SXMElections.com

High Court ruling sets limits to politicians’ speech freedom

THE HAGUE--A new ruling by the Dutch High Court sets limits on freedom of speech for politicians and has implications for the case against anti-Islam campaigner Geert Wilders.

The Prosecutor's Office is soon to take a decision on whether or not to press ahead with prosecuting Wilders for inciting hatred after leading a crowd of his Party for Freedom PVV followers in an anti-Morocca Read more

Minister confirms Statia housing project is on hold

THE HAGUE--Dutch Minister of Housing and Governmental Organisation Stef Blok on Tuesday confirmed that the cooperation with the Dutch housing corporation Woonlinie has again been put on hold with adverse consequences for the Golden Rock public housing project.

Blok explained in response to written questions submitted by Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament Ronald van Raak of the Socialist Party (SP) that Statia's current Executive Council indicated early December that it didn't want to stick to agreements that it signed regarding the reorganisation of the Statia Housing Foundation (SHF).

Van Raak had sought clarity following a letter to the editor in The Daily Herald last week in which the Democratic Party of St Read more

Fatal accident victims to be remembered by silhouettes

MARIGOT--In view of the high death toll from scooter accidents this year, the Préfecture and the Collectivité have decided to strategically place symbolic reminders of the deceased in the form of a black silhouette of an accident victim in the districts where the accidents occurred.

The first silhouette was installed outside French Quarter Collège on Monday in the presence of Préfet Philippe Chopin, President of the Collectivité Aline Hanson, representative of the Recteur of Guadeloupe Jean-Marie Jespere, representatives of the Gendarmerie and French Quarter Collège Principal Daniel Gumbs.

The black silhouettes in the shape of a person have a red flash through the head that represents blood Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- President of Parliament, Hon. Lloyd Richardson, MD attended the 60th anniversary ceremony of the Kingdom Charter which was celebrated on Kingdom Day, December 15th.
At the ceremony on Monday, President Richardson met several Sint Maarten students who are studying in the Netherlands.
Queen Juliana signed the Kingdom Charter 60-years ago on December 15th Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- On Saturday Dec 13, 2014 the ICUC, the Intercontinental University of the Caribbean, held a thesis defence exam for its St. Maarten based students in their Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management program. Six students earned their bachelors degree on Saturday and have joined their seven predecessors making the total graduates 13.

The International Hospitality & Tourism Management (IHTM) program of ICUC was founded on The World Bank's recommendation Read more

>GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports Hon. Patricia Lourens-Philip would like to say thank you to the people of Sint Maarten and all participating groups for bringing the true spirit of Christmas to Philipsburg on Sunday, December 14th.
Philipsburg will come alive with sounds of music, laughter, joy, hope and good will to all mankind.
"They brought joy, peace and showed the love one to another and for the traditions of this country by making such a tremendous effort to portray the true meaning of Christmas such as togetherness, family and gratitude.
"The Department of Culture and the Caribbean Professionals in Intangible and Tangible Cultural Heritage PITCH - IT Foundation, must be applauded for putting this together.
"I will encourage them to establish it in our intangible heritage profile and have it become a tradition that will continue for many years to come," Minister Hon Read more

>SUCKER GARDEN:--- The weekend started off on Saturday December 13th with a 3 on 3 double Elimination Tournament amongst the various teams in the league. The 3 on 3 teams consisted of 2 females and 1 male to get a nice balance. The MGM Lightning had 2 Teams, Thunderz had 2 teams and Bush Tea Remedy had 1 team. The Thunderz Team 2 consisting of Tiana Lionel, Ashley Daniel and Chener won first place by winning all 3 games, the MGM Lightning Team 1 came out second place consisting of Jamaiah Newton-Herbert, Micaela Galva and Joshua Bowers Read more

Chamber Election Set For December 18

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry would like to inform the members that during the nomination period that ended on Tuesday December 16th, 2014, thirteen (13) persons were nominated for the three (3) vacancies on its Board of Directors.

For the Large Business Sector, five (5) person postulated themselves, and for the Small Business Sector, eight (8) persons postulated themselves.

For the Large Business Sector, there is one (1) vacancy, and for the Small Business Sector, there are two (2) vacancies on its Board of Directors.

The Election Committee consisted of the following members, Messer: Franklin Brison, Cleophas Richardson, Myrna Lynch, and Charles Benders.

