SXMElections.com

Sarah: Hassink has ‘no choice’

~But to release BTP report~

PHILIPSBURG--The recent call by Bureau Telecommunication and Post (BTP) to government to make publicly available the Government Accountants Bureau SOAB report, appraisal reports and advice on the bureau to put an end to fraud allegations has left Finance Minister Martin Hassink "no choice" but to explain to Parliament the hierarchical structure of BTP, said Democratic Party (DP) Leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams in a statement Sunday.

"I eagerly await the Finance Minister's reaction to this sudden outburst by BTP," Wescot-Williams said.

BTP said in a press statement on Friday that neither its present supervisory board nor management "ever took a decision to purchase a building Read more

Gumbs: Screening of ministers under Wescot-Williams’ watch

PHILIPSBURG--Minister-candidates who are now ministers in the Gumbs Cabinet were screened during the tenure of now-former Prime Minister/General Affairs Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, said Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs in response to questions posed by the same Wescot-Williams, now a Member of Parliament, about the screening and the involvement of the Dutch Secret Service in the process.

Wescot-Williams sent her questions about the screening to Gumbs on January 13 via Parliament Chairman Dr Read more

PM submits declarations of assets to Advisory Council

PHILIPSBURG--Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs has submitted to the Advisory Council his declarations and notifications of assets, holdings, secondary positions and interests, those of the other five new ministers and of ministers who served in the Wescot-Williams III Cabinet.

The submission is in accordance with the National Ordinance Promotion of the Integrity of Ministers.

The declarations were submitted on Friday, three days before the stipulated 30-day deadline for submission by new ministers and persons who have ceased to be ministers.

The submission to the Advisory Council followed a similar submission to the Electoral Council that was tied to the National Ordinance Registration and Finances of Political Parties Read more

PM Gumbs responds to Wescot-Williams on Dutch Secret Service.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister the Hon. Marcel Gumbs has responded, via official letter, to the questions by Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams as submitted to the Chairman of Parliament via letter dated January 13, 2015 Read more

Sarah still awaits answers about housing foundation

PHILIPSBURG--It has been a month and Democratic Party (DP) Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot-Williams is still waiting on answers from government, in particular Public Housing Minister Marcel Gumbs, to her questions about whether St Read more

MPs emphasise need for information from govt

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament wants timely information from government when such is requested, especially on matters being handled in the Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultation IPKO. This need was highlighted by United St. Maarten Party Member of Parliament (MP) Frans Richardson on Friday.

His recommendation was supported by other MPs in the debriefing meeting of Parliament's Permanent Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs and Kingdom Relations held in Parliament House Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The outcome of the Inter-parliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IPKO) that took place in Aruba recently, will be a topic of discussion on Friday morning in the House of Parliament when the Permanent Kingdom Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations Committee will meet for a debriefing.
The meeting is scheduled to start at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber, and members of the public are invited to attend the open session.
The next IPKO is scheduled for May 27 to 29 in The Hague, the Netherlands which will be attended by parliamentary delegations from the Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten.
Members of Parliament (MPs) will be sharing their opinions on Friday morning when the House sits for the debriefing.
On energy matters, delegation members fully support cooperation in the area of energy, and look forward to seeing the utility companies of Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten coming together to have discussions in exploring such cooperation.
After such discussions are held, it should lead to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) being signed by the three parties.
The delegation members then hope to be able to discuss the MOU at the next IPKO meeting.
A workgroup has been established with representatives from the following countries: Rasmijn (Aruba), Sulvaran (Curacao) and Bosman (the Netherlands) Read more

Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultation In Aruba Covers Many Topics Requiring Follow-Up By The Four Governments. Debriefing Set For Friday Morning

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – The outcome of the Inter-parliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IPKO) that took place in Aruba recently, will be a topic of discussion on Friday morning in the House of Parliament when the Permanent Kingdom Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations Committee will meet for a debriefing.

The meeting is scheduled to start at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber, and members of the public are invited to attend the open session.

The next IPKO is scheduled for May 27 to 29 in The Hague, the Netherlands which will be attended by parliamentary delegations from the Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten.

