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Members of Parliament wanted more speaking time in Zebec/Harbor debate.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of Parliament were called to vote on Monday when a member of the opposition asked for speakers time to be extended and a member of the coalition opposed the extension. MP Frans Richardson who supports the government voted in favor of the extension citing that he believes that Members of Parliament should be given extra time if they need when debating certain topics Read more

Parliament adopts Constitution Day

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten officially has ditched Kingdom Day, December 15, as an official holiday and replaced with it Constitution Day, which is to be observed annually on the second Monday in October, starting this year.

Parliament unanimously adopted the law on Thursday to make the day official and strike Kingdom Day from the calendar. The establishment of this newest holiday comes ahead of the fifth anniversary of St. Maarten’s attainment of country-within-the-Dutch-Kingdom status and the coming into force of the St Read more

Editorial - A promise made …

Governor Eugene Holiday gave a solid commitment for the deployment of a security camera system during the opening of the legislative year on Tuesday. He was speaking on behalf of the Gumbs cabinet at the time, of course.

The term “country-wide” was used, but this probably should not be taken too literally. After all, it’s almost inconceivable to fully cover every nook and cranny of every neighbourhood.

More plausible is that the main roads will be targeted, along with crime-sensitive locations like downtown Philipsburg and areas frequented by visitors such as Pelican/Simpson Bay, Oyster Pond/Dawn Beach and Maho/Cupecoy Read more

Achievements and lack thereof highlighted as MPs close year

PHILIPSBURG--The achievements or lack thereof in the first Parliamentary year of the second Parliament came into focus as Members of Parliament (MPs) closed off the 2014-2015 legislative year in Parliament House on Monday. The 2015-2016 year opens today, Tuesday, with much pomp and ceremony.

The call to work together was issued by fraction leaders representing the coalition partners while the two opposition fraction leaders MP William Marlin (National Alliance) and Sarah Wescot-Williams (Democratic Party) were straightforward with their criticism about lack of action by the United People’s (UP) party-led coalition.

Destiny impaired

UP fraction leader MP Franklin Meyers laid the blame for the country’s stagnated growth and development in the past year at the door of The Hague saying that government and Parliament have spent the past year battling instructions and financial constraints due to financial supervision Read more

New Ministers Take Oath Of Office On Monday: Boasman And Sams Complete Cabinet

Rafael Boasman is the new minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor. File photo Pearl FM

St. Maarten – Rafael Boasman will be sworn in as the new minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor next week Monday. E.V. Sams will become Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication. Claret Connor, who held this position, will move to the Ministry of Public Housing, Urban Planning, Environment and Infrastructure.

The cabinet of Governor Drs Read more

No Suspects For Burglary At Minister’S Home

St. Maarten – On May 19, an armed man dressed in black and wearing a hoody robbed the home of Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson just after midday. Police investigators have no new evidence in the case. Press Public Prosecutor Karola van Nie confirmed on Wednesday, that the investigation is still ongoing

At the time of the robbery, Minister Richardson stated to this newspaper that the robber threatened his wife Emilse and their two children with a weapon. Terrified she led the robber to the location of her jewelry Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Well placed information reaching SMN News states that Minister of Finance Maarten Hassink has sent an email to the leader of the United Peoples Party Theodore Heyliger informing him that he has taken the decision to make his position as Minister of Finance available to the UPP Read more

Up Family Extends Condolences To The Families Of Those Lost In Erika Flooding And Prayers For The Nation Of Dominica

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Leader of the United People's Party (UP) Member of Parliament Hon. Theo Heyliger was shocked after viewing news footage of the flooding devastation in the Caribbean island of Dominica. 

The extreme flooding is attributed to the passing of Tropical Storm Erika through the Leeward Islands Read more

Only National Alliance Votes Against Ordinance: Parliament Establishes Integrity Chamber

St. Maarten – After everything was said and done yesterday, only the opposition faction of the National Alliance voted against the establishment of the Integrity Chamber. The United People’s party faction, having voiced serious opposition against the Dutch pressure on St. Maarten, withdrew all of the amendments it proposed to the law in June, and went along with a strategic proposal from opposition MP Sarah Wescot-Williams to accept the proposal the government put on the table Read more

Up Family Extends Condolences To Officer Benjamin's Family And Police Force. Calls On Businesses To Show Solidarity And Close Half Day

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The board of the United People's Party (UP) conveys its deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Police Officer Gamali Benjamin who will be laid to rest on Thursday.

