Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
Chief Prosecutor Ton Maan: “The Word Class Justice Has Hurt Us A Lotâ€
Chief Prosecutor Ton Maan: “We have indicated to the Minister of Justice that the prostitution policy violates international treaties.†Photo Today / Hilbert Haar
St. Maarten – “The word class justice has hurt us a lot and the effect is that you are almost going to have reverse class justice whereby you are inclined to prosecute dignitaries sooner than criminal citizens, if only to prove that you are not practicing class justice. That is not good either,†Chief Prosecutor Ton Maan says Read more
Court hears appeal in vote-buying case
PHILIPSBURG--The Joint Court of Justice on Thursday heard the Prosecutor's appeal in the case against four persons allegedly involved in selling or buying votes on behalf of United People's (UP) party in the September 2010 election.
In August 2014, the Court of First Instance declared inadmissible the Prosecutor's Office's cases against these men because it had failed to also investigate the roles of UP and its leadership in the scheme Read more
St. Maarten should seek to have its own Attorney General --- Current Attorney General does not work in the interest of St. Maarten --- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson did not mingle with words on Monday morning when he was responding to questions regarding the draft ordinance to establish the integrity chamber on St. Maarten.On the question as to who is responsible for justice on St. Maarten, Minister Richardson said that the Minister of Justice is responsible for justice in each country, however, he made clear that St Read more
Integrity Chamber Meets Resistance From Coalition
St. Maarten – The draft ordinance for the establishment of St. Maarten’s Integrity Chamber met with unexpected opposition from within the governing coalition yesterday. Members of the opposition also expressed their doubts. Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs said that he is facing a May 5 deadline. On that date, the Dutch Council of State renders judgment on the advice the Kingdom Council of Ministers has requested about a looming instruction for St 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
Prime Minister says draft law to Establish Integrity Chamber is not to please the Dutch Government.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs made clear to Parliament on Wednesday that the draft ordinance to establish the integrity chamber on St. Maarten is not to please the Dutch Government. Prime Minister Gumbs reminded the members of parliament that the parliament of St Read more
Bosman’s statement about De Weever was illegitimate
~ Court rejects demand for rectification, compensation ~
THE HAGUE--The Court in The Hague has qualified the statement of Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD party about Member of the St. Maarten Parliament Cornelius de Weever as "illegitimate." However, Bosman does not have to rectify his statement and does not have to pay damages.
The Court deemed a rectification in the newspapers no longer appropriate considering the time that has passed since Bosman's statement, which initially appeared in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf on September 29, 2014, and was repeated in The Daily Herald, Today newspaper and Amigoe one day later.
In the De Telegraaf article Bosman was quoted as saying that De Weever had been "simply bought" by United People's (UP) party leader Theo Heyliger to leave the Democratic Party (DP) and support the UP Read more