SXMElections.com

Prime Minister Wescot-Williams; "No member of Parliament, faction or what have you has ever thought on changing the date of elections."

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams again reiterated that the reason elections are being held in August is based on the date for the new Parliament having to be installed being the tenth of October 2010. The Prime Minister made her remarks on her weekly call-in Radio Program One on One with the Prime Minister; "I am still hearing comments that the fact that elections are being held in August is being questioned Read more

>PHILIPSBURG/MARIGOT:--- Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams, President Aline Hanson and Prefet Delegue Phillipe Chopin signed an operational agreement on the European Funding tha Read more

Prime Minister Wescot-Williams Signs Letter Of Intent With French Side For Waste Water Treatment Facility Benefitting Both Sides Of The Island

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams together with the Prefet of St. Martin and St. Barths Philippe Chopin and the President of the Collectivite of St. Maarten Mrs. Aline Hanson signed the Letter of Intent (LoI) for cross border cooperation between both sides of the island at a signing ceremony on Monday.

The European Trans-border Cooperation (ETC) Operational Program is a program of cooperation between both sides of the island to work on various mutually important projects for both sides of the island.

Prime Minister Wescot-Williams stated that administrations over the years on a technical level have been making agreements on how to move various areas forward for the people of St Read more

Prime Minister Wescot-Williams Highlights Contribution Of Indian Families To Development Of Country St. Maarten At India Independence Day Celebrations

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams congratulated the members of the Indian Community on St. Maarten at the Indian Merchant's Association's event celebrating the India Independence Day at the Belair Community Center Monday.

During her address to the crowd the PM highlighted the Indian Community's commitment to contributing to the society of St Read more

Level Of Political Debate Shta Mixer Disappoints

St. Maarten - The political mixer organized by the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) at the Sonesta Great Bay Beach Hotel began with a disappointment when the leader of the United St. Maarten party did not show up. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, who was expected to attend, was also absent. Five parties were represented: NA (Rodolphe Samuel), UP (Miguel De Weever), DP (Roy Marlin), SRP (Jacinto Mock) and OSPP (Lenny Priest).

Parties first got the opportunity to explain in broad strokes what they stand for Read more

Publication Integrity-Report Delayed Until Next Week

St. Maarten – The publication of the integrity-report from the Wit-Committee has been delayed until next week Friday, Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams informed this newspaper yesterday. The original publication date of the report plus the comments from the government on it were scheduled for yesterday.

“Due to unforeseen circumstances we have not yet ratified the government’s position Read more

style="text-align: center;">"I have seen several Ministers sign off on various projects that fall outside of their portfolios and deciding on things without the Council of Ministers being aware of"

PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Wescot-Williams; "The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams again reiterated that, as Citizens voting for the 2014 Parliamentary elections, people will be voting for Parliament and not for a Council of Ministers; "I keep trying to explain what and who people are voting for on August 29th Read more

Dp Removed Campaign Material In Belvedere, But: Roundabout Billboards Remain An Issue

St. Maarten – The police had to intervene and in the end, the Democratic Party yielded and took down its oversized political billboard at the Belvedere roundabout on Friday. Chief Commissioner Peter de Witte said that officers had checked the situation on Thursday and concluded that the billboard stood – as was obvious to everyone except the Democratic Party – on the roundabout.

On Wednesday, party-leader and Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams still declared that the situation did not fall within the description of a roundabout Read more

Mp Leonard Questions Pm On Alleged Winair Debt

St. Maarten – United People’s (UP) Party Member of Parliament is seeking answers from Winiar shareholder representative Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams about a supposed debt of $1.4 million owed to a company in Guadeloupe Read more

Legal Policy Advisor Takes Pm To Court Over Dubious Suspension

Social Economic Council implodes under warring secretary-general

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – The Social Economic Council has virtually collapsed due to a conflict between its Secretary-General Gerard Richardson and legal policy advisor Arjen Alberts whose attorney Cindy Marica filed a lawsuit against the Minister of General Affairs Sarah Wescot-Williams yesterday to get clarity about his position Read more

Leonard wants answers on Winair owing US $1.4M

PHILIPSBURG--United People’s (UP) party Member of Parliament Johan Leonard has written to Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams (Democratic Party) seeking information about Windward Islands Airways International Winair possibly owing a Guadeloupe company some US $1.4 million for the wet leasing of an ATR aircraft.

