Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
St. Maarten should seek to have its own Attorney General --- Current Attorney General does not work in the interest of St. Maarten --- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson did not mingle with words on Monday morning when he was responding to questions regarding the draft ordinance to establish the integrity chamber on St. Maarten.On the question as to who is responsible for justice on St. Maarten, Minister Richardson said that the Minister of Justice is responsible for justice in each country, however, he made clear that St Read more
Stop peeing on our legs please!
Dear Editor,
Politicians are peeing on our legs and telling us that it is raining! For heaven's sake, when will all of this deception cease? When will these slick politicians come to the realization that they are cornered by the Dutch and the only way out of this sticky situation is to come clean with the public. Let us face it, there is no other way! But, more and more politicians are devising ways to cope with their tricks, because what had seem so real is now beginning to crumble - their weak spot is dangling as the band-aid is almost broken.
Plain and simple: the country cannot continue being run like the Wild Wild West anymore Read more
‘St. Maarten still uncooperative to solve Saba, Statia dilemmas’
THE HAGUE--The St. Maarten Government is still uncooperative in certain areas of the relations with St. Eustatius and Saba. Areas include (double) taxation of goods for the two smaller islands, the medical evacuation of patients and the airport taxes.
Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk stated this in a letter that he sent to the Dutch Parliament on Thursday. The letter, which was released on Friday, dealt with a number of obstacles in the relations between St Read more
Integrity chamber law now to be handled on Monday
PHILIPSBURG--Parliament will continue its handling of the draft national ordinance to establish an Integrity Chamber on Monday starting at 10:00am. The Central Committee meeting resumed on Friday morning after its suspension on Wednesday evening, but was suspended again after coalition Members of Parliament (MPs) requested time to compare the draft law with the version suggested by the Dutch Government.
MP Tamara Leonard (United People's (UP) party) made the request for time to review the two versions to Parliament Chairman Dr Read more
Central Committee meeting to further discuss the Integrity Chamber Ordinance Adjourned to Monday.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of Parliament mostly from the governing coalition requested that the chairman of Parliament adjourn the central committee meeting that was supposed to continue on Friday morning to discuss the draft ordinance to establish an Integrity Chamber on St. Maarten. The Members of Parliament from the governing coalition wanted more time to study the additional documents that were presented to them on Friday morning Read more
Implementation Counterpart Policy Is Still Far Away
Ministry publishes rules in National Gazette
St. Maarten – The labor department will deny work permits to companies that refuse to hire “a counterpart found suitable by the department and made available to the employer.†This is one of the rules laid down in the counterpart policy the government published in the National Gazette last week. It will still take some time though, before the private sector is going to feel the effects of the controversial counterpart policy because the ministry first wants to do a pilot project that will last one year from the moment it begins.
“The quality of the execution of the policy by the labor department is a determining factor for the success of the counterpart policy Read more
Integrity Chamber Meets Resistance From Coalition
St. Maarten – The draft ordinance for the establishment of St. Maarten’s Integrity Chamber met with unexpected opposition from within the governing coalition yesterday. Members of the opposition also expressed their doubts. Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs said that he is facing a May 5 deadline. On that date, the Dutch Council of State renders judgment on the advice the Kingdom Council of Ministers has requested about a looming instruction for St Read more
Halley land saga heard by Petitions Committee
~ 'Something wrong,' way forward to be determined ~
PHILIPSBURG--Marlon Halley, supported in particular by community spokesperson Yvette Halley, had the transfer of land rights plaguing him heard by Members of Parliament on Thursday during a Petitions Committee meeting at Parliament House.
The meeting was the result of a petition submitted March 4 that called for Parliament to thoroughly investigate "fishy business" surrounding the land deal that entailed government taking ownership of the land where Marlon Halley has operated a business for some 28 years, and long-leasing it to developers without his knowing Read more
Heated Debate by Members of Parliament as to how they will deal with the Petition sent to Parliament regarding the Simpson Bay Development.
MPs share concerns on integrity chamber, but open to discussion
~ Expect more answers on Friday ~
PHILIPSBURG--"Looking forward to further discussion" was the point Members of Parliament (MPs) reached on Wednesday night after hearing answers to shared main points of concern given by Justice Minister Dennis Richardson during a public meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament on the draft National Ordinance for the establishment of an Integrity Chamber for St. Maarten.
Although many individual questions had been posed, paired with statements of concern about what the Ordinance will mean for St Read more
Voting Bureau petitioned court twice to allow inmates to vote
~ Says it's up to MPs to amend laws ~
PHILIPSBURG--The Central Voting Bureau petitioned the court twice prior to the August 29, 2014, parliamentary election to legally allow inmates who were registered to vote in another district to cast their ballot at the polling station at the prison and to allow a prison official to vouch for the identity of inmates who did not have identification cards.
