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Hopefully a new trend

Dear Editor,

Anyone who follows what happens in the world of politics would be surprised if Theo Heyliger is really serious about becoming Prime Minister or, for that matter, holding any position of which he is not in complete control. That move that he made to publicly ridicule the Prime Minister in the paper of August 27, 2014, was as if he was testing to see how far the Dutch would go as a consequence of his behaviour towards the sitting Prime Minister Read more

MPs unanimously reject instruction

~ Motion to be sent to UN Decolonisation Committee ~

PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) unanimously adopted on Wednesday a motion rejecting the instruction handed down by the Kingdom Council of Ministers to Governor Eugene Holiday for the execution of a boundless and limitless investigation into the backgrounds of candidate ministers, their families, friends, business associates and others.

Parliament is not in agreement with the instruction from the Kingdom Council, because the screening of candidate ministers is "not flawed Read more

Heyliger: I never discussed money or moving for money with any MP

PHILIPSBURG--"No sitting MP in here or none of the ones that were just put out have I ever met with to discuss anything about money and about moving for money in government," United People's (UP) party leader Member of Parliament Theo Heyliger stated in Parliament on Wednesday afternoon.

Heyliger's name has been bandied in the community for some time now as having paid MPs to break with their political parties to join as coalition partners in an UP-led government.

He said he wanted to answer all of the talk about the exchange of money Read more

Simpson Bay Residents Protested Silently in Parliament on Wednesday.

>SIMPSON BAY:--- Residents of Simpson Bay marched into the house of Parliament on Wednesday to silently protest against what they term as abuse of power and injustice.
One of the residents told SMN News that a parcel of succession land that is occupied by one Marlon Harley for some 28 years operating a mini boat yard. The resident of Simpson Bay said that Halley has legal authorization from one of the nine heirs that inherited the property from Melford Lejuez. The resident said of the nine heirs only one of them is living on St Read more

Analysis: Screening Of Candidate-Ministers Seems At Odds With Constitution

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – Screening? What screening? Nobody has asked this simple question yet, because everybody has been either busy and confused, or excited and angry about the humongous cloud of dust the Kingdom Council of Ministers created with its instruction to Governor Holiday for additional screening of candidate-ministers. One may well wonder which instruments the experts Minister Plasterk wants to send to St. Maarten have at their disposal to find something so wrong with one of the candidates that this will give reason to ban them from becoming a minister.

St Read more

St. Maarten Parliament Is Convinced That Screening Process Is Working: Motion Will Ask Governor To Reject Kingdom Instruction

St. Maarten – The United People’s party announced that it would table a motion that asks Governor Holiday not to go along with the instruction from the Kingdom Council of Ministers to execute additional screening of candidate-ministers for the new government. However, parliament adjourned until Wednesday morning after the first round. UP-leader Theo Heyliger told this newspaper that he had not delivered his final report about the new cabinet yet, even though yesterday was the deadline for his task as formateur.

A one-man protest action by Etienne Toochie Meyers – a representative of the movement People United for True Democracy – preceded the first meeting of the new parliament yesterday afternoon Read more

Christopher Emmanuel says he was offered US $2M for his seat

~ Lloyd, de Weever deny being paid ~

PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament (MP) Christopher Emmanuel said on Monday that he had been offered US $2 million for his parliamentary support as he stressed the point that St Read more

St. Maarten creates its own problem --- MP Emmanuel said he was offered $2m to jump ship and join the UPP.

style="text-align: center;">St. Maarten needs to fix its own house before trying to cross the ocean

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel unleashed an unexpected bomb on the floor of Parliament on Monday afternoon during the urgent meeting of Parliament that was called to discuss the instruction given to Governor Eugene Holiday Read more

Dutch Instruction Is A Direct Attack On The Country’S Autonomy (Screening Process Of Candidate Ministers)

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – The anger, indignation and apparent frustration about the instruction the Kingdom Council of Ministers gave to Governor Drs. Eugène Holiday has left many seething – not only in St. Maarten, but also in Curacao and Aruba. According to a report in Antilliaans Dagblad, the country has two weeks to agree with the package of measures Kingdom Relations Minister Ronald Plasterk has in store – otherwise another instruction could follow.