"We mourn with the entire country the passing of our local hero who proudly served with humility and honour.

We call on the business community as a move of solidarity once again to close their businesses half day on Thursday as a mark of solidarity with the family of Office Benjamin and the Police Force of Sint Maarten.

At the same time it would allow employees an opportunity to pay their respects to our hero," the UP Party Board said on Wednesday.

"On behalf of the UP family, supporters, myself and family, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of Officer Benjamin, his colleagues in the Sint Maarten Police Force, his friends, and the population of Sint Maarten.

"Officer Benjamin is a national hero Read more

Officer critical after being shot in neck responding to robbery

~ One robber shot, caught; other on the run ~

By Judy H. Fitzpatrick

PHILIPSBURG--Bike patrol Police Officer Gamali “Benji” Benjamin was shot in the neck and reportedly also the head while responding to an armed robbery at Oro Diamante on Front Street around 1:00pm Wednesday.

Benjamin was in critical condition and clinging to life at SMMC up to late last night andreports indicated that efforts were being made to fly him abroad for further medical attention.

One robber was shot and captured and a second is on the run Read more

style="text-align: center;">Bullets remains in Officer Benjamin brain, he is currently in a comatose state at SMMC.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of Parliament ran for their lives on Wednesday when a bicycle patrol identified as officer Gamali Benjamin was shot in the vicinity of the Parliament Building in Philipsburg on Wednesday morning. Bystanders said some MP's tried to find cover as they beleive that the gunmen were coming after Members of Parliament. MP Sarah Wescot Williams, MP Theodore Heyliger, MP Franklin Meyers and MP Lloyd Richardson ran for cover in one of the private rooms of parliament SMN News was told Read more

UPP/De Weever/LMR/USP Coalition fall apart --- Master, and Lake pulls support.

style="text-align: center;">New Coalition Government in the making.

PHILIPSBURG:--- What appeared to be a rumor seemingly became a reality Tuesday night when it was announced on Online radio program that the current coalition government fell apart. According to information reaching SMN News states that Member of Parliament Silvio Matser, and Member of Parliament Maurice Lake has pulled their support from the current coalition and would join the National Alliance, Democratic Party and USP to form the next government Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- As the uproar continues within the United Peoples Party (UPP) since most Members of Parliament from the UPP faction are in disagreement with their leader Theodore Heyliger, at least two Members of Parliament from the UPP faction and two of their coalition partners have decided to take the bull by its horns to do the work of the people.
SMN News understands that some of the UPP MP’s are saying that their leader is not leading the country instead he is always off island making his business deals which is causing serious problems within the party.
Therefore MP Franklin Meyers who is the deputy leader of the UPP and faction leader took the bull by its horns and decided along with MP Tamara Leonard, coalition partners Independent Members of Parliament Leona Marlin Romeo and Cornelius de Weever and presented their governing program to Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs in the presence of Minister Claret Connor on July 16th 2015 Read more

style="text-align: center;">Who did you hurt 26 years ago?  and what about this “true love thing” are you referring to the young Guyanese woman you got deported after impregnating her in St. Kitts?

PHILIPSBURG:--- SMN News posted some questions to Mr. Alfred Harley last week Saturday and gave him on or before July 13th 2015 to respond to our questions. But instead of getting the answers to the questions that was posed to Mr. Harley last week. Harley posted this lengthy comment on his Facebook page.

Alfred Harley
9 hrs ·
I think about life and about the bad things that I have done and have had done to me and I wonder so often whether I am able to live through the rest of whatever it is that should or would happen in my life Read more

Only 6 Of 22 Motions Since 2012 Yielded Results: Motions Carry The Day – But Only In Parliament

St. Maarten – The motions Members of Parliament submit during the annual budget debate seldom yield results. This newspaper examined 28 motions a host of parliamentarians tabled since 2012. With 22 of them successive government did absolutely nothing. Six of them yielded (some) results.

When governments fail to execute motions, parliament never retaliates. In the Netherlands, a cabinet that refuses or neglects to execute a motion that is carried by a majority in parliament, could lead to a cabinet crisis Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Alfred Harley, the consultant who found it fit to use his mother’s sole proprietorship company that was registered as an inter- island purchasing company needs to answer a few questions, which he should do publicly, by means of a press release to SMN News.

