Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
Witness Says Frans Got Large Commission For Btp Building But Also Other Former Politicians
The Bureau Telecommunication and Post (BTP) building in Cannegieter Street.
~ Including $200k in political contributions to Ohndhae ~
PHILIPSBURG--Two witnesses testified under oath in open court on Wednesday as part of former Member of Parliament (MP) Frans Richardsons appeal of his 2021 conviction for bribery and abuse of position in the so-called Aquamarine II investigation Read more
Sarah: Country Should Analyse Relationship With Netherlands, Decide On Way Forward
The St. Maarten delegation at the Round Table Conference in 2009. From left, front row: advisor Eugene Holiday, then Commissioner Sarah Wescot-Williams, advisor Dennis Richardson and Commissioner the late Roy Marlin.
PHILIPSBURG--She was one of the staple faces and one of the main players in the political arena when St Read more
Zagers Relieved Of Interim Gebe Post, Two Interim Mds Appointed
click for internal GEBE memeo
PHILIPSBURG--The Supervisory Board of Directors of utilities company GEBE has “relieved†Interim Managing Director Andrew Zagers of his post and has appointed two interim Managing Directors pending the shareholder’s appointment of a new managing director.
Chairman of the Supervisory Board Roy Marlin told employees in an internal notice that all seven members of the supervisor board on August 20, ratified a resolution to relieve Zagers from the position of Interim Managing Director of GEBE effective August 23, pending the appointment of a new managing board or a new managing director by the shareholder of GEBE.
The supervisory board appointed Commercial Manager Iris Arrindell and Production Manager Kenrick Chittick to jointly act as the interim managing directors of company.
The interim managing directors were appointed to make jointly and separately, only day-to-day decisions Read more
Gebe Power Fully Restored For Now
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PHILIPSBURG--Utilities company GEBE says power has been restored in all districts and hopes that there will be no more mechanical issues with GEBE generators, the Supervisory Board announced during a press conference Wednesday morning.
Board Chairman Roy Marlin thanked the public for their patience during these past days with several outages.
Three engines started to malfunction on Friday while two others were being overhauled.
Cay Bay power plant Manager Kenrick Chittick gave a lengthy presentation about the number of generators GEBE has and the challenges it has faced over the year Read more
Roy Says Govt. Has Right To Claim Dividend From Gebe
PHILIPSBURG--Newly appointed Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Utilities Company GEBE Roy Marlin says government, as the sole shareholder of GEBE, has a right to claim dividend from its company, or payment from the water reserves, as long as this is structured correctly.
Sarah opts out of Parlatino meetings
PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot-Williams has "opted out" of attending meetings of the Latin American Parliament Parlatino slated for May.
Wescot-Williams said at a DP press conference at Parliament House on Monday that she had decided not to attend the meetings.
She called for Parliament "to discuss the effectiveness of the meetings" and the benefit to the country Read more
Leona: Stop first class travel for MPs and ministers, cut salaries
PHILIPSBURG--A five per cent salary cut and an end to all first class air travel for Members of Parliament (MPs) and ministers were proposed to Parliament by independent MP Leona Marlin-Romeo during the Plenary Session of Parliament dealing with the draft 2015 budget on Tuesday.
Marlin-Romeo, a member of the governing coalition, said if civil servants could do without the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) this year, MPs and ministers should be prepared to take a salary cut.
She intends to formalise her proposals in a motion slated for tabling today, Wednesday, when the plenary session continues in Parliament House at 2:00pm.
Then Democratic Party MP Roy Marlin lobbied for a similar salary cut just over a year ago, but it was withdrawn after he failed to persuade any of his coalition partners to sign on Read more
Editorial - Maturity required
Thankfully, a majority of the fractions in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament rejected the idea floated by the liberal democratic VVD and Socialist Party (SP) for a commonwealth with St. Maarten, Aruba and Curaçao as independent countries (see related article). It was pointed out correctly that the right of self-determination recognised by the United Nations (UN) in principle lies with the islands, not the Netherlands.