United People’s party leader Theo Heyliger stated in a rather emotional reaction on Friday that the instruction is unconstitutional Read more

De Weever Demands That Dutch Mp Andre Bosman Retracts Slander

St. Maarten – Minister of Public Health, Social Affairs and Labor Cornelius de Weever has summoned Dutch VVD-parliamentarian André Bosman in an open letter – written by his attorney Jairo Bloem – to retract his statement that UP-leader Theo Heyliger paid him for signing a coalition agreement with the UP.

Four different newspapers – Today, the Telegraaf, the Amigoe in Curacao and the Daily Herald – quoted Bosman on September 30 as saying, “Heyliger simply paid De Weever.”

The statement “lacks factual basis,” Bloem states in the letter, “and they are slanderous and defamatory towards client.” The attorney labels the statement as untruthful, grievous and deliberately slanderous, based on an article in the civil code and writes that it amounts to slander based on the penal code.

“I furthermore note that your contentions do not serve any general interest Read more

Up-Leader Theo Heyliger About Instruction: “Witch Hunt With Me As Primary Target”

St. Maarten – United People’s party leader Theo Heyliger released another statement to the media yesterday, announcing that the Dutch government will be held liable for the damages its “unconstitutional intrusion” is causing St Read more

Parliament Meets On Dutch Govt. Instruction To Governor Monday Afternoon (Full Audio Now Included!)

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The House of Parliament of St. Maarten met in an urgent plenary session on Monday.

It was the first meeting of the newly elected Members of Parliament since the August 29th parliamentary elections, and the swearing of the lawmakers on October 10th.

The purpose of the plenary session was to discuss the instruction of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations given to the Governor of Sint Maarten to postpone ratification of the country decree in the appointment of the Ministers and Prime Minister.

During the meeting on Monday afternoon, which was requested by Members of Parliament the Honorable Franklin Meyers, the Honorable Tamara Leonard and the Honorable Silvio Matser, Members of Parliament denounced the instruction given to the Governor.

Whilst speaking on the floor of Parliament, the Honorable Silvio Matser noted that the instruction given was an attack on democracy.

Member of Parliament, the Honorable Leona Romeo Marlin stated on Monday on the floor of parliament that the instruction as is given by the Dutch government degrades our parliamentary system, our Council of Advice and even our Governor.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament of the National Alliance, the Honorable George Pantophlet reminded his colleagues the Dutch are here, and that the question is how we get them out of here.

Meanwhile, speaking on the floor of Parliament, the Honorable Christopher Emmanuel made it clear that St Read more

Editorial - For a change

The Kingdom Council of Ministers has given Governor Eugene Holiday an instruction not to install any new cabinet members until there are sufficient guarantees regarding their integrity. This is to be determined by applying a more stringent screening, for which the Dutch Government will appoint a team of experts to assist the governor.

The highly unusual and unprecedented move has to do with a 2010 vote-buying case involving the UP party and developments since this year's elections held at the end of August Read more

Kingdom govt orders tougher screening St. Maarten ministers

By Suzanne Koelega

THE HAGUE--The Kingdom government has ordered a more stringent screening of St. Maarten's incoming Council of Ministers. The Kingdom Council of Ministers decided on Friday to give St. Maarten Governor Eugene Holiday an instruction to hold off on the appointment of the ministers and prime minister until it is absolutely certain that they are in the clear.

The Dutch government will appoint a team of experts to assist the governor with the screening, announced Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk after the meeting Read more

Plasterk: Genuine guarantees of government integrity needed

THE HAGUE--The Kingdom Council of Ministers approved a proposal of Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk on Friday to give the governor of St. Maarten an instruction to refrain from signing the decrees to appoint the members of St. Maarten's next government until it has been proven, through an additional, more stringent screening, that the members of the Cabinet are persons of complete integrity. This is what Plasterk told the media in an interview after Friday's meeting.

St Read more

UP says candidates will not agree to ‘vague’ investigation

~ Calls instruction unconstitutional ~

PHILIPSBURG--No candidate Minister will agree to "a vague limitless investigation" on themselves, their families, third parties, friends and acquaintances without the parameters of vetting being known, United People's (UP) party said on Friday.

