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Minister shares viewpoint, MPs to get GEBE answers Monday

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament’s plenary session on developments at utilities company GEBE, focusing on the ongoing dispute between the Supervisory Board and Chief Operations Officer (COO) and Managing Director Romelio Maduro about his position at the company, was adjourned to Monday afternoon, after Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Marcel Gumbs gave some perspective on Friday, but needed more documentation to answer questions posed by Members of Parliament (MPs).

The meeting was adjourned after Gumbs, as shareholder representative for the Government-owned company, gave a summarised overview of developments on the current dispute and questions were posed by National Alliance MPs William Marlin, Silveria Jacobs and Christophe Emmanuel Read more

Skeletons at GEBE Prompted Prime Minister to ask for closed door session -- MPs voted for it to be public session.

>PHILIPSBURG: --- Members of the public and the media almost got shut out of the urgent meeting that was called by the National Alliance Faction to discuss the developments at GEBE when the shareholder representative Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs asked that the meeting be held in closed doors due to a court decision that will be forthcoming on July 9th 2015 Read more

Patrol to Eradicate Paedophilia urges MPs to make law changes

PHILIPSBURG--Change the laws to impose harsher punishment for paedophiles and institute a sex offenders registry were among the calls the group Patrol to Eradicate Paedophilia (PEP) made to the Petitions Committee of Parliament on Thursday.

PEP's request for laws to be changed now heads to the Permanent Committee for Justice. Committee Chairman Member of Parliament (MP) Johan Leonard said he would call the Justice Minister to the committee after Parliament's July recess.

PEP representative Peggy Ann Dros-Richardson urged MPs to have Government boost its assistance to the Mental Health Foundation, to help the foundation increase awareness about paedophilia and have the required treatment for the mental disorder Read more

EXCLUISVE:Labor Policy Advisor and Mediator Raphael Boasman goes on Pension end of June --- No Mediator Selected.

>PHILIPSBURG: --- Raphael Boasman the policy advisor and acting mediator of the Department of Labor and Social Services will be leaving government function at the end of June 2015. Boasman has been a civil servant since January 1st 1979 and is now leaving on pension after giving 36 years of service to the government of St. Maarten.
SMN News understands that Boasman will be entering the private sector as a businessman and consultant, whether he will continue to provide government with his services that is not yet known Read more

George queries restart of Central Bank project

PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament George Pantophlet has called for Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten to give an update on when the renovation works on the St. Maarten branch will resume. The work on the building was stopped almost two months ago, after Central Bank ended its contract with the contractor Taliesin Construction NV.

Work on the building on W.J.A Read more

Govt. back to drawing board with Integrity Chamber Law

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament has sent Government back to the drawing board with the controversial draft National Ordinance on the establishment of an Integrity Chamber for the country.

Parliament sending Government back to make changes was not unexpected, as the majority of MPs had voiced their discontent with the draft when it was tabled in the Central Committee of Parliament about two months ago.

The reworking of parts of the law means the deadline of June 30 for Parliament to handle the law as stated in a recent protocol with the Dutch Government will not be met Read more

>PHILIPSBURG: --- The chairman of Parliament MP Lloyd Richardson had to go back on his decision and remove an agenda point he added on Monday even though several Members of Parliament objected to the additional agenda point claiming that procedures were not followed.
MP De Weever asked the chair of Parliament to add the motion that was suspended in December 2013 which was to widen the scope of medical coverage for independent workers, namely bus drivers, taxi drivers and vendors.
When the motion was in parliament it had to be suspended when it became clear that there was no law in place to support the motion.
MP William Marlin was the first MP to object to the chairman’s decision citing that procedures were not being followed, Marlin even ask the chairman of parliament if the Parliament of St Read more

WICSU/PSU installs new board members

PHILIPSBURG--The new board of the Windward Islands Civil Servants' Union/Private Sector Union (WICSU/PSU) was installed during a well-attended ceremony at the union's office Friday evening.

In keeping with the theme of the event, which was "light," board members were given lit candles while the song "Carry your candle" was sung.

The executive board members are President Henrietta Doran-York; Secretary General Riegnald Arrindell; Treasurer Francisco Mariana and Vice President Julia Solognier.

Other members of the board who were installed were Winair pilot Dino Arrundell; Dr Read more

UP does not support call for minister’s resignation

PHILIPSBURG--The United People's (UP) party does not support the call of coalition partner United St. Maarten Party (USP) for Justice Minister Dennis Richardson's resignation.

UP's stance is said to have been communicated to USP leader Member of Parliament Frans Richardson in a coalition meeting on Monday and was followed on Thursday evening with an official letter signed by UP fraction leader MP Franklin Meyers.

USP was informed that UP could not support the removal of the Justice Minister because this would only create turmoil for government and possibly have far-reaching consequences for the country.

St Read more

>Airport:--- Dignitaries from both sides of the island including Anguilla attended the opening ceremony of the renovated departure lounge at the Princess Juliana International Airport on Wednesday evening. Special Projects Coordinator Robert Brown gave an outline to the large gathering how management of PJIAE decided to upgrade the airport beginning with the departure lounge Read more

Amendments To Tobacco Ordinance At Advisory Council

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - MP the honorable Cornelius de Weever is looking forward to the support of Parliament when it comes time to vote on the draft ordinance amending the Ordinance limiting tobacco use.

The former Minister now MP stated that this is the result of work that he started as a minister of health.