“If Winair owes this amount, Parliament needs to know how Winair will pay this,” said Leonard who wrote to Wescot-Williams in her capacity as shareholder’s representative for Winair Read more

SER advisor in Court to have his suspension lifted

PHILIPSBURG--Senior policy advisor of the Social Economic Council SER Arjen Alberts has filed a petition with the Civil Service Court against Minister of General Affairs Sarah Wescot-Williams.

In the petition, which was filed Wednesday, Alberts seeks the annulment of his suspension from his job as per April 29, and payment of study and travel expenses.

Alberts has been senior advisor with the SER since February 1, 2012, and drafts SER advice to the Government of St Read more

Up Mp Leonard Writes Prime Minister Seeking Answers About Winair Possibly Owing Us$1.4 Million To A Guadeloupe Company

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Via the President of Parliament, United People's (UP) Party Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Janchie Leonard has written a letter to the Prime Minister Hon. Sarah Wescot-Williams in her capacity as shareholder representative with respect to Windward Islands Airways (Winair).

"According to Article 69 of the Rules of Order of the House of Parliament, I am using my write as MP to seek answers regarding a number of issues at Winair.

I read in the media where Winair executed some new routes using a larger aircraft in one case, an ATR type in a wet lease format including crew from a French company in Guadeloupe.

"The new route which was from Sint Maarten to the Dominican Republic then on to Curacao and returning to Sint Maarten via the Dominican Republic Read more

Trans-Border agreement to be signed on August 18

PHILIPSBURG--The draft operational programme for the European Development Fund Trans-Border Project will be made final on August 18, when representatives of the Dutch and French sides' governments sign the agreement.

Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams said the draft programme, which outlines the plans for the building of a Read more

style="text-align: center;">Ebony Steel Orchestra to Provide Entertainment

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Democratic Party of St. Maarten is reminding the communities of Dutch Quarter, Belvedere, Middle Region, Defiance, Oyster Pond, Dawn Beach, Sucker Garden, Guana Bay, Madame Estate and French Quarter to come out to the Party's first public meeting this Friday, August 8th starting at seven pm at the de Weever property in Dutch Quarter. The Board, membership and candidates invite the public to come out to listen to the red thread and hear what the DP plans for its vision bringing St Read more

AVS First Live Political Debate Set For August 10.

>GREAT BAY:--- AVS Live Political Debates on the parliamentary elections will be held Sunday, August 10, August 17 And Sunday, August 24 At The Belair Community Center In Cay Hill.
The debates will be aired via Sxm Cable TV Channel 120 and WTN Cable TV Carib Channel 10 and Will Stream Live via Avsnewsonline.com TV Channel.
On Saturday, August 2, the leaders or an authorizing representative of the six political parties were invited to an informative session regarding the rules & regulations of the debate by the organizing committee who consist Of Clarence Richardson, Chairman, Edward Benjamin, Vice Chair, Terry Woods, Member, Florence Marlin, Member And Mireya Ostiana, Member Read more

Dp Blames Up And Na For Hurricane Season Elections

St. Maarten – The Theo Heyliger / National Alliance coalition is to blame for the fact that elections in St. Maarten take place during the hurricane season. That is the position of Prime Minister and leader of the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot-Williams.

In a press release issued yesterday afternoon, Wescot-Williams points out that the Heyliger / National Alliance government that was in office in 2009-2010 decided that the date for transition to country status would be October 10, 2010.

