Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
Sarah: Coalition ‘suddenly lost interest’ in Integrity Chamber
PHILIPSBURG--It appears, said Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot-Williams, that the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet and by extension the governing coalition have "suddenly lost interest" in the establishment of an integrity chamber for the country.
"It is revealing that suddenly the urgency is no longer there for our own 'thing,'" the MP said.
She has drawn this conclusion from the response of Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs to her inquiry Thursday about the timeframe for the tabling of the draft national law to establish the integrity chamber in Parliament.
Gumbs, in an immediate response on Thursday to Parliament President Dr Read more
Lake calling for MPs to ‘get on board’ with integrity chamber
PHILIPSBURG--"Get on-board" to approve the "home-grown" draft ordinance to establish an integrity chamber for St. Maarten "after certain changes are made." This was the call issued by United People's (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Maurice Lake to his "fellow colleagues" in Parliament.
He said in a press statement if the ordinance is left hanging ".. Read more
Sarah: Bringing ordinance in line with civil code can be done ‘rather quickly’
PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot-Williams says bringing the National Ordinance in line with the Civil Code to increase the legal drinking age from 16 to 18 can be done "rather quickly."
Independent MP Cornelius de Weever suggested that the legal age for cigarettes should also be addressed and not just that of alcohol.
The MPs were speaking during a session of Parliament's Permanent Committee of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs (CECYSA) on Thursday Read more
Sarah opts out of Parlatino meetings
PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot-Williams has "opted out" of attending meetings of the Latin American Parliament Parlatino slated for May.
Wescot-Williams said at a DP press conference at Parliament House on Monday that she had decided not to attend the meetings.
She called for Parliament "to discuss the effectiveness of the meetings" and the benefit to the country 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
MPs still have reservations about Integrity Chamber
~ Meyers: Independence only choice ~
PHILIPSBURG--Several Members of Parliament (MPs) made it crystal clear on Monday that if the proposed Integrity Chamber stagnates the growth of the country and hampers St. Maarteners from prospering, the law to establish the chamber will not receive their support.
Chief among those speaking out about the draft law was coalition member MP Franklin Meyers (United People's (UP) party) Read more
Stop peeing on our legs please!
Dear Editor,
Politicians are peeing on our legs and telling us that it is raining! For heaven's sake, when will all of this deception cease? When will these slick politicians come to the realization that they are cornered by the Dutch and the only way out of this sticky situation is to come clean with the public. Let us face it, there is no other way! But, more and more politicians are devising ways to cope with their tricks, because what had seem so real is now beginning to crumble - their weak spot is dangling as the band-aid is almost broken.
Plain and simple: the country cannot continue being run like the Wild Wild West anymore Read more
‘St. Maarten still uncooperative to solve Saba, Statia dilemmas’
THE HAGUE--The St. Maarten Government is still uncooperative in certain areas of the relations with St. Eustatius and Saba. Areas include (double) taxation of goods for the two smaller islands, the medical evacuation of patients and the airport taxes.
Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk stated this in a letter that he sent to the Dutch Parliament on Thursday. The letter, which was released on Friday, dealt with a number of obstacles in the relations between St Read more
Integrity chamber law now to be handled on Monday
PHILIPSBURG--Parliament will continue its handling of the draft national ordinance to establish an Integrity Chamber on Monday starting at 10:00am. The Central Committee meeting resumed on Friday morning after its suspension on Wednesday evening, but was suspended again after coalition Members of Parliament (MPs) requested time to compare the draft law with the version suggested by the Dutch Government.
MP Tamara Leonard (United People's (UP) party) made the request for time to review the two versions to Parliament Chairman Dr Read more
Halley land saga heard by Petitions Committee
~ 'Something wrong,' way forward to be determined ~
PHILIPSBURG--Marlon Halley, supported in particular by community spokesperson Yvette Halley, had the transfer of land rights plaguing him heard by Members of Parliament on Thursday during a Petitions Committee meeting at Parliament House.
The meeting was the result of a petition submitted March 4 that called for Parliament to thoroughly investigate "fishy business" surrounding the land deal that entailed government taking ownership of the land where Marlon Halley has operated a business for some 28 years, and long-leasing it to developers without his knowing Read more
MPs share concerns on integrity chamber, but open to discussion
~ Expect more answers on Friday ~
PHILIPSBURG--"Looking forward to further discussion" was the point Members of Parliament (MPs) reached on Wednesday night after hearing answers to shared main points of concern given by Justice Minister Dennis Richardson during a public meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament on the draft National Ordinance for the establishment of an Integrity Chamber for St. Maarten.
Although many individual questions had been posed, paired with statements of concern about what the Ordinance will mean for St Read more
Voting Bureau petitioned court twice to allow inmates to vote
~ Says it's up to MPs to amend laws ~
PHILIPSBURG--The Central Voting Bureau petitioned the court twice prior to the August 29, 2014, parliamentary election to legally allow inmates who were registered to vote in another district to cast their ballot at the polling station at the prison and to allow a prison official to vouch for the identity of inmates who did not have identification cards.
The issues at the polling station at the prison were amongst several electoral concerns broached during a meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament on Wednesday.
Central Voting Bureau Chairman Jason Rogers told Members of Parliament (MPs) that it was up to them to change the legislation to rectify this issue in future elections.
Rogers said "a number" of inmates initially had not been allowed to vote because, although they were in possession of their voting cards, they were assigned to vote in another district Read more
Sarah says ‘didn’t know’ meeting lacked quorum
PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams says she "didn't know" Monday's aborted Central Committee meeting to deal with the draft law to establish the integrity chamber did not have a quorum Read more