SXMElections.com

Take It Or Leave, Dennis Stays But You The Us Party May Go!

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – St. Maarten was not surprised at all when the UP party told their coalition partner the US party of MP Frans Richardson to take a hike but Dennis stays.

The US party should have drawn their conclusion from the statement made by the honorable Prime Minister that Minister Richardson isn't going anywhere.

According to the Prime Minister if Minister Richardson goes, then the entire cabinet is going and the Prime Minister would then have no choice but to dissolve the parliament of St 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

style="text-align: center;">Is it really the signing of the Integrity protocol why Minister Richardson must go!
I can imagine all of those voters of last election holding their head and bawling with shame knowing that they put this government in place. Don’t blame the politicians, blame yourself. You knew that if you put the same leaders back in office you could not have expected different results than what we are getting today.

Philipsburg:--- Many persons have not being paying much attention to the back and forth discussion regarding the establishment of an Integrity Chamber, especially not those ordinary citizens who are unemployed and those others who can’t make ends meet because of the high cost of living 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

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

USP to discuss possible removal of minister today

PHILIPSBURG--The possible removal of Justice Minister Dennis Richardson by the United St. Maarten Party (USP) will be discussed in a special meeting of the party’s board and advisors in the Parliament Building today, Thursday, at 6:30pm.

USP has been in control of the Justice portfolio since earlier this year, but is yet to place its own minister Read more

At least two donors exceeded donations

PHILIPSBURG--At least two donors to political parties have exceeded the legally stipulated financial donations to political parties.

Electoral Council Chairman Bert Hofman told The Daily Herald excess donations were made on at least three occasions.

Hofman declined to give the political parties that received the excess donations and the names of the donors. He explained that the parties and donors have not yet been officially informed by the council. That notification will be sent out this week.

In any calendar year based on Article 41 of National Ordinance on the Registration and Financing of Political Parties, donations made to the same political party by a person, company or institution shall not exceed a total sum or value of NAf Read more

USP submits report to Electoral Council

~ Fine still to be paid ~

PHILIPSBURG--The United St. Maarten Party (USP) submitted its overdue annual report and financial statements to the Electoral Council on Monday, bringing to a possible end the council's imposed NAf. 1,000 daily penalty for non-compliance.

Party President Cecil Nicholas told The Daily Herald the documents were submitted to the council's office, but the fine incurred so far of NAf Read more

MPs have not yet received harbour security answers

PHILIPSBURG—Members of Parliament (MPs) have not yet received the "sensitive answers" about the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies' security contract, despite the receipt of these by Parliament's Secretariat since May 26. The delay in the dissemination is due to "administrative reasons," according to Democratic Party (DP) leader MP Sarah Wescot-Williams.

Speaking at a DP press conference in Parliament House on Monday, Wescot-Williams said she is patiently awaiting the answers to see if they satisfy her burning questions Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the United St. Maarten Party (USP) Frans Richardson confirmed to SMN News that his party submitted their documents to the Electoral Council on Monday. Leader of the United St. Maarten  Party (USP) told SMN News that his documents were delayed because the accountant that were handling the accounting did not complete the accounting in order for the party to submit its information to the Electoral Council on time Read more

Electoral Council Fines Frans Richardson’S Usp

St. Maarten – The Electoral Council has fined Frans Richardson’s United St. Maarten party (USp) for failing to submit financial reports. The fine is 1,000 guilders for each day the violation continues, with a maximum of 30,000 guilders.

“Despite numerous reminders before and after the deadline for registered political parties to submit their annual reports before April 1, the United St Read more

Electoral Council imposes daily penalty of NAf. 1,000 on USP

~ Several parties to return excess donations ~

PHILIPSBURG--The United St. Maarten Party (USP), led by Member of Parliament Frans Richardson, has already incurred NAf 2,000 in penalties as of Sunday from the Electoral Council for failing to submit its annual report and financial statements.

The party failed to comply with the National Ordinance on the registration and financing of political parties despite numerous reminders from the council before and after the deadline of April 1, for registered political parties to submit their annual reports.

“Therefore, USP has not complied with one of the most important legal obligations of political parties stipulated in the National Ordinance on Registration and Finances of Political Parties,” said the Electoral Council in a statement Sunday night.

On May 19, the Electoral Council sent a letter to USP leader MP Richardson and its board informing them that the council was considering issuing an order under penalty as is stipulated in Article 44 of the National Ordinance.

USP was granted the opportunity to respond to the Council’s impending order no later than Wednesday, May 27, as well as the opportunity to submit its annual report no later than Friday, May 29 Read more

style="text-align: center;">Several parties to return excess donations to donors.

PHILIPSBURG:---  Despite numerous reminders before and after the deadline for registered political parties to submit their annual reports before April 1, 2015 the United St. Maarten Party (USP) failed to submit its annual report and financial statements. Therefore, USP has not complied with one of the most important legal obligations of political parties stipulated in the National Ordinance on Registration and Finances of Political Parties.
On May 19, 2015, the Electoral Council sent a letter to USP leader, Frans Richardson and its board informing them that the Electoral Council was considering to issue an order under penalty as is stipulated in Article 44 of the aforementioned National Ordinance Read more

St. Maarten Parliament annoyed over protocol

THE HAGUE--The days of St. Maarten’s Justice Minister Dennis Richardson may very well be numbered now that he has signed a protocol with the Dutch Government to establish an independent Integrity Chamber for St. Maarten and to strengthen the island’s law enforcement sector. Members of the St. Maarten Parliament are not accepting that Parliament is being sidetracked in the protocol.