He is lo Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Last week sixth grade students from the Seventh Day Adventist Primary School in Cole Bay visited the House of Parliament.

The 27 students and two teachers were given a tour of the House of Parliament besides receiving a power-point presentation from Parliament’s Administrative Assistant Cheryl Dangleben York with respect to the role of Members of Parliament (MPs) and Ministers, and the purpose of the House of Parliament within society.

Students also get the opportunity of role playing where seven act as members of the Council of Ministers while another 15 as Members of Parliament Read more

>PHILIPSBURG: --- The USP board will be holding a board meeting on Tuesday to determine whether or not they will continue to support the current coalition or if they will leave and go back to the opposition benches.
SMN News understands that Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson informed the Council of Ministers and members of the coalition on Friday during the coalition meeting of the letter he received from Member of Parliament Frans Richardson also on Friday who asked him to resign effective immediately.
According to information SMN News received it appears as though several members of the coalition will not be voting for the motion if MP Frans Richardson brings it to the floor of Parliament Read more

Seventh Day Adventist School Grade Six Students Visit Parliament

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Last week sixth grade students from the Seventh Day Adventist Primary School in Cole Bay visited the House of Parliament.

The 27 students and two teachers were given a tour of the House of Parliament besides receiving a power-point presentation from Parliament's Administrative Assistant Cheryl Dangleben York with respect to the role of Members of Parliament (MPs) and Ministers, and the purpose of the House of Parliament within society.

Students also get the opportunity of role playing where seven act as members of the Council of Ministers while another 15 as Members of Parliament Read more

Law to ban tobacco use in public soon for Parliament

PHILIPSBURG--A law that seeks to ban the use of tobacco and tobacco products (cigarettes and cigars) in public spaces, workplaces and on public transportation will soon be before Parliament for debate and approval.

The draft amendment to the country's existing regulations in tobacco use is on the initiative of independent Member of Parliament Cornelius de Weever Read more

Does USP know something?

Everyone may think of United St. Maarten Party (USP) leader Frans Richardson what they want. Elected into Parliament on the slate of National Alliance (NA) in 2010, he left the party and kept his seat.

Together with the other independent parliamentarians Romain Laville and Patrick Illidge who had broken with respectively United People's (UP) party and NA, he orchestrated the so-called "Carnival coup" of 2012 to bring about a change in government that lasted one year.

Richardson then established USP, which earned two seats in its first election of September 2014 Read more

Justice Minister asked to resign by US Party

PHILIPSBURG--United St. Maarten Party (USP) has requested that Justice Minister Dennis Richardson resign. The request was presented in a letter to the minister delivered on Friday afternoon.

Minister Richardson did not confirm to The Daily Herald whether he had received the letter. He said he was “not commenting” on internal coalition or political parties’ matters.

Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs has indicated already that should the Justice Minister be faced with any vote of no confidence in Parliament the entire cabinet also would resign Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The leader of the United Saint Maarten Party (USP) Frans Richardson hand delivered a letter to Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson on Friday when he met with him at his office around 1pm.
SMN News understands that the USP leader made clear that as a coalition partner he got that Ministry and since he formed part of the coalition he is not informed on how the Justice Ministry functions.
After the meeting with the Minister of Justice MP Frans Richardson showed up at the Government Administration Building where members of the coalition met.
Attending that meeting which lasted over three hours were the leader of the UPP Theodore Heyliger, MP Franklin Meyers, MP Silvio Master, MP Maurice Lake, MP Leona Marlin, MP Cornelius de Weever, and MP Johan Janchi Leonard.
Also in attendance was Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson and the other members of the Council of Ministers.
When the meeting ended all Members of Parliament left stating that nothing happened and that the coalition meeting was called to discuss the budget Read more

The dump’s smoke is killing us and no MP cares

Dear Editor,

The dump (aka Mount Garbage) caught fire on May 2nd, 2015, and since then it has been emitting toxic smoke every day. That is well over 1 month (!) ago. Like many persons living and working in the greater Philipsburg area, I have also been suffering from frequent headaches and sore throat since the big fire. Depending on the wind direction, it can affect the entire Philipsburg area. On bad days, the smoke can even be smelled as far away as Caribbean Cinemas in Cole Bay/Simpson Bay.

It's therefore mind-boggling (but very telling) that up to now, no MP has raised the issue in Parliament and earmarked it as priority number one, as the smoke is poisoning a large part of the St Read more

No decision by USP to remove minister

PHILIPSBURG--United St. Maarten Party (USP) has not made a decision to remove Justice Minister Dennis Richardson from his post.

Instead, party leader Member of Parliament (MP) Frans Richardson is set to meet the Justice Minister next week to discuss the agreement signed by the Minister with the Dutch Kingdom Government on the establishment of the Integrity Chamber for St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---  A delegation from Sint Maarten's Parliament is currently in Aruba attending the Health Care Conference Aruba (HCCA) which is being held from June 1-3 at the Renaissance Convention Center.

President of Parliament Hon. Dr. Lloyd Richardson, Vice President MP Hon. Cornelius de Weever, MP Hon Read more

Mps Representing Sint Maarten At Health Care Conference Aruba

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – A delegation from Sint Maarten's Parliament is currently in Aruba attending the Health Care Conference Aruba (HCCA) which is being held from June 1-3 at the Renaissance Convention Center.

President of Parliament Hon. Dr. Lloyd Richardson, Vice President MP Hon. Cornelius de Weever, MP Hon Read more