SXMElections.com

Coalition NA/DP/USP

Dear Editor,

The results of the elections of August 29, 2014, asked for a coalition government.

And there were four possibilities, to know: UP/NA with 11 seats; UP/USP with nine seats; UP/DP with nine seats; and NA/DP/USP with eight seats.

The election campaign clearly showed NA/DP/USP campaigning against the UP.

So if UP wanted to continue governing, UP needed a clear mandate from the electorate.

UP won, but failed to accomplish a majority on its own Read more

Editorial - Time will tell

It appears a new government is indeed on the horizon, now that three parties with a combined eight of the 15 seats in Parliament have reached agreement on the division of ministerial portfolios and other positions (see related story). The candidates for such are yet to be announced, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what some of the names involved might be.

NA is likely to nominate its political leader William Marlin as the new Prime Minister, while the party's number two candidate and top vote-getter Silveria Jacobs, having already served as Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, is favoured to take up that post again Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The National Alliance (NA) has extended its heartfelt thanks to the electorate and party supporters for peaceful exercising their democratic right to vote and for their confidence in the party and says now that elections are over; the time has come to work in the best interest of the people of St. Maarten.

Leader of the National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament William Marlin said St Read more

Holiday starts consultation on formation of new gov’t today

HARBOUR VIEW--Governor Eugene Holiday will start consultations for the formation of a new government as of today, Monday, September 1. The consultations will be held with Vice Chairperson of the Advisory Council; Ombudsman Nilda Arduin-Lynch; outgoing President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell and the leaders of the four political parties that obtained seats in the elections: United People’s (UP) party leader Theo Heyliger, National Alliance (NA) leader William Marlin; Democratic Party (DP) leader Sarah Wescot-Williams and United St Read more

Editorial - Top 10

The individual votes-count of Friday's election that only became fully available late Saturday afternoon makes for some interesting reading (see related story). For one thing, UP leader Theo Heyliger confirmed he is by far the most popular politician in St Read more

Na Thanks Electorate, Supporters, Says Time To Work For St. Maarten

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The National Alliance (NA) has extended its heartfelt thanks to the electorate and party supporters for peaceful exercising their democratic right to vote and for their confidence in the party and says now that elections are over; the time has come to work in the best interest of the people of St. Maarten.

Leader of the National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament William Marlin said St Read more

UP biggest, but NA, US, DP sign accord

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten will have yet another coalition government after Friday's elections. National Alliance (four seats), United St. Maarten Party (two seats) and Democratic Party (two seats) signed a declaration of willingness before dawn today to work together to form a new government.

DP leader Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams told The Daily Herald about the declaration shortly after the signing took place at the DP election headquarters at Bute Hotel.

The short declaration states that the parties are willing to work together Read more

style="text-align: center;">Preliminary Results UPP – 7 Seats, NA – 4 seats, USp – 2 seats, DP – 2 seats --- NA, USp and DP signed working document

PHILIPSBURG:--- The United Peoples Party got a resounding amount of votes from the voting population on Friday Read more

St. Maarten Prepares For New Government

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Talks towards the formation of a new government for St. Maarten has already begun.

Seemingly there is some interest between the National Alliance party of MP William Marlin (four seats), the Democratic Party of PM Sarah Wescot-Williams (two seats) and the US party of MP Frans Richardson (two seats).

www.sxmislandtime.com learnt that an accord was signed at the Bute Hotel between the NA, DP and US political parties at five (5am) Saturday.

If this combination of political parties decide to form the next government, then the UP party of MP Theo Heyliger who got seven (7) seats in Friday's election would be left to occupy the opposition benches in the new Parliament of St Read more

St. Maarten Waste to Energy Plant

Dear Editor,

It has come to my attention that in his bid to win re-election Theo Heyliger has promised to deliver a waste to energy plant to Country St.Maarten. In the ad is an artist's rendering showing what the plant will look like when built. All in all, a pretty effective ad for something St.Maarten has needed for a long time.

Now I do understand the business of politics and that come election time, all politicians will remind voters that it was them or their political party that "brought home the bacon" Read more

National Alliance offers ‘responsible, honest, hardworking govt of integrity’

~ Tells voters ‘right the wrong’ with clean sweep ~

CUL DE SAC--The National Alliance (NA) profiled itself as a “serious” party committed to offering St. Maarten “a responsible, honest, hardworking government of integrity” at its last public meeting Wednesday evening, one day shy of Friday’s Parliamentary election.

The party’s 23 candidates drove home their message that NA was the party to lead St Read more

style="text-align: center;">Theo should substantiate claim that it won't cost much

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the National Alliance (NA) William Marlin says dollarization will have serious financial consequences for St. Maarten as the costs to take this route are extremely exorbitant.
Marlin said UP Theo Heyliger's claims during Sunday's debate that it won't cost much is erroneous and intended to sugar coat the real figures and the tremendous loss of seigniorage for the country.
For St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The National Alliance (NA) is reminding the public that its final public meeting before Friday's parliamentary election will be held on Scott's Property on the LB Scott Road near the entrance of St. Peters on Wednesday August 27th.

The meeting will be televised live on St. Maarten Cable TV channel 120 as well as broadcast on PJD2 1300am from 6pm.

"We would like to see all of you at the meeting, but if you can't make it NA has made provisions for you to watch the proceedings live on television or listen to it live on radio," NA leader Member of Parliament William Marlin said in a press release.

