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Should Parliamentarians Vote Their Conscience?

PHILIPSBURG – After our new parliamentarians are sworn in on Monday, October 31, they will be faced at some point during their tenure with having to vote their conscience.

A careful look at St. Maarten’s State Regulation, commonly called the Constitution, reveals that there is no such article or phrase in our law that charges parliamentarians to vote their conscience.

In the State Regulation of the former Netherlands Antilles, however, voting one’s conscience was regulated in article 61 which read: “the members of Parliament will vote in good conscience, without interference by or consultation with those who elected them.” This article was taken from the constitution of the Netherlands Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- After our new parliamentarians are sworn in on Monday, October 31st they will be faced at some point during their tenure with having to vote their conscience. A careful look at Sint Maarten’s State Regulation commonly called the Constitution, reveals that there is no such article or phrase in our law that charges parliamentarians to vote their conscience. In the State Regulation of the former Netherlands Antilles however, voting one’s conscience was regulated in article 61 which read: “the members of Parliament will vote in good conscience, without interference by or consultation with those who elected them.” This article was taken from the constitution of the Netherlands Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- As a Representative of the People and with a high attendance record for attending meetings, I find it very unfortunate the type of games we play in Parliament.

I find it simply amazing how the presidium of Parliament scheduled meetings this week knowing that there will be no quorum because some Members of Parliament (MPs) are off island attending a conference for the same Parliament which sent several MPs to the conference.

I was called by Parliament to attend a conference off the island with MP Christophe Emmanuel and MP Dr Read more

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Stop Playacting At Being Mp’S

I read with interest statements from UP Party MP Franklin Meyers that St. Maarten’s citizens have not benefited from the political changes since 10-10-10 and this statement raised my eyebrows. The people did not benefit because every proposal that was submitted by the OSPP to help the people– make them business owners in their country, help them become home owners, put our young people to work, etc Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- I read with interest statements from UP Party MP Franklin Meyers that St. Maarten’s citizens have not benefited from the political changes since 10-10-10 and this statement raised my eyebrows. The people did not benefit because every proposal that was submitted by the OSPP to help the people-- make them business owners in their country, help them become home owners, put our young people to work, etc Read more

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Up Parliamentarians Hold Talks With Florida Adventist Hospital

SINT MAARTEN/FLORIDA – Preliminary talks were concluded recently with top brass of Florida Adventist Hospital by United People’s (UP) party Members of Parliament (MPs) Theo Heyliger (leader), Dr. Lloyd Richardson,  and Cornelius de Weever Read more

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Parliamentary Meeting With Justice Minister Postponed

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – The Parliamentary plenary public meeting that was scheduled to deliberate on the Ministry of Justice and its relationship within the Kingdom did not take place on Monday.

The meeting was to have been held at 2.00 pm and was at the request of Members of Parliament (MPs) MP Leona Marlin-Romeo, MP Read more

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Mp Frans Richardson Sounds The Alarm: Social Media Messages: Kill The Prime Minister

St. Maarten News – Messages on social media suggest killing the prime minister, members of parliament and their corrupted friends, MP Frans Richardson said during a meeting of parliament about vote buying. While Richardson considered there threats far more important than the issue of vote buying, no other MP even reacted to his statement.

“I am going to protect myself and my family,” Richardson said Read more

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Dr. Lloyd: Offer Still Stands For National Government

PHILIPBURG--The offer to form a national government still stands, United People’s (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Lloyd Richardson said at the resumption of the handling of the draft 2016 budget in Parliament on Thursda Read more

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Marlin Reclama Votación Urgente; El Presupuesto Está En Un Callejón Sin Salida

Traducido por; Máximo Castro

Philipsburg.-El primer ministro William Marlin, reiteró la urgencia de votar por el presupuesto de St. Maarten en medio de la situación creada tras la detención del parlamentario independiente Silvio Matser.

“El interés de este país no puede ser puesto en un segundo plano porque hay un miembro del parlamento que es objeto de una investigación que se remonta a hace dos años; cuyo caso completó su investigación hace unos diez meses diez.

Precisamente el día en que se va a manejar el presupuesto, es que van a detener a esa persona, expresó un Marlin contrariado a los miembros de los medios de comunicación en un urgente llamado hecho durante la conferencia de prensa del viernes.

La detención Master forma parte de la investigación en curso sobre el caso Octopus, que implica un fraude electoral (compra de votos) cometido en las elecciones parlamentarias de agosto de 2014.