UP's statement was in reaction to the Dutch Government's instruction to Governor Eugene Holiday for a thorough investigation into candidate-ministers from the UP-led coalition.

UP said the subjectivity created by a vague investigation would leave room for arbitrary vetting procedures without any guarantee of an equal treatment.

"It is quite obvious that this measure is designed against MP Heyliger and confirms .. Read more

Theo: Dutch want to prevent me from being prime minister

PHILIPSBURG--United People's (UP) party leader Member of Parliament (MP) Theo Heyliger said on Sunday that the instruction by the Dutch government to Governor Eugene Holiday is intended to prevent him from becoming the next prime minister of St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Several citizens and persons who bought confiscated items from the Public Prosecutors Office on St. Maarten and Weather Eyes Yacht Sales that was representing the Prosecutor's Office are now calling on the Dutch Members of Parliament and the Kingdom Council of Ministers to send down experts to investigate the Prosecutors that were appointed by them. "We are in full support of the Dutch using their powers to put a halt to corruption and self-enrichment among politicians, but the Dutch must also realize that the Dutch prosecutors they appointed to St Read more

St. Maarten Will Not Allow Dutch To Make A Mockery Of Its Democracy

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - With the instruction given to Governor Eugene Holiday by Dutch Minister of Kingdom Relations Plasterk, the Dutch government has one again shown that it will spare no measure in setting aside St. Maarten's constitution and continue disrespecting St. Maarten's Parliamentary democracy.

This time, they have put Governor Holiday in a complicated unenviable position by instructing him not to ratify decrees appointing candidate ministers and the Prime Minister until an expanded vetting process that they (the Dutch) want to set in place in addition to St Read more

Editorial - Sooner rather than later

That just about anything is possible in local politics was proven again over these last few days, as DP leader Sarah Wescot-Williams and US Party number two candidate Leona Marlin-Romeo signed up for the incoming UP/De Weever coalition Read more

Holiday says MPs play critical role to foster good governance

~ MPs sworn in ~

HARBOUR VIEW--The fifteen Members of Parliament (MPs) elected during the August 29 Parliamentary Elections took their oaths to serve in the presence of Governor Eugene Holiday on Friday.

Sworn in were United People's (UP) party MPs Theo Heyliger, Franklin Meyers, Silvio Matser, Tamara Leonard, Maurice Lake, Lloyd Richardson and Johan "Janchi Leonard; Democratic Party (DP) MPs Sarah Wescot-Williams and Cornelius de Weever; United St Read more

style="text-align: center;">Leona Marlin Romeo eats her own vomit --- DP swore they will not Join UPP

PHILIPSBURG:--- Formateur Honarable Member of Parliament (MP) Theodore Heyliger during his deliberations with political factions as well as with individual MPs who have been elected to Parliament based on the August 29, 2014 parliamentary elections, as of Thursday, October 9th, the United People's (UP) party/Cornelius de Weever coalition, has received the support of two additional MPs leading to a broad-base government for the country of 10-seats in the House of Parliament.
Formateur Theodore Heyliger met with the Leader of the Democratic Party (DP) Hon Read more

15 New Mps Take The Oath Friday

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The swearing in ceremony of the 15 parliamentarians to govern the country for the period 2014/2018 took place on Friday morning.

The ceremony was held at the Governor's office at Harbor View. Taking the oath were members of the National Alliance William Marlin, Silveria Jacobs, George Pantophlet and Christopher Emanuel, the United People Party, Theo Heyliger, Dr Read more

Sarah, Leona join UP/De Weever to form broad-based government

PHILIPSBURG--Outgoing Prime Minister and Democratic Party (DP) leader Sarah Wescot-Williams and United St. Maarten Party Member of Parliament (MP)-elect Leona Marlin-Romeo have joined the United People's (UP) party/De Weever coalition to form a broad-based government for 2014-2018.

The two new coalition members signed on to the existing UP/De Weever governing accord as "addendum two and three" on Thursday, paving the way for a majority of 10 seats in Parliament.

The news of, in particular, Marlin-Romeo joining the coalition comes after much speculation about this possibility taking place even after she publicly had denied any such intentions Read more