center where young prisoners when released early from jail, work them slowly back into the community so they can be productive citizens within society again.
“Prison is becoming like a merry go around for a lot of youngsters where they come out and go right back to crime and the back to prison Read more

Focus Needs To Be On Fighting Crime And Helping The Unemployed

ST. PETERS, St. Maarten – “With all the political situation on the island, we can't lose focus on some of the issues affecting our economy and neighbourhoods especially with the spate of crime on the island.

“Education is key to fighting crime by starting with the young generation by teaching them morals and values within the school system. We have a lot of houses but few homes in the community, and we need to get back to basics where it concerns fighting crime, but also preventing crime on this island by improving our rehabilitation center where young prisoners when released early from jail, work them slowly back into the community so they can be productive citizens within society again.

“Prison is becoming like a merry go around for a lot of youngsters where they come out and go right back to crime and the back to prison Read more

Government has ‘autonomous right’ to dissolve Parliament

~ Governor wrote in 2013 letter ~

PHILIPSBURG--“The right to dissolve Parliament by national decree is a constitutional and autonomous right of the Government,” wrote Governor Eugene Holiday in a letter dated May 16, 2013, to then-Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams when she tried to stopped the then-National Alliance (NA)-led Council of Ministers from invoking Article 59 of the Constitution.

The letter came to light this week as political tension intensified between the newest NA-led coalition with a majority in Parliament and the UP/De Weever/Marlin-Romeo-supported Council of Ministers, after the crumbling of the United People’s (UP) party-led coalition.

The current Marcel Gumbs Cabinet has held tight to the view that it is its right to dissolve Parliament in the face of the shifted majority in Parliament Read more

Transparency International Presents Integrity Assessment: “Political Parties Are Weak In Representing Social Interests”

Transparency International’s regional director for the Americas Alejandro Salas and lead researcher Cora de Voit. Photo Today / Leo Brown

GREAT BAY – At 7 p.m. local time last night, Transparency International’s National Integrity System assessment for St. Maarten came online. The company presented the report at the same time at the university on Pond Island. St. Maarten has now come full circle with probing its integrity issues. There are four reports on the table: the Baseline Study Institutional Integrity from the General Audit Chamber, the integrity-reports from the Bob Wit-committee and PricewaterhouseCoopers and now the transparency assessment.

It contains three core recommendations, of which the third one is the most concrete Read more

American residence ruling being applied

WILLEMSTAD--The same admittance requirements for Dutch Europeans when it comes to living and working in Curaçao are now being applied to US citizens, effective June 1.

This means the latter no longer need an employment or residence permit. They may stay there freely for six months and if they find a job or have another means of existence can request a declaration of lawful admittance.

Pending the processing of such they will be allowed to remain on the island and even work. Also US citizens who have been legal residents for 10 years without interruption can obtain the declaration.

In this way the so-called Admittance Organisation (formerly Immigration Department) is following a decision of the Court of Justice of December last year, stating that US citizens must receive the same treatment as Dutchmen when it comes to working and living within the kingdom Read more

Statia Goes Solar

Back row from left: Stuco’s  supervisory board Chairman Ivan Berkel, Managing Director Fred Cuvalay, and Sunshine Real Estate Director Terence Lacle; front row: Stuco representative Jerome Sardine and legal advisor Roland Duncan. Photo contributed

ORANJESTAD –Statia’s power company Stuco signed a contract on Wednesday for the construction of a 2 Megawatt solar energy park that will provide 20 percent of the island’s power needs and at times have a more than 100 percent renewable energy penetration of the grid.

Stuco signed the contract with Sunshine Real Estate for the engineering, procurement and commissioning of the facility, Sunshine partners for the project with Eco Energy, SMA and Schletter Read more

Editorial - Jurisprudence

The application of rulings by the Joint Court of Justice regarding the American-Dutch Friendship Treaty of 1956 (see related article) should not go unnoticed. It’s actually a bit ironic that this now takes place in Curaçao, while the related case started in St. Maarten.

Then-Justice Minister Roland Duncan had appealed the original verdict, but reportedly lost Read more

style="text-align: center;">International Justice Day

PHILIPSBURG:---- Acting governor for country St. Maarten his excellency Reynold Groeneveld called for a law faculty for the island during his address at the ceremony for comemorate justice day on Friday July 17. St. Maarten should work with the University of St. Martin to establish this as soon as possible said the acting governor.
The uniform division of the Justice chain marched from the Police station
in Philipsburg to the Festival village for the ceremony Read more

Few of Roumou’s Supporters camped out at Prosecutor’s Office holding posters (UPDATED) Pretrial Detention Extended.

style="text-align: center;">Blogger J.R. remains in pre-trial detention for a couple of days

PHILIPSBURG: --- A handful of people decided to show up at the Vineyard Building on Thursday afternoon holding up green posters with the words “Free Judith”. Since Roumou was arrested on Tuesday several persons exploded on Facebook claiming that the justice system has arrested the blogger because she was exposing corruption within government. Some stated in their Facebook posts that they now have to watch what they write on their Facebook page because they too might get arrested like Roumou was on Tuesday when police showed up at her St Read more

style="text-align: center;">Where is the Management Team that was appointed by Former Minister Roland Duncan?

PHILIPSBURG: --- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson said in an invited comment that the Council of Ministers recently approved an organization structure (plan) for the Pointe Blanche Prison and the Police Department of St Read more

Finance Foundation investigation led to the end of Taliesin contract

PHILIPSBURG--The Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten (CBCS) has executed an investigation into the operations of St. Maarten Housing Finance Foundation, the financing arm of St. Maarten Housing Foundation, which falls under the Central Bank's supervision. From the undisclosed findings of that investigation the Central Bank has opted to end its contract with Taliesin Construction N.V. for the renovation of its building in St. Maarten as of April 17.

