SXMElections.com

Richardson Defends Appeal For Elected Body To Resign

MARIGOT--Former President of the Collectivité Alain Richardson has defended his call for the Territorial Council and Parliamentarians to resign in the wake of the Constitutional Court decision denying the Collectivité its right to a fair compensation package for the transfer of competences in 2007.

“In February 2007, the law-makers took a major decision, as a result of the political will expressed democratically by our population in 2003, with the adoption of the new status of our territory and the creation of the Collectivité of St Read more

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Alain Richardson Calls On Elected To Stand Up In The Interest Of St. Martin. .

Ladies and Gentlemen elected members of parliament and of the Territorial council of the Collectivité of SAINT - MARTIN,

Our territory over the past century and in a more significant manner over the last decades, has been entertaining the most inadequate relations with the Republic of which it is a part.

Long periods of abandonment and disengagement, have been followed by some periods of non- selfless attention, and an intention to make sure SAINT-MARTIN fitted into the French mold and was in line.

Our most notable particularities and characteristics:

• the existence of a common destiny between the two Siamese sides of the island based on the Treaty of Concordia,
• a territory with its own interests based on a linguistic and cultural heritage, an economy and a different monetary framework, opened to the world, with centers of attraction and interests primarily turned towards the Americas and the Caribbean and not towards France and Europe.
• etc.

These realities are the reasons why, within the French Republic, we area treated and considered as an isolated and singular territory.

In February 2007 the law-maker gave a strong indication and took a major decision, as a result of the political will expressed democratically by our population in 2003, with the
adoption of the new status of our territory and the creation of the Overseas Community (Collectivité) of SAINT-MARTIN governed by article 74 of the Constitution Read more

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Mlk Jr. Primary Lifts Technology Ban

~Tablet usage to be encouraged~

DUTCH QUARTER – The school management of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Primary School will be lifting the ban on technology usage for the new school year 2016/2017.

“I have no doubt this new school policy will yield the results I am expecting it to over time,” remarked School Manager of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Primary School Stuart Johnson.

“It’s time we truly have an educational system, which reaches all students, especially in public education inclusive of tapping into their various learning styles Read more

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Tablet usage to be encouraged--

Dutch Quarter:---  The school management of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Primary School will be lifting the ban on technology usage for the new school year 2016/2017. “I have no doubt this new school policy will yield the results I am expecting it to over time,” remarked Stuart Johnson School Manager of the Dr Read more

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Mlk Jr. Primary School Lifts Technology Ban

DUTCH QUARTER, St. Maarten – The school management of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Primary School will be lifting the ban on technology usage for the new school year 2016/2017. “I have no doubt this new school policy will yield the results I am expecting it to over time,” remarked Stuart Johnson School Manager of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Read more

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Corruption Is Not My Culture. Don’T Let It Be Yours

Claude Peterson SMCP Candidate

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone so far that have sent their best wishes via Facebook, WhatsApp, cell and in person. This will not be an easy journey, but I am energized by the positive support and the prayers for my candidacy.

A few weeks ago I was approached by Pastor Wycliffe Smith and Mr Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:---- Candidate on the SMCP list Claude Chacho Peterson shared his views on his person in the article below is the full text from Peterson.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone so far that have sent there best wishes via Facebook, whatsapp, cell and in person. This will not be an easy journey, but I am ENERGIZED by the positive support and the Prayers for my candidacy.
A few weeks ago I was approached by Pastor Wycliffe Smith and Mr Read more

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Telem Reports “Healthy” Profit In 2015

~Praises staff for outstanding efforts~

POND ISLAND – TelEm Group has reported a “healthy” profit for 2015 despite dropping local and international call rates, and the widespread use of “free” calling services in St. Maarten.

The profit figure was announced to TelEm Group personnel by Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Helma Etnel, during a general meeting at the Belair Community Center, on Friday, June 17.

According to Etnel, the profits are thanks to the combined efforts of TelEm Group management and personnel in all divisions despite a significant drop in revenues for the year 2015.

“So while we were getting less money in, we were very conservative with spending and using what we had much more efficiently,” said the CFO.

Etnel said the figures could not have come at a better time to boost the morale of personnel, as many negative things are being reported about the company in online and print media – a development that the CFO regrets.

