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Answers Will Have To Wait Until Mid-January: Parliament Wants Clarity About Housing Foundation

St. Maarten – Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs answered the call to appear in Parliament as the acting minister of public housing within 72 hours after he was sworn in on Friday. Members of Parliament appreciated that, even though Gumbs sent them on their way with a flea in their ear, after listening to questions about the chaos of the St. Maarten Housing Development foundation for more than two hours.

The minister brought to mind the words he spoke on Friday in the constituting meeting where his team officially took over the reins: “The country needs tranquility, stability, civility and prosperity.”

Furthermore, Gumbs noted: “Integrity has been a buzz word this year Read more

MPs to get answers about housing foundation in Jan.

PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) will have to wait until mid-January for answers about the suspension of St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) Director Henry Lynch and two other members of the management team. Prime Minister/Ad Interim Housing Minister Marcel Gumbs said he required time to gather the facts about the investigation ordered by the foundation's supervisory board and the other actions leading to the suspensions.

Gumbs, who had only been in office for a mere 72 hours, was before Parliament on Monday in an urgent plenary session requested by opposition MPs Sarah Wescot-Williams (Democratic Party), Frans Richardson (United St Read more

Editorial - Wrong address?

Today's Parliament meeting regarding the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) promises to be an interesting one. Last week the public learned that the Supervisory Board had requested that government accountant bureau SOAB carry out an "independent forensic investigation" and had placed director Henry Lynch plus two other managers on non-active duty pending its outcome.

However, then still VROMI minister and shareholder representative Maurice Lake intervened and put the probe on hold, saying the board's decision had been premature and not in keeping with proper procedure Read more

MPs meet today about Housing Foundation

PHILIPSBURG--The St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation supervisory board's request made to Government Accounting Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation into the foundation's operations will be one of the issues Members of Parliament (MPs) will discuss today, Monday, in an urgent plenary session of Parliament in the House of Parliament starting at 10:00am.

The meeting is open to the public.

New Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, who is ad interim Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI, has been requested by Parliament to be present for the meeting.

MPs also will discuss with Gumbs former VROMI Minister Maurice Lake's request to SOAB to halt the investigation and the board's decision to suspend three members of the management team, including foundation director Henry Lynch.

This urgent plenary session was requested by National Alliance MPs William Marlin and Christophe Emmanuel, Democratic Party MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, and United St Read more

Urgent Plenary Session of Parliament scheduled for Monday about Housing Foundation.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- A plenary session of the House of Parliament is scheduled for December 22nd regarding the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF).
The plenary session is set for Monday at 10:00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.
The agenda is concerning the request made to the Governments Accounting Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation in to the operations of the SMHDF; the decision of the board of the SMHDF to suspend several members of the management team and the request of the former Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Hon Read more

The Road To The Gumbs I Cabinet: “Peddling Seats To The Highest Bidder”

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – When Governor Drs. Eugene Holiday administers the oath of office to the five ministers of the Gumbs I cabinet this afternoon, it marks the end of a tedious process that started during the night after the parliamentary elections on August 29. How did we get where we are today? A review.

To avoid any misunderstandings, the governor also administers the oath to the minister plenipotentiary today – but that is not a ‘real’ minister – it is the representative of St Read more

Urgent Plenary Session Of Parliament Scheduled For Monday About Housing Foundation

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – A plenary session of the House of Parliament is scheduled for December 22nd regarding the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF).

The plenary session is set for Monday at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda is concerning the request made to the Governments Accounting Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation in to the operations of the SMHDF; the decision of the board of the SMHDF to suspend several members of the management team and the request of the former Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Hon Read more

New Gumbs Cabinet to be sworn in on Friday

HARBOUR VIEW--St. Maarten finally will have a new cabinet as of 3:00pm Friday when six new ministers are sworn in by Governor Eugene Holiday at his office.

The cabinet will be headed by veteran politician Marcel Gumbs as Prime Minister. He will also be ad interim Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI.

Current Justice Minister Dennis Richardson will continue in his post as well as serving as ad interim Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour.

Finance Minister Martin Hassink also will continue in his post.

School Manager Rita A Read more

MPs will propose review of Dutch nationality rescinding

PHILIPSBURG--The rescinding of the Dutch nationality of a number of people in the Dutch Caribbean due to administrative errors, and the subsequent statelessness of those persons as well as their children and in some instances grandchildren, is an issue Members of Parliament (MPs) want on the table for the Inter-Parliamentary Affairs Contact Meeting IPOK in Aruba January 6-9.

Parliament's Permanent Committee for Inter-Parliamentary Affairs and Kingdom Relations met in Parliament House on Thursday afternoon to review the draft agenda and preparations for the meeting of members of the Parliaments of the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and St Read more

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

The St. Maarten Parliamentary Election Of August 29, 2014 Julio R. Romney

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The parliamentary election in St. Maarten on 29th of August marked a turbulent beginning to the new constituent state's political history.

The substantial loss of electorate support for the more seasoned (political) party leaders to second tier/ number two party members, the failure of only but two contesting candidates to receive the necessary electoral quota to secure a seat in parliament outright.

The eleventh hour of the appointed formateur to realize the formation of a prospective coalition government, with the subsequent appointment of two informateurs to facilitate a renewed attempt to garner political parties that are willing to come together and form a new prospective coalition government are but a few of the unanticipated consequences of the election.

Added to these and more startling was the Royal Decree issued (October 21, 2014) by the de facto Head of State i.e., the Kingdom Government/ the Kingdom Council of Ministers instructing the Governor of St Read more

André Bosman Fails To React – De Weever Takes Legal Action

St. Maarten – Member of Parliament Cornelius de Weever will take legal action against VVD-MP André Bosman who did not react to a summons to retract “erroneous, slanderous and defaming statements” before the deadline of last Monday at 5 p.m. On September 30, four different newspapers quoted Bosman as saying, “Heyliger simply paid De Weever.”

