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DR, Haiti issue potential to be 'serious humanitarian disaster'

POND ISLAND--As the future of thousands of people of Haitian descent hangs in the balance in neighbouring country the Dominican Republic (DR), veteran Caribbean politician Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said the situation "has the potential to become a serious humanitarian disaster" in the Caribbean.

Dr. Gonsalves, who is prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, was speaking at an Emancipation Day Lecture, themed "Reparations," hosted by Independence for St. Martin Foundation at University of St Read more

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Minister shares viewpoint, MPs to get GEBE answers Monday

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament’s plenary session on developments at utilities company GEBE, focusing on the ongoing dispute between the Supervisory Board and Chief Operations Officer (COO) and Managing Director Romelio Maduro about his position at the company, was adjourned to Monday afternoon, after Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Marcel Gumbs gave some perspective on Friday, but needed more documentation to answer questions posed by Members of Parliament (MPs).

The meeting was adjourned after Gumbs, as shareholder representative for the Government-owned company, gave a summarised overview of developments on the current dispute and questions were posed by National Alliance MPs William Marlin, Silveria Jacobs and Christophe Emmanuel Read more

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Patrol to Eradicate Paedophilia urges MPs to make law changes

PHILIPSBURG--Change the laws to impose harsher punishment for paedophiles and institute a sex offenders registry were among the calls the group Patrol to Eradicate Paedophilia (PEP) made to the Petitions Committee of Parliament on Thursday.

PEP's request for laws to be changed now heads to the Permanent Committee for Justice. Committee Chairman Member of Parliament (MP) Johan Leonard said he would call the Justice Minister to the committee after Parliament's July recess.

PEP representative Peggy Ann Dros-Richardson urged MPs to have Government boost its assistance to the Mental Health Foundation, to help the foundation increase awareness about paedophilia and have the required treatment for the mental disorder Read more

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Parliament committees to look into French/Dutch joint issues

Representatives of the French side Territorial Council with Members of Parliament in Parliament House on Tuesday.

PHILIPSBURG--A meeting between the French side Territorial Council and Members of Parliament (MPs) in Parliament House on Tuesday resulted in various topics discussed being sent to Parliament’s permanent committees for further deliberation and solution seeking.

Among the topics discussed was pensioners living on the French side, but who have contributed to the Dutch side’s General Pension Fund by working on the southern side of the island accessing their benefits Read more

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Govt. back to drawing board with Integrity Chamber Law

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament has sent Government back to the drawing board with the controversial draft National Ordinance on the establishment of an Integrity Chamber for the country.

Parliament sending Government back to make changes was not unexpected, as the majority of MPs had voiced their discontent with the draft when it was tabled in the Central Committee of Parliament about two months ago.

The reworking of parts of the law means the deadline of June 30 for Parliament to handle the law as stated in a recent protocol with the Dutch Government will not be met Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of National Alliance and Member of Parliament William Marlin asked several questions regarding the protocol Minister Dennis Richardson signed on May 23rd with the Dutch Government on the establishment of an integrity chamber Read more

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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

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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

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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

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Passport fee increase passed retroactively

PHILIPSBURG--Fees for Dutch passports have been increased retroactively by Parliament. The fees are already charged to Dutch citizens applying for new passports or passport renewals since March 10, 2014. Monday’s approval of the amendments to the Stamp Ordinance was only a formality.

The amendments were unanimously passed in a Plenary Session of Parliament with very limited debate between Members of Parliament (MPs) and Prime Minister/General Affairs Minister Marcel Gumbs Read more

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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

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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

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