“Someone of that government must have been asleep at the wheel when it agreed to that date for country status Read more

Avs First Live Political Debate Set For August 10

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten - AVS Live Political Debates on the parliamentary elections will be held Sunday, August 10, August 17 And Sunday, August 24 At The Belair Community Center In Cay Hill.

The debates will be aired via Sxm Cable TV Channel 120 and WTN Cable TV Carib Channel 10 and Will Stream Live via Avsnewsonline.com TV Channel.

On Saturday, August 2, the leaders or an authorizing representative of the six political parties were invited to an informative session regarding the rules & regulations of the debate by the organizing committee who consist Of Clarence Richardson, Chairman, Edward Benjamin, Vice Chair, Terry Woods, Member, Florence Marlin, Member and Mireya Ostiana, Member.

The session was held at The Yogesh Commercial Complex on A.J.C Read more

Youth empowerment: entrepreneurship

Dear Editor,

What is our attitude towards entrepreneurship on St. Maarten, should it not reflect the environment created to foster Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMEs)? According to Russell S. Sobel, in the Concise Encyclopaedia of Economics, "an entrepreneur is someone who organizes, manages and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise. An entrepreneur is an agent of change. Entrepreneurship is the process of discovering new ways of combining resources.

When the market value generated by this new combination of resources is greater than the market value these resources can generate elsewhere individually or in some other combination, the entrepreneur makes a profit Read more

Duty officer: Fire Department was dispatched immediately

~ Call 919 for faster fire response ~

PHILIPSBURG--"Call 919 in case of a fire, not 911," is an important message from the Fire Department.

Although 911 may also be utilised, calls are taken by a controller. When people dial 919, the calls are answered by fire officers who are on duty 24/7 and have specific training and knowledge that a non-Fire Department controller does not have.

Calling 919 enables the fire officer to ask specific questions that will help determine whether the fire is a threat to life or property, or whether it is caused, for example, by someone burning garbage.

In the case of the house fire in St Read more

Prime Minister Reacts To Up Leader:  “No Ministerial Elections In Our Constitution”

St. Maarten - “Already you hear politicians and aspiring politicians saying that vote for me and I will be Prime Minister of St. Maarten. That is not what the people of St. Maarten are voting for; they will be voting for the fifteen Members of Parliament,” Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams said during a special broadcast of One on One with the Prime Minister on 98.1 this past Friday, responding to the United People’s (UP) Party leader Theo Heyliger’s public request to voters to become the next Prime Minister of St Read more

style="text-align: center;">"Voters will be voting for fifteen members of Parliament and not for Minister or a Prime Minister. There are no Ministerial Elections in our constitution" PHILIPSBURG:--- During a special broadcast of One on One with the Prime Minister on 98.1 this past Friday, the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams clarified certain matters pertaining to the upcoming August 29th Parliamentary Elections Read more

Democratic Party Leader and Prime Minister the Hon. Sarah Wescot-Williams: “Ready or No…An October Parliament means a hurricane season campaign and election period.”

>PHILIPSBURG:--- In response to recent media articles disseminated by the >United People's Party regarding that party's wish to have elections before the Hurricane Season, Prime Minister of St. Maarten and the leader of the >Democratic Party the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams clearly stated that due to the Heyliger/ >National Alliance Coalition Government in 2009-20010 deciding that the date for the transition of St Read more

Prime Minister Wescot-Williams Visits Site Of St. Peters Fire, Commends Those Who Assisted In Controlling Fire

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams on Saturday visited the area in St. Peters that was struck by a fire hours before.

The Prime Minister visited the site and spoke to the residents of the area, some of who have lost many personal items in the blaze.

"It is with a heavy heart that I stand here and talk to those who have lost their possessions during this fire.

This is indeed a tragedy, although we should all be thankful to God that there was no loss of life," commented Prime Minister Wescot-Williams.

The PM also thanked the residents, especially several young men, from the St Read more