None of the three territories has called for independence officially, and historically it is up to the colonised rather than the coloniser to opt for changes in that relationship Read more
Editorial - Not unthinkable
That outgoing Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure VROMI Maurice Lake wants the Council of Ministers to get on with approving the much-discussed purchase of the Vorst land in Cay Hill (see Friday paper) is to a certain extent understandable. After all, the family has been waiting since the days of former Minister Roland Duncan and his plans for a Justice Park on that location.
Not only that, but they have agreed to lower the price at least twice Read more
Sarah: Counterpart policy was ‘moot point,’ unclear why Cornelius de Weever defected
~ He has not resigned from DP ~
PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) leader Sarah Wescot-Williams says the counterpart policy was a "moot point" and could not be the reason DP Member of Parliament (MP)-elect Cornelius de Weever had pulled his support from the slate on which he was elected to help United People's (UP) party form a one-seat Parliamentary majority.
Wescot-Williams told reporters at a press conference at Holland House Beach Hotel on Sunday that the policy never had been an issue, as De Weever's proposal in the Council of Ministers on August 12 to establish a counterpart policy had been approved.
De Weever indicated at the time that the policy would be introduced as a pilot programme in collaboration with social partners and said there were some businesses that were willing to work with him on the initiative Read more
Vorst land purchase to be omitted from 2014 budget amendment
~ Roy's amendment to budget amendment passed ~
PHILIPSBURG--An amendment to remove the purchase of the Vorst Estate property from a budget amendment tabled by Finance Minister Martin Hassink was passed during a public plenary session of parliament on Monday.
It was the third time the meeting had been convened to handle this and other issues. The first two meetings were cancelled due to lack of quorum. The motion, which was tabled by Democratic Party (DP) Member of Parliament (MP) Roy Marlin, was passed by seven of MPs voting in favour of the amendment and six voting against it.
Supporting the motion were author Roy Marlin, National Alliance (NA) MPs William Marlin, Hyacinth Richardson, George Pantophlet and Louie Laveist and Independent MPs Frans Richardson and Romain Laville Read more
Budget amendment meet called off again due to lack of quorum
PHILIPSBURG--The public plenary session of Parliament on amendments to the 2014 budget was cancelled for the second time on Friday, as only four Members of Parliament (MPs) showed up and signed in for the meeting.
The meeting was first called off on Wednesday, due to the lack of a quorum when seven MPs were signed in, though United People's (UP) party MPs and Independent MP Dr. Lloyd Richardson had been in the building.
Present at Friday's session were National Alliance (NA) MPs Hyacinth Richardson and George Pantophlet, Democratic Party (DP) MP Roy Marlin and United People's (UP) party MP Gracita Arrindell Read more
No quorum for budget amendment meeting
~ UP, Dr. Richardson, Illidge, De Weever absent ~
PHILIPSBURG--The public plenary session of Parliament on amendments to the 2014 budget was cancelled on Wednesday due to the lack of a quorum, as only seven Members of Parliament (MPs) were signed in.
Parliament Press Secretary Roddy Heyliger said in a press release last night that the session had been rescheduled to Friday at 10:00am.
At least eight MPs are needed for the meeting to proceed Read more
MPs concerned about TelEm-Digicel accord
PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) have expressed concern about the signing of a financial information sharing contract between the St. Maarten Telephone Group of Companies TelEm and regional telecom company Digicel.
Democratic Party (DP), National Alliance (NA) and Independent MPs Frans Richardson and Patrick Illidge expressed concerns during a meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament on Friday, to handle amendments to the 2014 budget.
Neither United People's (UP) party MPs nor independent MP Dr Read more
Kingdom Relations Committee swiftly deals with hefty agenda
PHILIPSBURG--Parliament's Permanent Committee for Kingdom Affairs and Inter-Parliamentary Relations, chaired by outgoing Member of Parliament (MP) Roy Marlin Democratic Party (DP), swiftly dealt with a twelve-point agenda covering several kingdom treaties, motions and other business on Tuesday morning, in Parliament House.
Marlin outlined the agenda and suggested the points that needed the committee simply to take note of and the ones that needed to be left for the incoming committee and its new chairman to handle.
A list of treaties in the preparatory phase and Country St Read more
MPs close off fourth year of Parliament
PHILIPSBURG--The 2013-2014 parliamentary year closed on Monday with several Members of Parliament (MPs) taking the opportunity to give a farewell speech outlining their accomplishments, hopes for the new parliamentary year and for the incoming government.