For the Large Business Sector there were five (5) candidates who were approved for the one (1) position Read more

Sxm Mp's To Meet On Upcoming Ipko Meeting Which Is Set For January

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations (CKAIR) of the St. Maarten Parliament will be meeting again on Thursday, December 18th to discuss the upcoming IPKO (Meeting of Kingdom Parliaments) on Aruba in the first week of January 2015.

This committee of Parliament met for the first time on December 8th to elect its chairperson and vice chairperson. MP Sarah Wescot-Williams was elected to chair this committee.

On December 9th, by means of a video conference the chairpersons of the Parliaments and the parliamentary Kingdom Committees of Aruba, Curacao and St Read more

Sxm Students Attending Intercontinental University Of The Caribbean Sit Thesis Defence Exam

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - On Saturday Dec 13, 2014 the ICUC, the Intercontinental University of the Caribbean, held a thesis defence exam for its St. Maarten based students in their Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management program.

Six students earned their bachelors degree on Saturday and have joined their seven predecessors making the total graduates 13.

The International Hospitality & Tourism Management (IHTM) program of ICUC was founded on The World Bank's recommendation.

In 2001 The World Bank recommended to establish "a good quality hotel and restaurant school in Curaçao that could also attract students from elsewhere in the Caribbean" as an integral part of the overall economic reform and recover strategy of the island.

In accordance with the World Bank's view that the school should be "undertaken by the private sector, with the Government playing a suitable catalytic and supporting role", the IHTM program has been developed and initiated in 2003 in a strategic alliance with the Government – the Hospitality Industry – and the Tourism Sector.

In 2006 a second campus of the school was opened on St Read more

President Richardson Attends Kingdom Day Celebration In The Netherlands

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – President of Parliament, Hon. Lloyd Richardson, MD attended the 60th anniversary ceremony of the Kingdom Charter which was celebrated on Kingdom Day, December 15th.

At the ceremony on Monday, President Richardson met several Sint Maarten students who are studying in the Netherlands.

Queen Juliana signed the Kingdom Charter 60-years ago on December 15th Read more

Henry Lynch suspended as Housing Foundation Director

~ Lake called to correct 'erroneous' statements ~

BELVEDERE--St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) Director Henry Lynch has been placed on non-active duty as of December 12 by the foundation's supervisory board pending the outcome of "an independent forensic investigation" by Government Accountant Bureau SOAB "into certain business and management activities" of SMHDF and of St. Maarten Housing Finance Foundation (SMHFF).

However, that investigation is now on hold due to the intervention of Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Maurice Lake Read more

Marine Park now recognized as important to Caribbean

COLOMBIA--The Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area, St. Maarten's first National Park, was formally listed under the Special Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) Protocol on December 9, at the eighth Conference of Parties for the Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife Protocol of the Cartagena Convention in Cartagena, Colombia. Also listed at the United Nations Environment Programme/Caribbean Environment Program meeting was the Statia National Marine Park and the Saba National Marine Park.

The listing process for an area is "quite a long and involved one" that required close cooperation with our partners at the Regional Activities Centre in Guadeloupe, the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance and our numerous partners within the region and abroad.

"It is quite an important step to have the first protected area and one of the youngest marine protected areas of the Caribbean listed under a protocol that falls under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme Read more

Sixty years charter marked in Curaçao

WILLEMSTAD--Curaçao observed the sixtieth anniversary of the Dutch Kingdom Charter on Monday, December 15, with a gathering at the renovated "autonomy monument" on Rijkseenheid Boulevard. Curaçao Governor Lucille George-Wout, Prime Minister of Aruba Mike Eman and caretaker Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot-Williams were among the invited guests.

Although Kingdom Day is not a holiday in Curaçao, Prime Minister Ivar Asjes had decided that this milestone should not go by unnoticed Read more

Erdogan defends media raids as a response to "dirty" plot

IZMIT, Turkey--Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday defended weekend raids on media outlets close to a U.S.-based Muslim cleric as a necessary response to "dirty operations" by the government's political enemies, and told a critical European Union to mind its own business.

Sunday's raids on the Zaman daily and Samanyolu television marked an escalation in Erdogan's battle with former ally Fethullah Gulen. The two have been in open conflict since a corruption probe targeting Erdogan's inner circle a year ago, which Erdogan blamed on Gulen.