Máster fue detenido la madrugada del miércoles Read more

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We Aren’T Taking It Anymore, We Are Mad As Hell!

Lenny Priest Leader of One St. Maarten People Party

It is unacceptable that we just can’t get anything right since obtaining the status of country within the Dutch Kingdom on October 10, 2010. Over and over we have to repeat the shame that the established parties (UP, NA, DP, US) are putting this country through Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- It is unacceptable that we just can’t get anything right since obtaining the status of country within the Dutch Kingdom on October 10, 2010. Over and over we have to repeat the shame that the established parties (UP, NA, DP, US) are putting this country through Read more

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Mp Lloyd Richardson Doing Everything Possible To Secure His Brother's Garbage Contract Even At The Expense Of His First Cousin.

UPP Leader wants to maintain Port de Plaisance agreement.

PHILIPSBURG:---- While MP Hyacinth Richardson was the first MP to ask MP Lloyd Richardson to support the draft 2016 budget and to stop rejoicing over the arrest of MP Silvio Matser because they are first cousins.
SMN News understands that MP Lloyd Richardson agreed to support the draft 2016 budget if he is given a guarantee that he will get his brother’s garbage collection contract renewed, while the leader of the United Peoples Party Theodore Heyliger wants to maintain the agreement the former government has with Port de Plaisance for land that is zoned for a parking area.
Wanting to control at least three of the government owned companies will also give certain politicians the rights to dictate and spend the monies these companies have aside for projects.
There is a saying if someone does the crime, certainly they should also do the time, another is everyone is innocent until proven guilty Read more

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Marlin Wants Urgent Resolution To Budget Vote Impasse

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten –– Prime Minister William Marlin reiterated the urgency for a vote on the budget for St. Maarten in the midst of the arrest of Member of Parliament (MP) Silvio Matser, which he said will affect the passage of the budget.

“The interest of this country cannot be put on the back burner or in second place because there is a Member of Parliament who is under investigation going back to two years ago, whose case the investigation was completed some ten months ago Read more

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“I want to make clear that there is a government in place, all I wanted is support to approve the 2016 draft budget”

PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister William Marlin dispelled the allegations and rumors and even statements made during a radio program on Friday that he went tried to form a government on Thursday with the United Peoples Party Read more

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Little Opposition To 2016 Draft Budget

MP Tamara Leonard: “I feel like we have to take a hit too.” Photo Today / Milton Pieters

St. Maarten News – The parliament seemed to be going in record tempo through the debate about the draft 2016 budget yesterday. By 6.35 p.m. all speakers had put in their two cents in the first round; only nine MPs used their right to address the issue Read more

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Mps Pepper Ministers With Questions In Budget Debate

Independent MP Leona Marlin-Romeo (standing) speaks in the budget debate on Monday.

 PHILIPSBURG--The 2016 draft budget was tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister Richard Gibson on Monday morning in Parliament House. Members of Parliament (MPs), who had up to 90 minutes to speak, peppered the Council of Ministers with a barrage of questions spanning from the budget and Government policies to general topics of interest.

  The seven Ministers, who all made presentations about the working of their Ministries on Monday, will be back in Parliament today, Tuesday, starting at 2:00pm to deliver answers to the questions from MPs Read more

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‘Shotgun Budget’ Tabled In Parliament By Gibson

Finance Minister Richard Gibson (right) with MP Maurice Lake. 

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament is faced with a “shotgun budget” as the draft 2016 budget was described by Finance Minister Richard Gibson Read more

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‘Shotgun Budget’ Tabled In Parliament By Gibson

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament is faced with a “shotgun budget” as the draft 2016 budget was described by Finance Minister Richard Gibson. The Minister tabled the budget, totaling NAf 438,000 in the Central Committee meeting of Parliament on this morning.  

  There is “no time to do the budget as it should have been done” and to get all policies from the seven ministries covered, said the Minister Read more

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Government About To Collect 13 Million From Casino Sector

Parliamentarians happy with withdrawal increased road tax

St. Maarten – By providing the receiver’s office with a mandate, the government is able to collect 13 million in tax arrears from the casino-sector, Finance Minister Richard Gibson said yesterday afternoon during a meeting of the Central Committee where he, as announced on Wednesday, withdrew the draft law to increase the road tax in 2016.

In a brief introduction, the minister told parliament that he would like to make some changes to the draft the previous government had submitted Read more

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