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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

Tranquillity, stability and civility

Dear Editor,

The new government is hardly in place and already I find myself having to comment on the behaviour of our political leaders during Parliament meetings. Let me say that I cannot say A said so and so when everyone knows that B said it. On Saturday, December 20, 2014, I read in the paper how the newly sworn in Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs said the country needs tranquillity, stability, civility and prosperity 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

SMHDF Meeting of Parliament to continue early next year.

style="text-align: center;">MPs want documentation and clarity the suspension of Henry Lynch and Emilio Kalmera

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Parliament of St. Maarten called an emergency meeting on Monday to seek clarity on what exactly transpired at the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) where two members of the management team were suspended pending the outcome of an investigation that was to be commissioned by the SOAB. However, former Minister of Housing Maurice Lake who was also a former board member of SMHDF stopped the SOAB from conducting the investigation claiming that legal procedures were not followed and that the board of SMHDF does not have a full board 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

Education for children who urgently need special education

Dear Editor,

Please allow me some space in your newspaper to address the Government and Parliament of St. Maarten and Ronald Plasterk, Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.

St. Maarten Government, Parliament and Minister Plasterk, my name is Reinder Torrenga and I'm a proud father of a daughter with Down syndrome. This is not the first time I need to use the media to speak about my frustration and make a plea to our Council of Ministers and the parliament of our country St 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 Marcel Gumbs Cabinet takes office

~ Governor issues challenge to unify people ~

PHILIPSBURG--"The greatest little country in the world" as St. Maarten has been described by its new Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, finally has a new Council of Ministers. Gumbs, a veteran politician, and the five other ministers were sworn in on Friday afternoon by Governor Eugene Holiday at his office.

The swearing-in ceremony was followed by the first meeting of the Council of Ministers with the governor in A.C Read more

style="text-align: center;">Marcel Gumbs second Prime Minister since St. Maarten became a country

PHILIPSBURG:--- Five of the seven required Ministers were sworn in on Friday. Former Senator of the Netherlands Antilles Marcel Gumbs was sworn in as the second Prime Minister of Country St Read more

Statement From The Honorable Prime Minister Marcel F.A. Gumbs

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is with a great sense of pride and honor that I sit before you as Prime Minister of this greatest little country in the world. My entire life has been dedicated to service in one form or the other to St. Maarten. This latest chapter is just a continuation of that service. And now, it's time to work!

We hold no illusions of the task before us. St. Maarten is at a critical stage in its development and growth as a nation.

Our mission is clear: To ensure that St 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

Sarah: Governor should answer to Parliament

PHILIPSBURG--Governor "should answer to Parliament regarding the formation of the next government, if only to stop the rumour mill," says Democratic Party (DP) Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams.

She shared this opinion in a press statement issued on Wednesday Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- In my opinion, it can and specifically in the case of the formation of the council of ministers, following a regular election.
The Governor has in this particular matter taken it upon himself (and we know why of course) to direct the process.
The government of the country is the responsibility of Parliament. When something seems awry, which it does, parliament has the responsibility to query the formation of a government for the country.
It should never be the case, that candidate ministers are publicly hung out to dry; taken down like sitting ducks, and all this on the basis of information that is somehow attained, because those who should apprise the people of the process, are mum.
Mostly, persons selected for ministerial positions are those who have postulated themselves in an election, unless there is a case of exceptional expertise in one or more particular areas and needed because of circumstances that warrant such Read more

Sxm Mp's To Meet On Upcoming Ipko Meeting Which Is Set For January

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations (CKAIR) of the St. Maarten Parliament will be meeting again on Thursday, December 18th to discuss the upcoming IPKO (Meeting of Kingdom Parliaments) on Aruba in the first week of January 2015.

This committee of Parliament met for the first time on December 8th to elect its chairperson and vice chairperson. MP Sarah Wescot-Williams was elected to chair this committee.

On December 9th, by means of a video conference the chairpersons of the Parliaments and the parliamentary Kingdom Committees of Aruba, Curacao and St Read more

Sixty years charter marked in Curaçao

WILLEMSTAD--Curaçao observed the sixtieth anniversary of the Dutch Kingdom Charter on Monday, December 15, with a gathering at the renovated "autonomy monument" on Rijkseenheid Boulevard. Curaçao Governor Lucille George-Wout, Prime Minister of Aruba Mike Eman and caretaker Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot-Williams were among the invited guests.

Although Kingdom Day is not a holiday in Curaçao, Prime Minister Ivar Asjes had decided that this milestone should not go by unnoticed Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Caretaker Prime Minister and Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams dispatched an email to the President of Parliament with several questions to caretaker Minister Maurice Lake. Wescot Williams said in her email that the island has been gripped again with another saga this time involving a government owned entity Read more

Mp Wescot-Williams Seeking To Make Public Official Information On Smhdf Saga

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Member of Parliament and Leader of the Democratic Party, the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams Monday sent a letter to the President of Parliament the Honorable Dr. Lloyd Richardson seeking answers to a number of questions surrounding developments at the St Read more

Minister Cornelius De Weever Resigns From The Democratic Party

St. Maarten —Minister Cornelius de Weever yesterday officially severed ties with the Democratic Party by officially informing the leader of that party and care taker Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams that he is resigning from the party.

Minister De Weever ran on the DP’s ticket in the August 2014 elections but secretly formed a coalition with the UP party shortly after the elections while the DP had publicly announced that it has signed an agreement and was forming a coalition with the US and NA Read more

Premiers Of Former Netherlands Antilles Boycott Kingdom Day

WILLEMSTAD – The Prime Ministers of Curaçao, Aruba and St. Maarten are boycotting the celebration of Kingdom Day. They refuse to travel to Amsterdam to attend the traditional Kingdom Concert in the presence of King Willem Alexander.

According to a reliable source in The Hague the three prime ministers of the three islands are so angry at the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte they have stated that they will not be present. This is especially painful because next Monday an anniversary celebration will be held Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- For the second consecutive year, Prime Minister and Member of Parliament of St. Maarten, Sarah Wescot-Williams has placed amongst the Top 100 Powerful Women, an annual selection of 100 women by the monthly Dutch magazine OPZIJ.
Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams placed in the category "Politics", along with 9 other women, who together share the spotlight with 90 other women in 9 different categories.
The Prime Minister was informed of her placement by letter dated September 16th, from the Editor-in-Chief, Mrs Read more

Mp Wescot-Williams Among Opzij 100 Most Powerful Women

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - For the second consecutive year, Prime Minister and Member of Parliament of St. Maarten, Sarah Wescot-Williams has placed amongst the Top 100 Powerful Women, an annual selection of 100 women by the monthly Dutch magazine OPZIJ.

Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams placed in the category "Politics", along with 9 other women, who together share the spotlight with 90 other women in 9 different categories.

The Prime Minister was informed of her placement by letter dated September 16th, from the Editor-in-Chief, Mrs Read more