The protocol Minister Richardson and Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk signed on Saturday states that the St Read more

Sxm Delegation To Ipko Continue Talks

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The delegations of Parliamentarians from Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten currently in Holland for the Inter-parliamentary Kingdom Consultations (IPKO), have been meeting in a tri-partite setting.

The IPKO meeting is set to start on May 27th, and according to Member of Parliament and leader of the United St. Maarten Party, the Honorable Read more

Electoral Council may soon consider penalty for party

PHILIPSBURG--The Electoral Council may soon be forced to consider imposing a financial penalty on one of the eight political parties registered for the 2014 Parliamentary Election that has failed to submit its annual report to the Council.

All registered political parties had up to February 1 to submit all their donation registries and annual financial reports to the Council as required under the National Ordinance on the Registration and Financing of Political Parties. To date, one party is in default of its legal obligations.

Electoral Council Chairman Attorney Bert Hoffman told The Daily Herald the Council would inform the party via letter that it must get its financial business "in order or face penalties." The Council still has to decide on the exact amount of the penalty.

Hoffman declined to give the name of the defaulting party, only saying they know who they are Read more

Rita supports decriminalisation of marijuana for medicinal use

PHILIPSBURG--Acting Minister of Public Health Social Development and Labour Rita Bourne-Gumbs said on Tuesday that she "is completely for the decriminalization of marijuana and cannabis-related products for medicinal use."

She was at the time responding to several questions posed by this newspaper on the subject via the Press Secretariat. In her brief response, the Minister said as well that she "is completely against the decriminalization of marijuana for personal abuse." She said however, that the actual decriminalisation or changing of the law must happen in Parliament.

When asked to weigh in on the issue, Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson said he was unable to comment at this time as this topic needed careful consideration and consultation with all persons and organisations involved.

There have been some talks about the subject lately Read more

MPs review options for new building

PHILIPSBURG--The creation of a building team and deciding on whether to opt for government lease land or to purchase a parcel for the construction of a new Parliament Building were among the topic Members of Parliament (MPs) dealt with in a meeting of Ad Hoc Committee for the New Parliament Building on Friday morning.

The meeting, chaired by United People's (UP) party MP Franklin Meyers, was originally opened to the public, but was closed after committee members decided "due to the sensitivity" of the subject that the meeting should be closed.

Independent MP Cornelius de Weever has suggested before the closure for the committee to get a list of available land from government that is suitable for the building MPs want to have constructed.

Meyers said a list of possible locations was on hand as well as some possible options of private land for purchase.

United St Read more

Editorial - Win-win after all

Not everyone will be happy, but news that work on Rockland Estate Rain Forest Adventure Park is to start this summer (see Saturday paper) should not surprise anybody. After all, it already was clear that the company had been awarded a long lease for the necessary land at Emilio Wilson Estate (EWE), even though Government at the request of Parliament bought that property from its private owners to preserve it as natural-cultural-historic patrimony.

The thought then obviously had been not to allow any major commercial development there, but the lease agreement at US $1.20 per square metre nonetheless was signed, also to help pay for the purchase Read more

Editorial - Win-win after all

Not everyone will be happy, but news that work on Rockland Estate Rain Forest Adventure Park is to start this summer (see Saturday paper) should not surprise anybody. After all, it already was clear that the company had been awarded a long lease for the necessary land at Emilio Wilson Estate (EWE), even though Government at the request of Parliament bought that property from its private owners to preserve it as natural-cultural-historic patrimony.

The thought then obviously had been not to allow any major commercial development there, but the lease agreement at US $1.20 per square metre nonetheless was signed, also to help pay for the purchase Read more

Plenary Session of Parliament scheduled for Tuesday about the SCHDF.

>PHILIPSBURG:---  The House of Parliament will meet in a public plenary session on April 7. This session is the continuation of the initial session that was held on December 22, 2014. On March 24, the meeting was called, but was adjourned and is now being reconvened.

The plenary session is set for Tuesday at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point is the request to the Governments Accountants Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation into the operations of the St Read more

NA calls for a ‘unified approach’ from Govt.

PHILIPSBURG--The United People’s (UP)-led coalition has failed to show exactly what it is ready for, as its election campaign “We Ready” stated, said National Alliance (NA) Members of Parliament on Wednesday. They called on the governing coalition to present a “unified approach,” to table its long-overdue governing programme and appoint the two missing ministers.

NA leader MP William Marlin said at a press conference in Parliament House on Wednesday that UP members had proven only they were ready to take care of themselves and “to cut more deals and use the infrastructure” for their own personal enterprises.

In his estimation, UP is not ready “to bring much needed changes” to the country’s infrastructure and to tackle social ills Read more

MPs urged to work with govt on law formulation

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament does not follow instructions on the procedure to write laws, Advisory Council Vice Chairwoman Mavis Brooks-Salmon said in a meeting of Parliament's Central Committee at which only eight of the fifteen Members of Parliament (MPs) were present on Tuesday morning.

The Advisory Council, a body outlined in the Constitution as a necessary organ of governance, has in the past told Parliament to "work with government's Legal Department" when crafting initiative laws. The Legal Department has the necessary expertise to assist with the proper way to formulate and present laws, though the department may be understaffed.

Brooks-Salmon pointed out to MPs that the Advisory Council "does not correct" draft legislation, but is capable of giving legislators guidance on where to seek pertinent information in the research and drafting process.

In response to "burning" questions from National Alliance (NA) MP Christophe Emmanuel about whether or not the five-member Council of Ministers was legal as the Constitution states the country should have seven ministers, Brooks-Salmon said while the Advisory Council will further look into the matter, it should be noted that the Constitution does not state the ministers should be seven different persons.

In the current situation, two ministers of the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet hold dual portfolios Read more