Based on the Constitution, the parliamentary year must close before the second Tuesday in September – the official opening of the new parliamentary year. The opening will take place today, Tuesday, at Parliament House, with Governor Eugene Holiday delivering the traditional governor's speech containing government's plans for the coming year.
At Monday's session, outgoing independent MP Romain Laville said being an MP has been "one of the greatest experiences" he has had in life Read more
Motion passed to restrict outgoing ministers’ actions
PHILIPSBURG--A motion calling on Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams to inform individual ministers of the Wescot-Williams III Cabinet "to not make any long-term policy, financial and/or decisions of such a nature as granting lands in long lease, bus and taxi licences, concessions, hiring and placement of personnel in crucial functions" was adopted by a majority of Members of Parliament (MPs) in the closing meeting of the 2013-2014 parliamentary year on Monday.
The motion was presented by MP Roy Marlin (Democratic Party (DP)) and also signed by six other MPs.
The motion further called on the ministers to refrain from making any decision on the waste-to-energy concession or any other decision "that may obstruct or encumber the incoming government from functioning adequately during the next governing term."
The motion also requested the prime minister to inform the individual ministers who are shareholder's representatives of government-owned companies "to instruct management and boards of these companies to refrain from entering into long-term agreements and sign contracts that may negatively affect or bind these companies for a long term."
The motion was presented by MP Roy Marlin after he requested an addition to an agenda of the plenary session of Parliament Read more
Democratic Party holds its last public meeting
SIMPSON BAY--Democratic Party (DP) supporters turned out for one last public meeting at Kim Sha Beach in Simpson Bay last night. The nineteen candidates reiterated what they stood for, what needs to change in St. Maarten and what the party has been accomplishing so far.
Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams, DP #1, reiterated her views that the party had put United People’s party leaders where they are today, which was why they could shine Read more
DP calls for Central Bank to assess claim against Harbour
PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) Member of Parliament Roy Marlin says his party wants Finance Minister Martin Hassink to get the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten to assess the risk for St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies as a result of a US $100 million claim against the company and its Chief Executive Officer Mark Mingo by Zebec NV.
"The risks associated with this claim can pose a serious threat to the survivability of this group of companies Read more
Workgroup to iron out details of Kingdom dispute committee
PHILIPSBURG--A workgroup will be established by the Parliaments of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten to outline how they envision the establishment and functioning of an independent Kingdom dispute committee/institution to which the countries in the kingdom can seek advice on kingdom laws or instructions they perceive as an infringement on their autonomy.
The dispute committee is at present likened to a Constitutional Court. The workgroup will outline how the committee will be formulated, how members will be appointed and how it will be funded Read more
MPs agree to motion on dispute committee
PHILIPSBURG--The tripartite meeting of Members of the Parliaments (MPs) of St. Maarten, Aruba and Curaçao to discuss a uniform stance on the installation of the kingdom dispute committee had a bit of a rocky start in St. Maarten Monday afternoon, but by early night the delegations had a draft motion worded the way they desired.
The motion and other related statements from the meeting are set to be signed at Parliament House this morning. More information about the content will be made public at that time Read more
Dennis updates MPs about tackling crime
PHILIPSBURG--Justice Minister Dennis Richardson gave Members of Parliament (MPs) updates on the Police's efforts to tackle crime in the community at a Central Committee meeting of Parliament on Monday. The meeting was scheduled to take place last week, but was postponed until yesterday, due to a lack of quorum.
Richardson said the country's crime levels are at a place where other countries in the immediate surrounding will be "jealous of." The police force has been tackling preventable crimes and have been making arrests and getting breaks in large cases Read more
Cadastre still to be moved to VROMI
PHILIPSBURG--The Cadastre (Kadaster in Dutch) and Mortgage Registry still legally falls under the Ministry of Finance, while the practical responsibility is that of the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI.
A report submitted by Ombudsman Nilda Arduin about the operations of the Cadastre was before Parliament in a Central Committee meeting on Friday. However, after Members of Parliament asked questions, President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell suspended the meeting until further notice to give VROMI Minister Maurice Lake time to get the go ahead from the Council of Ministers to discuss the Cadastre and its work Read more