"This public meeting will be a last chance for the public to hear the plans of the National Alliance before going to the polls on Friday Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake says he has taken note of the recent story by former Minister of VROMI William Marlin regarding how he should be held liable for 'wrongdoing' in the Vorst land deal.

"The people of the country can see what is going on with William Marlin and the Prime Minister constantly hammering on this issue of the Vorst property that will benefit the people of this country by creating jobs and housing for our young professionals.

"If it is not coming from them, then it's nothing good for the country, basically that is what William and the Prime Minister are saying in between the lines Read more

NA: Dollarization could sink country

PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance (NA) leader Member of Parliament William Marlin says dollarization will have serious financial consequences for St. Maarten, as the expenses to take this route are extremely exorbitant. He called on United People's (UP) party leader MP Theo Heyliger to substantiate his claim that the switch from the Netherlands Antilles guilder to the US dollar would not cost the country much.

Marlin, whose party is not in favour of dollarizing the economy, said such a move comes with "tremendous loss of seigniorage" for the country.

To dollarize, the country would have to purchase stocks of currency equivalent to the value of the total stock of guilders in circulation Read more

Party Leaders Avoid Laser 101 Debate: Rhoda Arrindell (Up): “Stupid Grievances Downed First Wescot-Williams Cabinet”

St. Maarten – Party leaders declined to take part in what would have been the last political debate before the elections on Friday yesterday. Radio station Laser 101 had invited UP-leader Theo Heyliger, DP-leader Sarah Wescot-Williams, NA-leader William Marlin and USp-leader Frans Richardson Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- After listening to the last political debate on Sunday night which was organized by AVS News one wonders who really is running the country at this present moment. The two political parties namely the UP and DP tried their utmost best to convince the people that they are the ones most capable of running the country for another four years, yet they did not admit they are the ones in charge right now at least until October 10th, 2014.
SMN News has been bringing you a review of the past four years to remind voters of some of the things that transpired when the three coalitions ran the affairs of the people this great nation.
Early 2011 shortly after the UP/ DP government took office, the biggest scandal that broke and had the country in uproar was when Member of Parliament Jules James who is working for Simpson Bay Resorts Management Company (SBRMC) laid off close to 200 workers that have been working for Pelican Resorts for years Read more

Lake says ‘govt legal reps said I did nothing wrong’

PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure VROMI Maurice Lake said he has taken note of the recent story by former Minister of VROMI William Marlin regarding how he should be held liable for "wrongdoing" in the Vorst land deal.

"The people of the country can see what is going on with William Marlin and the prime minister constantly hammering on this issue of the Vorst property that will benefit the people of this country by creating jobs and housing for our young professionals," said Lake in a press release.

"If it is not coming from them, then it's nothing good for the country, basically that is what William and the prime minister are saying in between the lines Read more

National Alliance: Hold Minister Lake Liable For Vorst Estate Land Purchase

St. Maarten – National Alliance says UP’s Vromi-Minister Maurice Lake should be held liable for his wrongdoings in the Vorst Estate land deal and for putting the people of St. Maarten in unnecessary expense of having to pay for the significantly overpriced property.

NA-Leader William Marlin pointed to statements made by the judge in his verdict last week indicating that Parliament could call Minister Lake to account for an irresponsible purchase and that Lake could be held personally liable for damages incurred, if these were caused deliberately or by grave neglect.

“It is wrong what Minister Lake did Read more

National Alliance: Focus On Realistic Achievements

St. Maarten – The National Alliance (NA) plans to focus on responsible, attainable and realistic achievements for residents by addressing the issues that directly affect the people of St. Maarten in the next governing period, the party said in a press release yesterday in the wake of its public meeting in Cole Bay on Saturday evening..

Addressing the issues in health care; working towards an increase in the minimum wage and pension; the construction of a Center for the Performing Arts, an initiative first pursued by Deputy NA Leader Silveria Jacobs while she was minister; the creation of affordable housing; reducing the exorbitant utility rates and fast-tracking the party’s draft ordinance to stem the abuse of short term labour contracts are some of the issues NA will be tackling according to the press release.

The NA said its comprehensive approach to resolving the issues in health care in St Read more

Party leaders delve into critical matters

BELAIR--Dollarisation, integrity, boosting the economy, and immigration were among the topics the leaders of the six political parties delved into during the third and final Arts Video Studios televised political debate in Belair Community Centre on Sunday ahead of Friday's Parliamentary Elections.

The first question posed to party leaders by moderator Paul De Windt, publisher of The Daily Herald, was the parties' stance on dollarisation of the country.

Social Reform Party (SRP) leader businessman Jacinto Mock, to whom the question was posed, said the country was not ready to make the US dollar its currency; this could only happen when St Read more

William: Lake should be held liable for ‘wrongdoing’ in Vorst land deal

PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance NA says Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure VROMI Maurice Lake should be held liable for his "wrongdoings" in the Vorst Estate "land deal" and "for putting the people of St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- National Alliance NA says UP's Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure VROMI Maurice Lake should be held liable for his wrongdoings in the Vorst Estate land deal and for putting the people of St Read more

2nd Laser 101 Political Debate to be aired on Monday from 7 - 9pm.

>MADAME ESTATE:--- The 2nd and last Political Discussion that will be hosted on Laser 101, will be aired live on Monday, August 25th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. The leaders of the political parties that have representation in the present parliament have been invited to attend.

In first instance, Frans Richardson from the United St.Maarten Party, Sarah Wescot-Williams from the Democratic Party, and William Marlin from the National Alliance have all three confirmed their attendance by email to management of Philipsburg Broadcasting Read more