SXMElections.com

Sarah withdraws her support from coalition

PHILIPSBURG--Just over a month after gaining the support of ten Members of Parliament (MPs), the United People's (UP) coalition has lost the support of one partner: Democratic Party (DP) leader MP Sarah Wescot-Williams.

The withdrawal of support for the coalition has been considered a foregone conclusion since earlier this month, after Wescot-Williams announced that her party's minister candidates had been passed over in favour of those submitted by DP parliamentarian Cornelius de Weever to formateur of the new cabinet UP leader Theo Heyliger Read more

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DP moves to ‘expel’ De Weever from ranks

PHILIPSBURG--The Democratic Party (DP) has moved to expel Member of Parliament (MP) Cornelius de Weever from its ranks. The party has given De Weever until 5:00pm today, Friday, to appeal his expulsion if he so wishes.

De Weever, who is off-island, has not responded to requests for a comment on what he intends to do in the face of his pending expulsion.

De Weever was informed of his pending expulsion from St Read more

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Editorial - Immediate and direct

For the second time in three months a worker fell from a height while doing his job in St. Maarten (see related article). This time there was no serious injury, so the victim could be treated on the spot by ambulance personnel and didn't require hospitalisation.

It was different story on August 27, however, when Haitian mason Diuecel Bosse (54) of S&R Construction toppled into an empty elevator shaft at the former Ocean Terrace building in Maho then under renovation and died. There were rumours that he had been fleeing from an immigration raid held there that day, but this never was confirmed.

In general, one regularly can see people working at heights on the island without any safety line or even a helmet Read more

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Airco worker falls through roof into minister’s office

PHILIPSBURG--An air-conditioning technician working on an air-conditioning unit at the Government Administration Building took a wrong step and fell through the roof into Minister of Health, Labour and Social Affairs Cornelius de Weever's office early Tuesday afternoon.

The man did not sustain any serious injuries as a result of the fall Read more

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Teens unite to end violence to women

PHILIPSBURG--November 25th was International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls. In observance of the day, Women's Desk with the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, together with Community Development, Family and Humanitarian Affairs, organised an awareness event for teenagers in the Philipsburg Cultural Centre.

Some 60 youths, both male and female, attended the event, which was part of a month of awareness activities in five high schools on both sides of the island Read more

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Pantophlet wants updates on short-term contract changes

PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament (MP) George Pantophlet is calling on Ministers to give a long-overdue update on the amendment to the Civil Code to end the abuse of short-term labour contracts, the establishment of the Casino Gaming Board, the Dividend Policy and the Consumer Protection Agency.

Pantophlet said in a press statement Monday that they had had enough time to present to Parliament the changes or legislation for establishment of the various entities.

NA submitted draft amendments to Book VII of the Civil Code to correct the abuse of short-term labour contracts some 42 months ago.

Caretaker Labour Minister Cornelius de Weever has made "several changes" still in draft form to the relevant parts of the Civil Code and presented them to the Council of Ministers Read more

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Airport develops infectious disease manual, taskforce

AIRPORT--SXM Princess Juliana International Airport has developed an infectious disease manual and established an infectious disease taskforce as part of its efforts to deal with potential Ebola cases.

The airport outlined its plans to handle potential Ebola cases during a meeting with stakeholders last Tuesday. The airport gave an extensive overview of its plan.

The airport has purchased two isolation units and has established the necessary protocols in case of a potential Ebola case Read more

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Claire slams De Weever for Coliseum statement, says should protect workers

PHILIPSBURG--Windward Islands Chamber of Labour Unions (WICLU) First Vice President Claire Elshot has come out swinging at Labour Minister and Member of Parliament (MP) Cornelius de Weever, saying that he should "step up to the plate" and protect workers in the country.

She was responding to statements made by De Weever in a recent press release saying that it was "extremely important" for all parties including trade union leaders to be "honest and substantiate their statements made to the media" regarding the 12 workers who lost their jobs at Coliseum Casino recently Read more

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Customs, Coast Guard updated about Ebola preparedness plan

PHILIPSBURG--The Ministry of Health's Collective Prevention Services (CPS) updated the Customs Department and Coast Guard recently about the country's Ebola preparedness plan.

The two disciplined services were given information about the travel ban that was announced by Public Health Minister Cornelius de Weever on Monday, October 27, as well as the various screening layers that exist prior to a person entering St Maarten Read more

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Sarah questions reason for voting discrepancies meeting

PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot-Williams wants an elaboration on the request for a Central Committee meeting on election day "discrepancies" as called for by MPs Leona Marlin-Romeo (independent), Tamara Leonard (United People's party) and Cornelius de Weever (DP) Read more

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De Weever to take Bosman to court

PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) Member of Parliament Cornelius de Weever is poised to take Dutch Parliament Second Chamber Member Andre Bosman to court over allegations Bosman made about him, as well as Bosman's refusal to retract his "slanderous" remarks about De Weever.

De Weever's attorney Jairo Bloem confirmed that a case against Bosman would be filed in the Netherlands Read more

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Parliament to discuss election discrepancies

PHILIPSBURG--Reported discrepancies and issues at polling stations on Election Day, August 29, will be discussed when Members of Parliament (MPs) who were elected on that day meet in a public Central Committee session with the Central Voting Bureau and Civil Registry in Parliament House on Tuesday starting at 2:00pm.

MPs Leona Marlin-Romeo (independent), Tamara Leonard (United People's party) and Cornelius de Weever (Democratic Party) requested the meeting.

