Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
Editorial - It can’t hurt
The motion passed during yesterday's Parliament meeting to close the legislative year (see related story) may have surprised some. After all, the new cabinet being formed won't start until October 10, so the incoming NA/DP/US coalition just has to wait its turn.
Having said that, it's not the first time such action has been taken to prevent outgoing public administrators from making decisions that could commit the country financially or legally and hamper the next government Read more
New Mps Officially Formalized By Central Voting Bureau, Names Of Mps To Be Published
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten -The results of the 2014 Parliamentary election which was held on August 29th, have been formalized.
In adherence with the Electoral Law, the results will now have to be published in the National Gazette and the elected members of Parliament officially informed.
The elected MPs will also have to advise the Central Voting Bureau if they will accept the position of member of Parliament for St. Maarten.
This was announced on Monday afternoon during a public meeting of the Central Voting Bureau which is chaired by Attorney Jason Rogers.
Fifteen (15) members of Parliament were elected on Friday August 29th from four political parties Read more
Words cannot begin to express my sincere gratitude to all of you- for your support of me and my election campaign. It was your encouraging words that got me through many long days and nights with minimal sleep. Thank you to the 378 voters who put their faith in me to help build St. Maarten; I assure you that I will continue to work for you. Together NA, DP and USP will work in the interest of the people Read more
PHILIPSBURG:--- The two candidates that were elected on the United St. Maarten Peoples Party (USp) slate namely its leader Frans Richardson and the number two candidate Leona Romeo Marlin called an urgent press conference on Friday to clear the air on whether or not Romeo Marlin will jump ship to join UPP Read more
‘Janchi’ re-elected, in spite of tie with Buncamper-Molanus
PHILIPSBURG--Incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) Johan "Janchi" Leonard (United People's (UP) party) can be considered the big winner after the validation of the votes from the August 29 Parliamentary Elections by the Central Voting Bureau on Wednesday. Leonard was short two votes to be re-elected to Parliament. He received those votes when the bureau reviewed ballots deemed invalid by the polling station on election night.
Leonard (UP #7) is an MP-elect for UP, in spite of the tie with former Minister Maria Buncamper-Molanus (UP #21), because of his placement on the party's list of candidates Read more
Editorial - Time will tell
It appears a new government is indeed on the horizon, now that three parties with a combined eight of the 15 seats in Parliament have reached agreement on the division of ministerial portfolios and other positions (see related story). The candidates for such are yet to be announced, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what some of the names involved might be.
NA is likely to nominate its political leader William Marlin as the new Prime Minister, while the party's number two candidate and top vote-getter Silveria Jacobs, having already served as Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, is favoured to take up that post again Read more
Leader of the Democratic Party Prime Minister Wescot-Williams’ Post-Election Message.
Editorial - Top 10
The individual votes-count of Friday's election that only became fully available late Saturday afternoon makes for some interesting reading (see related story). For one thing, UP leader Theo Heyliger confirmed he is by far the most popular politician in St Read more
Holiday starts consultation on formation of new gov’t today
HARBOUR VIEW--Governor Eugene Holiday will start consultations for the formation of a new government as of today, Monday, September 1. The consultations will be held with Vice Chairperson of the Advisory Council; Ombudsman Nilda Arduin-Lynch; outgoing President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell and the leaders of the four political parties that obtained seats in the elections: United People’s (UP) party leader Theo Heyliger, National Alliance (NA) leader William Marlin; Democratic Party (DP) leader Sarah Wescot-Williams and United St Read more
Leader Of The Democratic Party Prime Minister Wescot-Williams' Post-Election Message
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Leader of the Democratic Party of St. Maarten Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams released a statement regarding the outcome of the 2014 elections on Monday.
The Prime Minister highlighted the way forward in her statement released amidst ongoing negotiations regarding the formation of Government; "The Democratic Party of St Read more
UP biggest, but NA, US, DP sign accord
PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten will have yet another coalition government after Friday's elections. National Alliance (four seats), United St. Maarten Party (two seats) and Democratic Party (two seats) signed a declaration of willingness before dawn today to work together to form a new government.
DP leader Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams told The Daily Herald about the declaration shortly after the signing took place at the DP election headquarters at Bute Hotel.