Members of Parliament (MPs) will be sharing their opinions on Friday morning when the House sits for the debriefing.

On energy matters, delegation members fully support cooperation in the area of energy, and look forward to seeing the utility companies of Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten coming together to have discussions in exploring such cooperation.

After such discussions are held, it should lead to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) being signed by the three parties.

The delegation members then hope to be able to discuss the MOU at the next IPKO meeting.

A workgroup has been established with representatives from the following countries: Rasmijn (Aruba), Sulvaran (Curacao) and Bosman (the Netherlands) Read more

Editorial - Need for speed

The news that parliamentarian Sarah Wescot-Williams (DP) intends to "pick up" former DP fraction member Leroy de Weever's two initiative laws to establish a timeshare authority and better regulate the sector no doubt will be welcomed, especially in light of the problem at Caravanserai and the bad publicity for the destination this is generating Read more

Budget sent to Governor

PHILIPSBURG--The draft 2015 budget is a step closer to Parliament. The budget, with remarks from the Advisory Council, has been submitted to Governor Eugene Holiday by the Gumbs Cabinet.

The budget was top priority for the cabinet of Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs. That cabinet was sworn in by Governor Holiday on December 19, 2014, and faces an extended deadline from the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT Read more

Sarah questions Dutch Secret Service role in cabinet screening

PHILIPSBURG--The exact role the Dutch Secret Service played in the screening of minister candidates for the Gumbs Cabinet is questioned by Democratic Party (DP) Leader Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot-Williams in a letter sent this week to Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs.

She seeks answers to the Dutch Secret Service's role in the screening, whether theirs was a one-time involvement, or will this continue for subsequent cabinets and how the service's role is "formalized nationally."

Her request to the prime minister for answers "has nothing to do" with the persons who were subjected to the screening process, but are directed to "the process" used to screen them.

Dutch Minister for Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations Roland Plasterk was quoted by the media as saying that ministers sworn-in on December 19, 2014, were "subjected with the assistance of employees of the Dutch secret service to an extra-severe screening."

Wescot-Williams framed her questions to the prime minister based on Plasterk's statement and St Read more

DP to continue with draft timeshare laws

PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) will "pick up" the two draft initiative laws on the establishment of a timeshare authority and the regulation of the sector submitted to Parliament in its first sitting by former DP Member of Parliament Leroy de Weever.

DP leader MP Sarah Wescot-Williams informed Parliament Chairman Dr Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the Democratic Party and Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams has sent a letter to Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs asking for an explanation on the screening of Ministers that were installed on December 19th, 2014 Read more

Dp Faction To Give Attention To Draft Timeshare Ordinances

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Leader of the Democratic Party MP Sarah Wescot-Williams Wednesday confirmed that on Wednesday she informed the chairman of Parliament of her faction's intention to pick up the draft timeshare initiative laws and continue with the process.

According to MP Wescot-Williams, as is the case with initiative laws, the initiators are responsible for the process.

It is also customary that a faction can continue the process, started by one or more of its members, no longer in Parliament, as is the case with these drafts.

I also informed Minister Conner of my intentions and suggested that we meet to plan the way forward with these drafts.

I did so to avoid any overlapping and or doubling of efforts Read more

Mp Wescot-Williams Seeks Information Of Closure Of Screening Process For Ministers

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The leader of the Democratic Party, MP the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams Wednesday expressed concern with what she believes is the none transparent manner in which the screening process conducted by the Governor of St Read more

NA call for MP Matser’s ‘immediate’ resignation

PHILIPSBURG--The "immediate resignation" of United People's (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Silvio Matser has been called for by the National Alliance (NA) Board.