Can Alfred Harley tell the people of St. Maarten if he was a member of the St. Kitts Police Force? If the answer to the question is yes? Then can Alfred Harley tell the people of St. Maarten especially potential employers why he is no longer a member of the St Read more

Critical blogger imprisoned and intimidated

Dear Editor,

Mafia figures can have their way, politicians seem to get away anywhere, but a critical blogger intimidated and put in prison. Judith Roumou says what she thinks. And that’s not good — for politicians and other leaders in St. Maarten.

Sometimes rash, rarely nuanced, but always with conviction and humour, she sketches the abuse of power in this part of our Kingdom. Now she is possibly herself the subject of abuse of power. Roumou was arrested last Tuesday for libel, insult and slander Read more

EXCLUSIVE: Mysterious draft MOU signed by GEBE COO and GB Energy Surfaced --- PM Marcel Gumbs and MP Theodore Heyliger witnessed signing at DIVI Little Bay Hotel.

style="text-align: center;">Supervisory Board of Directors allegedly Cancelled MOU --- Will Prime Minister come forward with signed copies.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The much talked about Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that was signed earlier this year by the former COO of GEBE Romelio Maduro and the President of the G. B Energy Pablo Porles has surfaced. However, SMN News only managed to retrieve the unsigned copy which is documented as “Privileged and Confidential.” The MOU which several Members of Parliament requested and to date cannot receive was signed on February 4th 2015 at the Divi Little Bay Hotel in the presence of Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, the shareholder representative of the Government of St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Now that the contract signed by the former Chief Operations Officer (COO) of GEBE Romelio Maduro and St. Maarten Service Provider is in public domain, the big question that are on the minds of several persons is if the Supervisory Board will hold the former COO liable who found it fit to bind the government owned company to pay a consultant $10,500.00 per month whether or not they provide work for GEBE, further to that will the Supervisory Board of Directors exonerate themselves from this contract since they claim not to know anything about the contract with St Read more

Few of Roumou’s Supporters camped out at Prosecutor’s Office holding posters (UPDATED) Pretrial Detention Extended.

style="text-align: center;">Blogger J.R. remains in pre-trial detention for a couple of days

PHILIPSBURG: --- A handful of people decided to show up at the Vineyard Building on Thursday afternoon holding up green posters with the words “Free Judith”. Since Roumou was arrested on Tuesday several persons exploded on Facebook claiming that the justice system has arrested the blogger because she was exposing corruption within government. Some stated in their Facebook posts that they now have to watch what they write on their Facebook page because they too might get arrested like Roumou was on Tuesday when police showed up at her St Read more

$68K figure for GEBE payment ‘never received’

PHILIPSBURG--Alfred Harley says he and his company SXM Services Provider are being dragged through the mud in connection with the ongoing problems at utilities company GEBE.

Harley is particularly angry about the allegations that have been repeated in media outlets, in Parliament and in court that the company was receiving hefty payments approved by GEBE Chief Operations Officer (COO) and Managing Director Romelio Maduro, against the wishes and to an extent against the knowledge of GEBE's Supervisory Board.

One figure being cited is US $68,000, which seems to be the total amount the company needs to be paid, but has received in full Read more

Minister shares viewpoint, MPs to get GEBE answers Monday

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament’s plenary session on developments at utilities company GEBE, focusing on the ongoing dispute between the Supervisory Board and Chief Operations Officer (COO) and Managing Director Romelio Maduro about his position at the company, was adjourned to Monday afternoon, after Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Marcel Gumbs gave some perspective on Friday, but needed more documentation to answer questions posed by Members of Parliament (MPs).

The meeting was adjourned after Gumbs, as shareholder representative for the Government-owned company, gave a summarised overview of developments on the current dispute and questions were posed by National Alliance MPs William Marlin, Silveria Jacobs and Christophe Emmanuel Read more

Parliament committees to look into French/Dutch joint issues

Representatives of the French side Territorial Council with Members of Parliament in Parliament House on Tuesday.

PHILIPSBURG--A meeting between the French side Territorial Council and Members of Parliament (MPs) in Parliament House on Tuesday resulted in various topics discussed being sent to Parliament’s permanent committees for further deliberation and solution seeking.

Among the topics discussed was pensioners living on the French side, but who have contributed to the Dutch side’s General Pension Fund by working on the southern side of the island accessing their benefits Read more