In their request letter, the MPs said there had been discrepancies at the Pointe Blanche House of Detention polling station, use of foreign identification for voting, discrepancies in ballot counting at specific polling stations, discrepancies in privacy during the supporting of the candidate lists and discrepancies in the information given to political parties about placement of campaign material.

Points to be brought forward in the meeting are changes in the Electoral Law, increased number of polling stations in 2014 compared to 2010 and implementation of electronic voting, among others.

The parliamentary session is open to the public and will be carried live on St Read more

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Lee calls on ‘opposition’ to form ‘united coalition’

DAWN BEACH--Democratic Party (DP) candidate hotelier Emil Lee has called on the "opposition" in Parliament, which now includes his party leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams, to form "a united coalition" to provide "quality opposition in Parliament."

Lee was the 12th highest vote getter out of 90 candidates who contested the August 29 Parliamentary Elections and was the third highest vote getter of his party Read more

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Sarah tenders her resignation

Parliament Chairwoman Sarah Wescot-Williams caucuses with Parliament Presidium members MPs Cornelius de Weever and Leona Marlin-Romeo on whether she should continue chairing Thursday’s session of Parliament after she submitted her resignation as Parliament head (Rajesh Chintaman photo) Read more

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BIP law approved by Parliament Thursday

PHILIPSBURG--The first formal step in the establishment of the Bureau Intellectual Property (BIP) was cemented Thursday when Parliament approved the law regulating the bureau. All eleven Members of Parliament (MPs) present for the plenary session of Parliament individually voted to adopt the legislation.

The establishment of the bureau has been pending in the form of the draft legislation since the final days of the Netherlands Antilles Parliament. The draft was taken over by the St. Maarten Parliament upon the attainment of country-within-the-Dutch-Kingdom on October 10, 2010.

The meeting to approve this piece of legislation was before Parliament twice before, but the sessions had to be cancelled due to no quorum Read more

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Top 10 ship-jumpers

Dear Editor,

Top 10 ship-jumpers, since inception of Country Sint Maarten in 2010

1. Romain Laville;

2. Cornelius de Weever;

3. Sarah Wescot-Williams;

4 Read more

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Sarah makes position as Parliament head available

PHILIPSBURG--President of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams has made her position as head of the legislature available to the United People's (UP) party-led coalition.

This move by Wescot-Williams comes a month and two days after she was appointed to the post on October 10 Read more

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Minister candidates submitted to governor

HARBOUR VIEW--The names of the minister candidates for the new cabinet were submitted to Governor Eugene Holiday by formateur United People's (UP) leader Theo Heyliger on Wednesday. The security and judicial screenings of the candidates for the post of prime minister, the six other ministers and minister plenipotentiary has commenced, according to the governor's cabinet.

Holiday and Heyliger met yesterday to discuss the progress of the formation process Read more

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De Weever again seeks retraction from Bosman

THE HAGUE/PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten attorney-at-law Jairo Bloem by letter dated November 10, 2014, has reminded Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD party of his demand to retract his "slanderous" statements in relation to his client caretaker Minister Cornelius de Weever.

Mid-October 2014, Bloem sent an open letter to Bosman asking him to do the "honourable thing" and to retract his "erroneous and defaming remarks." On October 1, during the handling of the 2015 draft Kingdom Relations budget in the Second Chamber he stated that De Weever was "simply bought" by United People's Party (UP) Leader Theo Heyliger to join the UP in Parliament as an independent member.

On behalf of his client, Bloem asked Bosman to refrain from making such remarks in the future Read more

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De Weever says unions should be honest about Coliseum job loss

PHILIPSBURG--Labour Minister Cornelius de Weever said on Sunday that it was "extremely important" for all parties including trade union leaders to be "honest and substantiate their statements made to the media" regarding the 12 workers who lost their jobs at Coliseum Casino last week Monday.

De Weever was reacting to statements made by Windward Islands Chamber of Labour Unions (WICLU) officials at a press conference last Thursday that government should step up to the plate for the sacked casino workers who were put on the breadline after the owner of the employment agency under which they were contracted to work for the casino, died.

De Weever said union leaders who do not have "the complete story" can contact his cabinet "instead of making assumptions and misinforming the public."

The Minister said in a press release Sunday that he was "fully aware" of the matter and had been addressing the situation involving the Coliseum Casino and the associated employees Read more

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No quorum stalls meeting on Intellectual Property Bureau

PHILIPSBURG--Only six Members of Parliament (MPs) were signed in for the plenary session of Parliament to formalise the Intellectual Property Bureau on Wednesday afternoon, two short of the quorum of eight MPs needed for the meeting to start.

The meeting now will have to be reconvened by Chairwoman of Parliament MP Sarah Wescot-Williams within four days (four times 24 hours) as stipulated by Parliament's Rules of Order Read more

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Coliseum staff furious about sudden job loss, feel helpless

~ Told to stay home for three months, then reapply ~

PHILIPSBURG--Twelve Coliseum Casino workers, ten of whom have been working at the casino for more than twenty years and one for twelve, are "furious," "frustrated" and "stressed out" after suddenly being placed on the unemployment line on Monday "without any explanation."

The workers were left in limbo after receiving their work schedules, which show that Monday was their last day of work. When they approached Princess Group of Companies official Hakan Unal about the matter, the workers said they had been told they either could stay home for three months and reapply for their jobs and would be considered for employment, or they could form an employment agency and the casino would consider hiring the agency under which they would be given a chance to work at the casino.

Unal could not be reached for comment late last night Read more

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