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Tranquillity, stability and civility

Dear Editor,

The new government is hardly in place and already I find myself having to comment on the behaviour of our political leaders during Parliament meetings. Let me say that I cannot say A said so and so when everyone knows that B said it. On Saturday, December 20, 2014, I read in the paper how the newly sworn in Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs said the country needs tranquillity, stability, civility and prosperity Read more

MPs to get answers about housing foundation in Jan.

PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) will have to wait until mid-January for answers about the suspension of St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) Director Henry Lynch and two other members of the management team. Prime Minister/Ad Interim Housing Minister Marcel Gumbs said he required time to gather the facts about the investigation ordered by the foundation's supervisory board and the other actions leading to the suspensions.

Gumbs, who had only been in office for a mere 72 hours, was before Parliament on Monday in an urgent plenary session requested by opposition MPs Sarah Wescot-Williams (Democratic Party), Frans Richardson (United St Read more

SMHDF Meeting of Parliament to continue early next year.

style="text-align: center;">MPs want documentation and clarity the suspension of Henry Lynch and Emilio Kalmera

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Parliament of St. Maarten called an emergency meeting on Monday to seek clarity on what exactly transpired at the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) where two members of the management team were suspended pending the outcome of an investigation that was to be commissioned by the SOAB. However, former Minister of Housing Maurice Lake who was also a former board member of SMHDF stopped the SOAB from conducting the investigation claiming that legal procedures were not followed and that the board of SMHDF does not have a full board Read more

MPs meet today about Housing Foundation

PHILIPSBURG--The St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation supervisory board's request made to Government Accounting Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation into the foundation's operations will be one of the issues Members of Parliament (MPs) will discuss today, Monday, in an urgent plenary session of Parliament in the House of Parliament starting at 10:00am.

The meeting is open to the public.

New Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, who is ad interim Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI, has been requested by Parliament to be present for the meeting.

MPs also will discuss with Gumbs former VROMI Minister Maurice Lake's request to SOAB to halt the investigation and the board's decision to suspend three members of the management team, including foundation director Henry Lynch.

This urgent plenary session was requested by National Alliance MPs William Marlin and Christophe Emmanuel, Democratic Party MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, and United St Read more

Urgent Plenary Session of Parliament scheduled for Monday about Housing Foundation.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- A plenary session of the House of Parliament is scheduled for December 22nd regarding the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF).
The plenary session is set for Monday at 10:00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.
The agenda is concerning the request made to the Governments Accounting Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation in to the operations of the SMHDF; the decision of the board of the SMHDF to suspend several members of the management team and the request of the former Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Hon Read more

The Road To The Gumbs I Cabinet: “Peddling Seats To The Highest Bidder”

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – When Governor Drs. Eugene Holiday administers the oath of office to the five ministers of the Gumbs I cabinet this afternoon, it marks the end of a tedious process that started during the night after the parliamentary elections on August 29. How did we get where we are today? A review.

To avoid any misunderstandings, the governor also administers the oath to the minister plenipotentiary today – but that is not a ‘real’ minister – it is the representative of St Read more

Urgent Plenary Session Of Parliament Scheduled For Monday About Housing Foundation

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – A plenary session of the House of Parliament is scheduled for December 22nd regarding the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF).

The plenary session is set for Monday at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda is concerning the request made to the Governments Accounting Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation in to the operations of the SMHDF; the decision of the board of the SMHDF to suspend several members of the management team and the request of the former Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Hon Read more

Sxm Mp's To Meet On Upcoming Ipko Meeting Which Is Set For January

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations (CKAIR) of the St. Maarten Parliament will be meeting again on Thursday, December 18th to discuss the upcoming IPKO (Meeting of Kingdom Parliaments) on Aruba in the first week of January 2015.

This committee of Parliament met for the first time on December 8th to elect its chairperson and vice chairperson. MP Sarah Wescot-Williams was elected to chair this committee.

On December 9th, by means of a video conference the chairpersons of the Parliaments and the parliamentary Kingdom Committees of Aruba, Curacao and St Read more

Minister Cornelius De Weever Resigns From The Democratic Party

St. Maarten —Minister Cornelius de Weever yesterday officially severed ties with the Democratic Party by officially informing the leader of that party and care taker Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams that he is resigning from the party.

Minister De Weever ran on the DP’s ticket in the August 2014 elections but secretly formed a coalition with the UP party shortly after the elections while the DP had publicly announced that it has signed an agreement and was forming a coalition with the US and NA Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- On Saturday, December 6, 2014 the Latin American Parliament, Parlatino, celebrated its 50th Anniversary in a Commemorative General Assembly in Panama. A delegation comprising of Members of Parliament of Sint Maarten headed by the President of Parliament, Hon. Lloyd Richardson, MD attended this gathering.

The gathering started with the raising of the Parlatino flag, singing of the Parlatino anthem, paying homage to the founders and former Presidents of Parlatino, speeches from dignitaries followed by the presentation of gifts from the member countries to Parlatino amongst others.

The Hon Read more

Sint Maarten Represented At Parlatino 50Th Anniversary Celebration

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – On Saturday, December 6, 2014 the Latin American Parliament, Parlatino, celebrated its 50th Anniversary in a Commemorative General Assembly in Panama.