She urged personnel and managers not to dwell on these negative reports, but to remember all the positive things they have done over the past several years to make the company viable, and to continue to provide jobs for St Read more

Opinion: Vote Of No Confidence

Research by the Central Bureau of Statistics in Curacao returned a near fatal blow for the country’s politicians. Only 2.3 percent of the respondents among 2,620 households said that they trust their politicians. In other words, 97.7 percent do not trust the country’s legislators.

Suspicion towards politicians is nothing new and it is not uniquely prevalent in Curacao. It is a phenomenon across the board, and we suspect – though we obviously do not have hard evidence for it – that a similar research in, say, the Netherlands, Japan, the United States or St Read more

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Gibson: No Reason To Panic About Decline In Revenue

PHILIPSBURG – Minister of Finance Richard Gibson suggested that the financial situation of St. Maarten, in terms of government revenue, is not as bad as reflected in the first execution report of the first quarter of 2016.

The Committee for Financial Supervision for Curaçao and St. Maarten (CFT) had stated, in a letter dated June 8, to the Minister of Finance that the budget balance of the first quarter of 2016 had deteriorated by some NAf Read more

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St. Maarten Budget Balance Deteriorated

THE HAGUE/PHILIPSBURG--The St. Maarten Government is faced with disappointing financial results. The budget balance of the first quarter of 2016 has deteriorated by some NAf. 8.6 million, according to the Committee for Financial Supervision Curaçao and St. Maarten CFT.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Education Silveria Jacobs said on Wednesday that the article written by the Today newspaper about a student that made front page had lots of fiction and not based on facts. The Minister said the article is very damaging and even though she addressed the issue last week during the press briefing she elaborated some more when asked by SMN News to do so now the father of the student broke his silence.
The Minister said that the article was written to create sensation and what looks more like an opinion ended up on the front page of the newspaper Read more

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Nature Foundation and Dutch Universities Cooperate to Learn More about Endangered Sint Maarten Sea Turtle Population

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Nature Foundation is collaborating with the University of Groningen (NL) and IMARES Wageningen UR (NL) on a Dutch Caribbean sea turtle project funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). Green and hawksbill turtles are observed feeding in the waters of St. Maarten with both species also nesting on St. Maarten along with the leatherback turtle Read more

Nature Foundation And Dutch Universities Cooperate To Learn More About Endangered Sint Maarten Sea Turtle Population

The St. Maarten Nature Foundation is collaborating with the University of Groningen (NL) and IMARES Wageningen UR (NL) on a Dutch Caribbean sea turtle project funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). Green and hawksbill turtles are observed feeding in the waters of St. Maarten with both species also nesting on St. Maarten along with the leatherback turtle.

Green and hawksbill turtles are needed for healthy seagrass and coral reef ecosystems, which are highly valuable ecosystems from an economic, cultural and scientific point of view Read more

Dispute Over Illegal Building At Bobby’S Marina Continues

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The illegal filling in of Great Bay by Bobby’s Marina. Photo contributed

Vromi-ministry’s term to answer

Dock Maarten expires next week

St. Maarten News / By Hilbert Haar – The dispute between Dock Maarten and Bobby’s Marina over illegal building activities is far from over. The attorney for Dock Maarten, Roeland Zwanikken has filed a request for information to Vromi-Minister Angel Meyers based on the law on public administration Read more

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The Minister Of Education Is Always An Educator At Heart 

PHILIPSBURG – The Minister of Education is, and always has been an educator at heart, and is solely motivated by this fact to work together with others to bring improvements to education in order to meet the needs of our population.

It is rather disappointing that an initiative such as Education on the Move (EOM), aimed at bringing much needed awareness about education and collaboration within the community, is being touted by the opposition as a political move, especially seeing their recent, obvious interference in ongoing discussions in education, as well as the school bussing issue.

The Minister’s record speaks for itself Read more

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Minister Jacobs Raises Awareness On World Heritage Day

PHILIPSBURG – World Heritage Day also commonly known as International Day for Monuments and Sites is focused on celebrating the world’s built cultural heritage every year on April 18.

UNESCO established April 18 as the International Day for Monuments and Sites in 1983. It aims to raise public awareness about the diversity and vulnerability of the world’s built monuments and heritage sites and the efforts required to protect and conserve them. Each year has a different theme and this year’s theme is “The Heritage of Sport.”