The call, issued Tuesday, comes a week after the Court of First Instance sentenced the first-term MP to 24 months, 18 of which were suspended, on three years' probation and 240 hours of community service, for tax evasion Read more

The grass might be greener on the other side of the fence, but the mangoes in your own backyard are the sweetest: a report on the USM in 2014.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Too often we half-forget the wisdoms of our grandparents and great-grandparents. This of course is lamentable and tragic. It is time that we remember and endorse the other part of our grandmother and grandfather's wisdom notes to achieve wholeness as individuals and as a society.
Most of us are familiar with the saying, "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence." We use this colourful expression routinely to state that from our dwelling place, from our little Caribbean island, from where we are standing, what takes place educationally in the overdeveloped countries in Western Europe and the USA and Canada or even the emerging economic powers in Asia, and what people in those countries have materially and we don't because we lack their educational system, is simply extraordinary Read more

Dp:  “A Dark Day For All Of Us” (Charlie Hebdo)

St. Maarten – The Democratic Party is the first political party to react to the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in Paris. In a brief statement, party-leader Sarah Wescot-Williams offers its condolences as well as sympathy to our country’s French neighbors.

“The Democratic Party of St Read more

The Grass Might Be Greener On The Other Side Of The Fence, But The Mangoes In Your Own Backyard Are The Sweetest: A Report On The Usm In 2014

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Too often we half-forget the wisdoms of our grandparents and great-grandparents. This of course is lamentable and tragic.

It is time that we remember and endorse the other part of our grandmother and grandfather's wisdom notes to achieve wholeness as individuals and as a society.

Most of us are familiar with the saying, "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence." We use this colourful expression routinely to state that from our dwelling place, from our little Caribbean island, from where we are standing, what takes place educationally in the overdeveloped countries in Western Europe and the USA and Canada or even the emerging economic powers in Asia, and what people in those countries have materially and we don't because we lack their educational system, is simply extraordinary.

We consider ourselves deprived and long to be there; we dream of having those mountains of things and those degrees that they have Read more

‘Look in the mirror,’ PM tells crowd at National Prayer Day

PHILIPSBURG--A few hundred people gathered on Clem Labega Square late Sunday afternoon to celebrate the National Day of Prayer.

The event was organised by the St. Martin Ministerial Foundation, the St. Maarten Council of Churches, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and the Ministry of Education and Culture.

The service started with a word of welcome by Monique Rey, who said St. Maarten was a nation under God. She welcomed the dignitaries, who included Governor Eugene Holiday, Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, Minister of Finance Martin Hassink, Jean-David Richards of the Collectivité of French St Read more

>How blessed we are! For the 10th consecutive year, we are enjoying the freedom and leadership committed to conjointly observing a National Day of Prayer. I am proud to have been part of the Executive Council that in 2005 instituted this day and I thank the different denominations for upholding the tradition unwaveringly.
This we do, respecting the constitutionally enshrined right of freedom of religion of all, but also respecting the premise and preamble of the same constitution, our unified belief in the Almighty.

I truly believe that a government should have its ears to the ground and respect the individual freedoms of all, but ultimately it should be the norms and values that the majority of us hold dear that should set the tone.
The National Day of Prayer in addition to its religious connotation, is also an opportunity for reflection and for resolution.
Consciously, this day is held at the beginning of the year, giving ourselves another opportunity for resolve and recovery, and the will to stay the course.
Neither as a member of Parliament nor as a citizen, it is to me to judge any-one else, but rather to provide guidance and to stand up for the values we hold dear as a community Read more

Sarah: January 7 ‘dark day for all’

PHILIPSBURG--January seven was “a dark day for all of us,” said Democratic Party (DP) Leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams in a condolence message to the family of the victims of the tragic shooting at the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, the French Republic and all of Europe impacted by the events on Wednesday.

“In a very special way, we empathize with our French St Read more

Medical Center still to get NAf. 5 million from gov’t for urgent repairs

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) is still to receive the NAf. 5 million government had promised to provide the institution to conduct urgent repairs and upgrades.

The funds are not related to SMMC's current NAf. 5 million deficit. SMMC General Director Kees Klarenbeek, who just clocked one year and five months in SMMC's employ, said that once received, the funds would be used in a positive manner for urgent repairs and on things that could be used in the new or expanded medical centre.

In addition to the NAf Read more

SMMC in dire financial straits, books in the red

~ Low tariffs, unpaid bills smothering hospital ~

CAY HILL--St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) is experiencing dire financial straits, which potentially threatens the future health of the institution if not remedied soon.

SMMC General Director Kees Klarenbeek told The Daily Herald in an exclusive interview on Thursday that the institution is currently operating in the red, with its accounts some NAf Read more