The short declaration states that the parties are willing to work together Read more
Sarah: DP to evaluate results, open to talk
PHILIPSBURG--The Democratic Party (DP) will be "digesting" and "evaluating" the preliminary parliamentary election results and will determine how to proceed, given the distribution of seats announced early this morning.
"We need to digest the results. That's where we will start. Then we see what needs to be done," DP leader Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams told The Daily Herald at the party's headquarters at Bute Hotel just after the announcement.
"The DP has been in this to give stability to the government of St Read more
PHILIPSBURG:--- The United Peoples Party got a resounding amount of votes from the voting population on Friday Read more
St. Maarten Prepares For New Government
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Talks towards the formation of a new government for St. Maarten has already begun.
Seemingly there is some interest between the National Alliance party of MP William Marlin (four seats), the Democratic Party of PM Sarah Wescot-Williams (two seats) and the US party of MP Frans Richardson (two seats).
www.sxmislandtime.com learnt that an accord was signed at the Bute Hotel between the NA, DP and US political parties at five (5am) Saturday.
If this combination of political parties decide to form the next government, then the UP party of MP Theo Heyliger who got seven (7) seats in Friday's election would be left to occupy the opposition benches in the new Parliament of St Read more
The first Parliament of our Country is nearing its end. In a few weeks the first four-year term, which started on October 10th 2010, will be over. As your first appointed Prime Minister in 2010 I promised you then that I would amongst other things build a strong foundation for our new country. Bridge the social and political divides and work for all of the people of St. Maarten. I would work to strengthen the delicate social fabric with strong and lasting fibers and to make it work Read more
Govt agrees that suspected directors should step down
PHILIPSBURG/THE HAGUE--The Government of St. Maarten agrees with the Wit-Samson Committee that directors of government-owned companies, who are a suspect in a criminal investigation, need to step down until this investigation is completed.
Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams and Justice Minister Dennis Richardson stated this in their formal response to the July 2014 report of the Wit-Samson integrity committee Read more
Up Party Inadmissible In Quest For Complete Voting Register
St. Maarten – The Court in First Instance declared the United People’s party and its president Sylvia Meyers-Olivacce inadmissible yesterday in a lawsuit that the party filed in an effort to obtain a full copy of the voters register.
The UP, represented by attorneys Peggy Ann Brandon and Brenda Brooks, filed the lawsuit against the Minister of General Affairs and the Government of St 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
St. Maarten restates objections to Rutte
THE HAGUE/PHILIPSBURG--The Government of St. Maarten has informed the Kingdom Council of Ministers that it will adopt many of the recommendations by the Wit-Samson Integrity Committee, but not without reiterating its objections to the way The Hague imposed an integrity audit via the governor of St. Maarten and the "continued blurring of norms on the Kingdom level."
In the letter dated August 21, 2014, St. Maarten Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams and Justice Minister Dennis Richardson informed Chairman of the Kingdom Council of Ministers, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the position of the St Read more
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Democratic Party of St. Maarten over the weekend highlighted its party platform on Foreign Relations, placing both within the context of the development of the St. Maarten Nation and its position within the global and regional community; "Since becoming a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Democratic Party has been working to carve out St Read more
Former Democratic Party Number Three Candidate Louis Halley Urges Supporters to Vote Number One on DP Slate.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Previous number three candidate on the Democratic Party Slate popular Simpson Bay resident Louis Halley is urging his supporters and the people of St Read more
UP’s case to obtain copy of voting register thrown out
PHILIPSBURG--The Court on Tuesday declared United People's (UP) Party Association and its chairperson and Member of Parliament (MP) Sylvia Meyers-Olivacce inadmissible in the injunction it had filed to obtain a copy of the voting register.
Upon hearing the Judge's decision, UP's lawyers Peggy-Ann Brandon and Brenda Brooks announced they would immediately file a new and similar injunction against Country St Read more
Party Leaders Avoid Laser 101 Debate: Rhoda Arrindell (Up): “Stupid Grievances Downed First Wescot-Williams Cabinetâ€
St. Maarten – Party leaders declined to take part in what would have been the last political debate before the elections on Friday yesterday. Radio station Laser 101 had invited UP-leader Theo Heyliger, DP-leader Sarah Wescot-Williams, NA-leader William Marlin and USp-leader Frans Richardson Read more