Central Bank President Emsley Tromp made it clear on Monday afternoon in a press conference held in the St Read more

Sarah calls for govt’s stance on CBCS issue

PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot-Williams has issued a call to the Marcel Gumbs' Cabinet "to show leadership by providing government's stance" on the halting of renovation work on the Central Bank of Curaçao and St Read more

Mechanic’s lien is placed on Central Bank building

~ Bank claims ‘signals’ of integrity issues ~

PHILIPSBURG--Taliesin Construction N.V. has placed a “mechanic’s lien” on the building and adjoining properties owned by the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten as a means of obtaining its pay-out from the bank for the termination of its contract for the renovation of its building on W.J.A. Nisbeth Road.

The company is claiming NAf Read more

Taliesin Construction placed “Mechanics Lien” on Central Bank.

style="text-align: center;">Central Bank Terminated Agreement for Integrity Allegations.

PHILIPSBURG: --- Attorney at law Roland Duncan legal representative of Taliesin Construction that is owned by Carl Critchlow has placed a "Mechanic's Lien" on the Central Bank in order for the bank to pay off the construction company whom they awarded a contract to remodel and renovate the Central Bank building on St Read more

Lawyer: ‘Patrick Illidge used influence to get things done’

PHILIPSBURG--Former Member of Parliament (MP) Patrick Illidge is not guilty of bribery but has only done his duty as an MP in “assisting citizens in their attempts and efforts to persuade ministers and civil servants to do what they are supposed to do,” lawyer Ralph Richardson said Thursday.

Together with Bada Bing night club owner Jaap van den Heuvel (49) Illidge (49) is the main suspect in a case of bribery in which Illidge allegedly accepted bribes for the total amount of US $150,000 between March 2011 and October 2012.

In exchange for the money, Illidge was to use his power and influence to favour the Bada Bing owner in ensuring the Ministry of Economic Affairs or other government agencies would grant an operational licence to the nightclub and seek a change in its official registered address from Maho Shopping Centre to Sr Read more

Illidge and Van den Heuvel face prison time in Bada Bing trial

PHILIPSBURG--The Prosecutor's Office on Wednesday requested 48 months against Bada Bing night club owner Jaap van den Heuvel and thirty months, ten of which are to be suspended, with two years' probation, for former independent Member of Parliament (MP) Patrick Illidge during the first day of hearings in the so-called "Orca" trial.

Van den Heuvel (49) and Illidge (49) are the main suspects in a case of bribery in which Illidge accepted bribes from Bada Bing and Lunteren NV's owner for the total amount of US $150,000 between March 2011 and October 2012.

In exchange for the money, Illidge was to use his power and influence to favour the Bada Bing owner in ensuring the Ministry of Economic Affairs would grant adapted permits to the nightclub and seek a change in its official registered address from Maho Shopping Centre to Sr Read more

Royal Netherlands Marines commander suspended after subordinates complain

Commander of the Netherlands Royal Marines in St. Maarten Patrick Wokke was suspended after what a source referred to as a “bullying campaign” against Wokke led to a complaint by subordinates.

POINTE BLANCHE--Commander of the Netherlands Royal Marines in St. Maarten Major Patrick Wokke has been suspended from his post with immediate effect after what a source referred to as “a bullying campaign to have the major removed from his position.” The suspension happened some three weeks ago.

It is the second time within a year that the Dutch Defence Forces have been accused of unfairly removing a popular leader from an organisation based in St Read more

SMTA calls for summit, decisive action on Timeshare Ordinance

SIMPSON BAY--"The time for decisive action is now," says St. Maarten Timeshare Association (SMTA) chairman Marcel Javois in relation to the Advisory Council's remarks on the Timeshare Ordinance brought to SMTA's attention recently. The SMTA is calling for a summit on the matter to discuss the best way forward.

"The SMTA has taken keen note of the recent comments and statements surrounding the Timeshare Ordinance. We believe that it is now time for urgent action, with this matter having been on the table for over 18 years," Javois was quoted as saying in an SMTA press statement released January 28.

SMTA said it had "just learned that the Advisory Council is unhappy with the Timeshare Ordinance Civil Code amendments and the Timeshare Authority Ordinance that will assist government and consumers in regulating the timeshare industry being drafted in the English language.

"At the time the laws were drafted for Member of Parliament [MP – Ed.] Leroy de Weever, the initiator of the laws, then-Minister of Justice Roland Duncan, and the supervising expert of the legislation, Judge Professor Jan de Boer, believed that there was ample justification for the laws to be drafted in English as it is one of our two official languages.

"In April of last year, the SMTA met with Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson, who said that many timeshare concepts were so English-specific and given that Holland has only one small timeshare property, that English should be used, but the law should be as a separate national law rather than part of the Civil Code, which needs to be as uniform as possible throughout the Kingdom.

"We understand that the Advisory Council is also not satisfied with using that as a solution.

"Given the late hour and the urgency of the issue as a national priority now that two large timeshare properties are having serious trouble and government has no tools to help, the SMTA hereby calls for an immediate summit to be convened."

SMTA called for the summit to include players that might have input, including current parliamentary initiator of the law Democratic Party (DP) through its leader MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Claret Connor, Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson, the Advisory Council, the Ombudsman, Department of Legal Affairs and the SMTA, "in order to make a plan to get this legislation corrected and, if necessary, translated accurately to Dutch, and passed in the shortest time possible."

As reported in Tuesday's edition of The Daily Herald, the hold-up in the processing of the draft initiative laws to regulate the timeshare sector has come down to a matter of language Read more