He accuses the cleric of establishing a 'parallel' structure in the state through his supporters in the judiciary, police and other institutions, and of wielding influence through the media Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Caretaker Prime Minister and Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams dispatched an email to the President of Parliament with several questions to caretaker Minister Maurice Lake. Wescot Williams said in her email that the island has been gripped again with another saga this time involving a government owned entity Read more

>POINT BLANCHE:--- Last week Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake, did a walk-through of the Down Street Cruise Heritage Development.
Port St. Maarten Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo as well as other port officials was on hand to provide information to Minister Lake with respect to how the project is progressing.
Minister Lake was very pleased with the traditional local architecture that is being used to build the cabanas that depicts the ginger bread houses which are part of the national heritage.
"The project had some delays due to the shipping of materials and then the inclement weather that the country experienced Read more

Minister Of Culture Lourens-Philip Says Thank You For A Great Traditions Of Christmas Celebration

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports Hon. Patricia Lourens-Philip would like to say thank you to the people of Sint Maarten and all participating groups for bringing the true spirit of Christmas to Philipsburg on Sunday, December 14th.

Philipsburg will come alive with sounds of music, laughter, joy, hope and good will to all mankind.

"They brought joy, peace and showed the love one to another and for the traditions of this country by making such a tremendous effort to portray the true meaning of Christmas such as togetherness, family and gratitude.

"The Department of Culture and the Caribbean Professionals in Intangible and Tangible Cultural Heritage PITCH - IT Foundation, must be applauded for putting this together.

"I will encourage them to establish it in our intangible heritage profile and have it become a tradition that will continue for many years to come," Minister Hon Read more

Minister Lake Visits Down Street Cruise Heritage Development. Impressed With Emphasis On Cultural Heritage And Local Entrepreneurship

POINT BLANCHE, St. Maarten – Last week Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake, did a walk-through of the Down Street Cruise Heritage Development.

Port St. Maarten Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo as well as other port officials was on hand to provide information to Minister Lake with respect to how the project is progressing.

Minister Lake was very pleased with the traditional local architecture that is being used to build the cabanas that depicts the ginger bread houses which are part of the national heritage.

"The project had some delays due to the shipping of materials and then the inclement weather that the country experienced Read more

Mp Wescot-Williams Seeking To Make Public Official Information On Smhdf Saga

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Member of Parliament and Leader of the Democratic Party, the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams Monday sent a letter to the President of Parliament the Honorable Dr. Lloyd Richardson seeking answers to a number of questions surrounding developments at the St Read more

Harbour Holding’S 2013 Financial Statements Show: Royal Rewards And Remarkable Loans

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – Kingdom Relations Minister Ronald Plasterk wants to include the risks government-owned companies pose to St. Maarten in the assessment of the country’s budget by financial supervisor Cft. The Harbor group of Companies has always been reluctant to open its books for the government. This newspaper obtained a copy of the harbor’s 2013 financial statements and of the 2014 budget forecast.

The picture that emerges from this rich source of data is confusing and impressive at the same time Read more

Minister Cornelius De Weever Resigns From The Democratic Party

St. Maarten —Minister Cornelius de Weever yesterday officially severed ties with the Democratic Party by officially informing the leader of that party and care taker Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams that he is resigning from the party.

Minister De Weever ran on the DP’s ticket in the August 2014 elections but secretly formed a coalition with the UP party shortly after the elections while the DP had publicly announced that it has signed an agreement and was forming a coalition with the US and NA Read more

Premiers Of Former Netherlands Antilles Boycott Kingdom Day

WILLEMSTAD – The Prime Ministers of Curaçao, Aruba and St. Maarten are boycotting the celebration of Kingdom Day. They refuse to travel to Amsterdam to attend the traditional Kingdom Concert in the presence of King Willem Alexander.

According to a reliable source in The Hague the three prime ministers of the three islands are so angry at the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte they have stated that they will not be present. This is especially painful because next Monday an anniversary celebration will be held Read more

Council Of Ministers Meets With Nv Gebe   

St. Maarten—The government owned water company being managed by NV Gebe, will contribute NAf 5 million to the 2014 budget of the Government of St. Maarten as agreed by parties at a meeting yesterday of stakeholder representatives.

The Council of Ministers met with the representatives of N.V. GEBE yesterday to discuss the contributions of the Water Company to the Government of St Read more