The remark refers to De Weever’s decision to withdraw his support for a coalition of the National Alliance and the United St Read more

Editorial - To the bottom

As the island celebrated St. Martin/St. Maarten Day, many were still discussing the rainstorm early Saturday morning and its considerable impact. Although the downpour was so heavy one hardly could expect runoff systems to handle easily the sheer volume of water coming down the hills, environmentalist/politician Rueben Thompson insists elected and appointed officials must be held accountable (see related article).

He referred to his repeated warnings about building in natural gutters and maintaining man-made ones Read more

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

Youth Parliament wants more of a role in decision-making

PHILIPSBURG--The Youth Parliament wants a more active role in the decision-making process of the country.

A delegation of the Youth Parliament, headed by Dwayne Griffith, presented a motion requesting the possibility to make recommendations on the findings of the various integrity reports to the Parliament of St. Maarten on Tuesday afternoon in a Central Committee meeting in Parliament House.

The "emergency" meeting during which the motion was presented to the Parliament was requested by the Youth Members of Parliament (YMPs) Read more

Other Parties Stay Away From Protest Against Kingdom And Plasterk – Green March Against Instruction

St. Maarten– Between 300 and 400 people took part in the march People United for True Democracy organized yesterday afternoon in protest against the instruction from the Kingdom Council of Ministers to Governor Holiday for a stricter screening of candidate ministers – a handsome turnout with one flaw: only supporters of the United People’s party showed up.

UP party leader Theo Heyliger was there, as were his faction leader Franklin Meyers, MP Tamara Leonard and MP Lloyd Richardson Read more

Marchers call for ‘respect’ and end to Dutch ‘insult’

PHILIPSBURG--"We didn't vote for Bosman or Van Raak" and "Enough is enough. This is our country" were some of the messages on the placards carried by an estimated 200 marchers who took to the street Sunday afternoon to express their discontent with the Kingdom Council of Ministers' instruction to Governor Eugene Holiday to carry out what has been deemed an invasive, boundless screening into the lives of minister candidates.

The march started off from the ring road with the sizable group heading down W.J.A Read more

MPs unanimously reject instruction

~ Motion to be sent to UN Decolonisation Committee ~

PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) unanimously adopted on Wednesday a motion rejecting the instruction handed down by the Kingdom Council of Ministers to Governor Eugene Holiday for the execution of a boundless and limitless investigation into the backgrounds of candidate ministers, their families, friends, business associates and others.

Parliament is not in agreement with the instruction from the Kingdom Council, because the screening of candidate ministers is "not flawed Read more

St. Maarten Parliament Is Convinced That Screening Process Is Working: Motion Will Ask Governor To Reject Kingdom Instruction

St. Maarten – The United People’s party announced that it would table a motion that asks Governor Holiday not to go along with the instruction from the Kingdom Council of Ministers to execute additional screening of candidate-ministers for the new government. However, parliament adjourned until Wednesday morning after the first round. UP-leader Theo Heyliger told this newspaper that he had not delivered his final report about the new cabinet yet, even though yesterday was the deadline for his task as formateur.

A one-man protest action by Etienne Toochie Meyers – a representative of the movement People United for True Democracy – preceded the first meeting of the new parliament yesterday afternoon Read more

Editorial - Better understanding

It appears the incoming UP/DP/Marlin-Romeo coalition plans to fight tooth and nail the instruction by the Kingdom Council of Ministers regarding the screening of nominees to become minister. Today's Parliament meeting probably will lead to some type of action in that sense.

It will be interesting to see what position the prospective opposition fractions take in this matter Read more

Editorial - For a change

The Kingdom Council of Ministers has given Governor Eugene Holiday an instruction not to install any new cabinet members until there are sufficient guarantees regarding their integrity. This is to be determined by applying a more stringent screening, for which the Dutch Government will appoint a team of experts to assist the governor.

The highly unusual and unprecedented move has to do with a 2010 vote-buying case involving the UP party and developments since this year's elections held at the end of August Read more

Friendly or Fantasy Island?

Dear Editor,

Some people may call St. Maarten the Friendly Island while others will call it the Fantasy Island but giving the recent political turmoil and political confusion I choose to reserve the right of giving it the appropriate name at the end of this article but not until I express my views on this topic.

Let us for a moment first view the phrases expressed by some of our political leaders and then the phases they allow our island to go through in order to have a better understanding on what island we are living on.

Our good "Samaritan" or leader of government Sarah Wescot-Williams struck the nail on its head when she boldly chose her political phrase Read more

Open Letter From Mp Leona Marlin-Romeo

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - My fellow St. Maarteners,

First I would like to extend deepest sympathies to those who suffered loss during the recent passing of Hurricane Gonzalo, though it may have caused some devastation, we are still blessed to have weathered the storm and come out stronger and united.

Over the last few weeks, there has been no shortage of opinions and criticism expressed publicly regarding my decision to support and join the coalition government which was recently sworn in as the new government of St Read more

After 55 Years Of Support, Mike Ferrier Opts To Resign From Dp Party St. Maarten

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Former DP stalwart Micheal Ferrier in a letter dated October 17th 2014 and sent to the board of the party, their 15 candidates who ran in this years Parliamentary election and to key supporters, announced his decision to resign.

This decision comes after 55 years of support for the party and more recently, his diligent support for its leader MP Sarah Wescot-Williams.

The reason given for his decision is that he believes that the leader with her decision to join the UP/de Weever coalition government has taken the party along a different path than it had collectively chosen prior to the elections on August 29th 2014.

He stated in his letter that he understands the reasoning behind the need to be in government in the interest of the people of St Read more