The issues at the polling station at the prison were amongst several electoral concerns broached during a meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament on Wednesday.
Central Voting Bureau Chairman Jason Rogers told Members of Parliament (MPs) that it was up to them to change the legislation to rectify this issue in future elections.
Rogers said "a number" of inmates initially had not been allowed to vote because, although they were in possession of their voting cards, they were assigned to vote in another district Read more
Prime Minister says draft law to Establish Integrity Chamber is not to please the Dutch Government.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs made clear to Parliament on Wednesday that the draft ordinance to establish the integrity chamber on St. Maarten is not to please the Dutch Government. Prime Minister Gumbs reminded the members of parliament that the parliament of St Read more
PHILIPSBURG: --- Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs informed Parliament on Tuesday that the government of St. Maarten is currently working on taking the supervisory board of the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) to court in order to obtain two audit reports Read more
PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of the Lions Club presented the project they launch late last year to curb under-age drinking on St. Maarten. The members of the Lions Club called on Members of Parliament to amend the legislation to increase drinking age from 16 to 18 Read more
Mp Wescot-Williams Call For Attention To Tertiary Education
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Tertiary education from a macro perspective should be given more attention on St. Maarten, Member of Parliament and leader of the Democratic Party, the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams told journalists at a press conference recently.
In addressing that subject she also commended the University of St Read more
Plenary Session of Parliament scheduled for Tuesday about the SCHDF.
The plenary session is set for Tuesday at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.
The agenda point is the request to the Governments Accountants Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation into the operations of the St Read more
Sarah says ‘didn’t know’ meeting lacked quorum
PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams says she "didn't know" Monday's aborted Central Committee meeting to deal with the draft law to establish the integrity chamber did not have a quorum Read more
Parliament Ad Hoc Integrity Committee meeting stalled
PHILIPSBURG--The second meeting of Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee for Integrity stalled on Thursday, when sufficient Members of Parliament (MPs) failed to show up for the session to have a quorum.
Ad Hoc Committee Chairman Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Lloyd Richardson opened the meeting just to announce that three MPs were signed in and present in the General Assembly Hall of Parliament House Read more
EXCLUSIVE: Maurice Lake Jumps back in order to take up VROMI Minister seat --- Where would this leave Minister Claret Conner? – Reliable Sources.
MPs urged to work with govt on law formulation
PHILIPSBURG--Parliament does not follow instructions on the procedure to write laws, Advisory Council Vice Chairwoman Mavis Brooks-Salmon said in a meeting of Parliament's Central Committee at which only eight of the fifteen Members of Parliament (MPs) were present on Tuesday morning.
The Advisory Council, a body outlined in the Constitution as a necessary organ of governance, has in the past told Parliament to "work with government's Legal Department" when crafting initiative laws. The Legal Department has the necessary expertise to assist with the proper way to formulate and present laws, though the department may be understaffed.
Brooks-Salmon pointed out to MPs that the Advisory Council "does not correct" draft legislation, but is capable of giving legislators guidance on where to seek pertinent information in the research and drafting process.
In response to "burning" questions from National Alliance (NA) MP Christophe Emmanuel about whether or not the five-member Council of Ministers was legal as the Constitution states the country should have seven ministers, Brooks-Salmon said while the Advisory Council will further look into the matter, it should be noted that the Constitution does not state the ministers should be seven different persons.
In the current situation, two ministers of the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet hold dual portfolios Read more
St. Maarten advised to object to Sanction Law
PHILIPSBURG--Parliament's Permanent Committee for Kingdom Affairs and Inter-Parliamentary Relations has been advised by legal expert Ralph Richardson to object to the draft kingdom law regulating sanctions imposed by the European Union.
Richardson gave his advice in a meeting of the committee in Parliament House on Monday morning. He said if St. Maarten agrees to the kingdom law, the country "will no longer have the possibility to say anything about sanctions imposed."
St. Maarten will just have to take over EU sanctions with "no freedom of choice." He used the example of a sanction being imposed on a country with which St Read more
Plenary Session of Parliament scheduled for Tuesday about the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation
Public Transport Permits Under The Microscope
MP Wescot-Williams sends questions to Minister Connor
St. Maarten – The closed-door committee meeting of last Tuesday about bus and taxi permits ended prematurely, because Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication Minister Claret Connor asked committee members to submit their questions about this issue in writing.
Connor said that he has decided to keep the moratorium for public transportation permits in place Read more