Sport is part of every man and woman’s heritage and its absence can never be compensated for– Pierre de Coubertin

The Olympic Games will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August Read more

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Debt Standard Proposed For Curaçao, St. Maarten

~ CFT advices in 2015 annual report ~

By Suzanne Koelega

THE HAGUE--A debt standard with a maximum threshold should be introduced for Curaçao and St. Maarten to keep the debts of the countries manageable in case the interest rates of capital loans increase.
The Committee for Financial Supervision CFT for Curaçao and St. Maarten drafted an advice to this effect early in 2016 on the request of Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk. The advice was mentioned in the CFT 2015 annual report which was presented in The Hague on Wednesday.
The CFT advised Plasterk that the two countries should be able to maintain a debt quota standard of 40 per cent on a medium term Read more

Prosecutors Demanded Lifetime Sentence For Kilo Gotti And 25 Years For Second Accomplice.

Philipsburg:--- The prosecutor that handled the Menam murder case (Gamali Benjamin) asked the court to punish the main suspect DAMISSE
Ridge aka Kilo Gotti, while they asked the judge to sentence the second suspect LEON
Jovanny to 25 years imprisonment. The prosecution took the time to give the court detal explanation as to how Officer Gamali Benjamin life was taken when he responded to armed robbery at the Ore Diamante Jewelry store in Philipsburg.
The complete presentation to the court by the prosecution follows.
On Thursday the trial will continue with the other two suspects.

“Vigilant and committed to serve and protect all, in a decisive and professional manner” Read more

*** Police Report *** Arm Robbery At Tropicana Casino

Police Report: Casino robbed

The Special Robbery Unit along with several police patrols were sent to Tropicana Casino on Monday, April 11, at approximately 12:35pm where shortly before three armed men had stormed into casino and robbed it of an undisclosed sum of cash.

After committing this act, the suspects fled in a heavily tinted grey/silver colored van with license plate V-2800.

Immediately, a search of the area was conducted to locate the suspects. The suspect vehicle was found on Aaron Jacobs drive in Cape Bay.

Detectives are presently talking to potential witnesses and the Forensic Department is collecting evidence.

The van has been confiscated for further investigation Read more

Sewage Plant At Harold Jack

~ Protest planned ~

COLE BAY--Following lengthy discussions, Government says the joint Dutch-/French-side sewage plant can best be located at the current Harold Jack snack bar on Cole Bay Hill. However, not all are happy, with particularly tour bus operators and taxi drivers fearing loss of business, so motorists have been asked to sh Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports has taken note of the recent meeting held by the teachers at the University of St. Martin. The minister would like to reassure the teachers, parents/guardians and the general public, that the challenges faced by teachers in the Public Schools as well as all other schools has the full attention , concern and priority of the minister and the Ministry ECYS. It is important to note that during my first tenure as Minister in 2012/2013 several education conferences were held with teachers, managers and school boards to identify challenges and solutions Read more

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Opposition Senator Said To Be In Hiding

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Prime Minister Gaston Browne has called on an opposition politician to spare the country the loss of scare financial resources by withdrawing an allegation he made regarding the disappearance of money from the Citizenship Investment Programme (CIP).

Prime Minister Browne told legislators that opposition Senator Damani Tabor’s claim that EC$500,000 had been missing from the CIP unit is mischievous and that the government could save funds that are being used to pay Canadian-based financial forensic investigator Robert Lindquist.

In February, the government enlisted the Christian Council to select someone to determine if the money was missing as had been claimed by the opposition legislator.

“If it is that the person was being malicious, he can probably spare the nation the trouble and just to say it is not true and that he was being mischievous,” Browne said.

He told Parliament that if the member of the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) “does not relent and we have to spend tens of thousands of dollars …to do an investigation then clearly that person will be guilty of public mischief if and when found guilty.

“Clearly there could be consequences,” Browne said, adding that he was extending “an olive branch to Mr Read more

*** Amber Alert *** Missing Teenager !!!!

*** AMBER ALERT *** MISSING TEENAGER !!!!
PLEASE SHARE THIS AMBER ALERT ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE / ACCOUNT

Family of Tamisha aka “Tamika” Fleming (14 years old) is asking the help of the public if anyone has seen or know the whereabouts of Tamika Fleming to contact the POLICE.
The teenager went missing since March 10, 2016 left the house to visit a friend and never return home.

If you have any information of her please to contact the Police at 911 or +17215422222
Or you can contact the family direct on +1721-5220824 or +1721-5536417 or +1721-5819593
Last she was wearing a Black short pants and a black top Read more