A delegation comprising of Members of Parliament of Sint Maarten headed by the President of Parliament, Hon. Lloyd Richardson, MD attended this gathering.

The gathering started with the raising of the Parlatino flag, singing of the Parlatino anthem, paying homage to the founders and former Presidents of Parlatino, speeches from dignitaries followed by the presentation of gifts from the member countries to Parlatino amongst others.

The Hon Read more

style="text-align: left;">PHILIPSBURG:--- Caretaker Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams announced at the Council of Ministers weekly press briefing on Wednesday that the Vorst family has submitted a new proposal for the sale of their property located in Cay Hill. Wescot Williams said that the new proposal submitted to government is one million dollars less than the first proposal Read more

Mps Unable To Give Update On Government Formation To Youth Parliament 

St. Maarten – As President of the St. Maarten Youth Parliament, Dwayne Griffith submitted to St. Maarten Parliament a motion, requesting an update on the current situation with government and the steps being taken to establish the new Council of Ministers. However, the MPs present were unable to give any information on the developments to the Youth Parliament, as many were not privy to what was taking place. Members of the Youth Parliament met with Parliament members at the Central Committee meeting on Tuesday to discuss the developments in government formation with regard to the instruction for the screening of candidate-ministers from the Kingdom Council of Ministers in The Hague.

“Our faction cannot provide any insight as to whether a list of ministers has been put forward… neither do we know the standards by which they will be screened,” said MP William Marlin Read more

Youth Parliament wants more of a role in decision-making

PHILIPSBURG--The Youth Parliament wants a more active role in the decision-making process of the country.

A delegation of the Youth Parliament, headed by Dwayne Griffith, presented a motion requesting the possibility to make recommendations on the findings of the various integrity reports to the Parliament of St. Maarten on Tuesday afternoon in a Central Committee meeting in Parliament House.

The "emergency" meeting during which the motion was presented to the Parliament was requested by the Youth Members of Parliament (YMPs) Read more

Frans, William see discussion on integrity report as waste of time

PHILIPSBURG--Discussions in a Central Committee meeting of Parliament about the integrity reports from the Wit-Samson Committee and PricewaterhouseCoopers PwC was deemed a waste of time at this transition period between governments by United St. Maarten Member of Parliament (MP) Frans Richardson and National Alliance (NA) MP William Marlin.

The reports were referred for handling in a Central Committee meeting in the final meeting of the 2013-2014 Parliamentary year on October 9.

The discussions with Deputy Prime Minister/Justice Minister Dennis Richardson on Wednesday centred mostly on whether the reports should be before Parliament now or be handled when the new Council of Ministers is in place Read more

Parliament Approved Parlatino Meeting slated for November, President of Parliament got full support to Attend Kingdom Concert in December.

style="text-align: center;">Integrity discussion a waste of time --- Opposition prefers to wait until new government takes office, PR campaign need to revamp country's image.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The parliament of St. Maarten approved the invitation sent to the President of Parliament to attend the Kingdom Concert to be held in the Netherlands in December. The Parliament of St. Maarten also gave its approval for a committee to attend the Parlatino meeting to be held in November that will deal with women in politics and the integrity issues facing St Read more

Other Parties Stay Away From Protest Against Kingdom And Plasterk – Green March Against Instruction

St. Maarten– Between 300 and 400 people took part in the march People United for True Democracy organized yesterday afternoon in protest against the instruction from the Kingdom Council of Ministers to Governor Holiday for a stricter screening of candidate ministers – a handsome turnout with one flaw: only supporters of the United People’s party showed up.

UP party leader Theo Heyliger was there, as were his faction leader Franklin Meyers, MP Tamara Leonard and MP Lloyd Richardson Read more

What democracy?

Dear Editor,

What democracy was the march on Sunday held for? Was it for the democracy that this island never experienced? Those of us who have lived on this island for the last 5½ decades know that this island was never governed in a democratic manner. This island was ruled during the last 5½ decades, with the exception of a few years after 1979, by a clan. The members of this clan are of the firm belief that only the clan should run this island.

To achieve their goal, this clan has used and is still using unconventional methods Read more

Committee For Action Plan On Integrity Reports: Parliament Calls On Governor Not To Execute Instruction

St. Maarten – The Parliament passed a motion yesterday that calls on governor Drs. Eugène Holiday “not to yield to the measure of instruction formulated by the Dutch government” and to instruct the government to establish a committee that will “study, evaluate and recommend” an action plan based on the findings of three integrity reports that are currently on the table.

With this motion, the Parliament sent a message to The Hague that it will not stand for interference in its internal affairs 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

Motion Passed Unanimously by Parliament on Instruction Given to Governor on Screening Procedures.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Leona Marlin Romeo withdrew the motion she submitted on Wednesday after several discussions were held (caucusing) with the members of parliament sitting on the opposition benches so that the parliament of St. Maarten could form a consensus in dealing with what they describe as a posterity issue. The motion submitted by MP Lloyd Richardson was completely amended based on article 58 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

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

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