Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
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
Parliament Adjourns Meeting About Integrity Chamber
Minister Richardson: “Passing this law strengthens our positionâ€
St. Maarten– The parliament is dragging its feet, or at least taking its time, with the handling of the draft ordinance for the establishment of the Integrity Chamber. Yesterday’s continuation of Wednesday’s meeting was adjourned until Monday morning at 10 a.m. at the request of coalition members Tamara Leonard, Cornelius de Weever and Johan Leonard.
Justice Minister Dennis Richardson warned the parliament to move forward with the legislation, Next week Sunday Richardson and Prime Minister Gumbs travel to the Netherlands for discussions with Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Kingdom Relations Minister Ronald Plasterk about the looming instruction.
“It could come to the point that Rutte pushed the instruction, even if we get an advice from the Council of State that is positive for 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
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 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
Foreign Id Accepted When Voting Confirms Chairman Of Main Voting Bureau
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - "The electoral ordinance does not prohibit the use of foreign identification for voting purposes," stated chairman of the Main Voting Bureau, attorney Jason Rogers.
Attorney Rogers was at the time speaking on the floor of Parliament discussing the issue of alleged discrepancies during and in preparation of the August 29th parliamentary elections last year.
The meeting was at the request of MPs Read more Candidates in this article:
Implementation Counterpart Policy Is Still Far Away
Ministry publishes rules in National Gazette
St. Maarten – The labor department will deny work permits to companies that refuse to hire “a counterpart found suitable by the department and made available to the employer.†This is one of the rules laid down in the counterpart policy the government published in the National Gazette last week. It will still take some time though, before the private sector is going to feel the effects of the controversial counterpart policy because the ministry first wants to do a pilot project that will last one year from the moment it begins.
“The quality of the execution of the policy by the labor department is a determining factor for the success of the counterpart policy 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
Main Voting Bureau Chairman Jason Rogers Addresses Parliaments Concerns With Possible Electoral Discrepancies
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Main Voting Bureau and the Civil Registry Department concerning alleged discrepancies during and in preparation of the August 29th parliamentary elections last year, was the focus of a parliamentary meeting on Wednesday.
The meeting was at request of Members of Parliament Leona Marlin-Romeo, Read more Candidates in this article:
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
Motion calls for corruption probe St. Maarten, Curaçao
THE HAGUE--The Dutch Government has no objections to a motion of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament calling for an investigation of the flow of money between criminal organisations and the governments of Curaçao and St. Maarten.
In fact, Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk suggested expanding the motion of Members of Parliament (MPs) Ronald van Raak of the Socialist Party (SP) and André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD party to include drug smuggling and trafficking in women in the investigation.
Van Raak and Bosman requested the Dutch Government to facilitate an investigation into the (illegal) flow of money between the underworld and upperworld in Curaçao and St 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
MPs to discuss ‘alleged’ election discrepancies
PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) will discuss alleged discrepancies in the August 29, 2014, parliamentary elections during a meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament on Wednesday, April 8, at 10:00am.
The meeting was requested by MPs Leona Marlin-Romeo and Cornelius de Weever (both independent) and Tamara Leonard (United People's party) in correspondence dated November 6 and 7, 2014.
Main Voting Bureau and Civil Registry Department representatives will be present to discuss alleged discrepancies that occurred in preparation of and during the August 29 parliamentary elections Read more
Central Committee Meeting of Parliament scheduled for Wednesday surrounding August 29th alleged parliamentary election discrepancies
The committee meeting is set for Wednesday at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.
This meeting was requested by Members of Parliament (MP) Hon. Leona Marlin-Romeo (Independent), MP Hon 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
Editorial - Held accountable
Although independent (former DP) parliamentarian Cornelius de Weever did not win his lawsuit against member of the Dutch Second Chamber André Bosman (see related story) in the sense of his demands for rectification and damage compensation, the verdict was nevertheless significant for the future Read more
Judge hammers Bosman for unfounded Statements –Denies De Weever retraction