PHILIPSBURG – The position of victims of violent crimes in St. Maarten is weak compared to that of the criminals who harmed them. Attorney Geert Hatzmann, who has represented many of these victims over the course of his career on the island, intends to do something about it with the establishment of the Foundation of Victims of Violent Crimes. Hatzmann urges Minister of Justice Anna Richardson in a letter dated December 15 to explain her position on this issue. “Are you okay with it that victims of serious violent crimes are left to their own devices or do you agree…
Author: The Publisher
~ Says people must understand what’s coming ~ GREAT BAY — The Prime Minister and her government must answer urgent questions and provide truthful clarity to the people of St. Maarten about the COHO entity that is about to take over their lives. So says Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel as he submitted a letter to the PM, via the Secretariat of Parliament, on Friday. Emmanuel said he will “not let up” and will “not stop asking questions” about the drastic change that is about to occur on St. Maarten in return for a third tranche of liquidity support.…
Dear Editor, In February of 2018, the Kingdom of the Netherlands submitted a Written Statement to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) where they declared in paragraph 2.5 that “the right to self-determination of peoples is a PERMANENT, continuing, universal and inalienable right with a peremptory character.” Additionally, the Netherlands agreed without prejudice in paragraph 3.4 with Resolution 1514 of the United Nations General Assembly by stating that “self-determination was a right and not a principle.” The Netherlands continued to expound that “the right of self-determination of the people of a colonial territory prevailed over any claim by the administering State” which, in the case of St. Maarten, would…
PHILIPSBURG – The Pro Soualiga Foundation is apparently not happy with the conclusion that the decolonization process for the Netherlands Antilles and Suriname was already completed in 1955. Therefore, the foundation sent an email with seven attachments to stmaartennews.com in an attempt to support its position that the United Nations in fact rejected the Kingdom Charter back in 1955. Related article: “Decolonization was completed in 1955” The documentation provide by the foundation refers to discussions in the general assembly of the united Nations about “heavy criticism” of articles 44, 50 and 51 of the Kingdom Charter. Article 44 stipulates that…
PHILIPSBURG – The Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional Affairs and Decolonization has lost most of its luster already before its first meeting, given the Dutch government’s reply to a lawsuit filed by the Pro Soualiga Foundation. In a detailed 88-page brief, attorney Charles Rutte demonstrates that there is no decolonization to be completed, because that process was already concluded 65 years ago on December 15, 1955. The Pro Soualiga Foundation demanded in its lawsuit that the court declares the Kingdom Charter a violation of article 73 of the United Nations Charter and of the right to self-determination. Rutte notes that all…
Dear Editor, I just read a letter sent to His Excellency Governor Eugene B. Holiday by Renate Brison, Secretary of the Pro Soualiga Foundation that starts with: “Pro Soualiga, on behalf of the population of St. Maarten, etc., etc.” Just to be clear and for the record: Pro Soualiga Foundation, nor Renate Brison represent me, Michael J. Ferrier, a member in good standing of the population of St. Maarten since April 17, 1957. Michael J. Ferrier St. Maarten
PHILIPSBURG – In July a united Parliament rejected the Kingdom’s conditions for continued liquidity support, labeling the intention to establish a Caribbean Reform Entity (CRE) as “a takeover of St. Maarten’s autonomy in disguise.” But five months later Parliament’s resistance has almost completely melted away. In Monday’s Central Committee meeting almost all parliamentarians gave Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs the green light to continue the process that will ultimately result in the establishment of the CRE. All this did not happen without a lot of political grandstanding whereby UP-faction leader Grisha Heyliger-Marten even asked PFP-MP Raeyhon Peterson to unzip her dress…
By Hilbert Haar Something does not add up. On November 5 the Parliament approved with an overwhelming majority a motion that declares, among many other things, support for attempts by the obscure Pro Soualiga Foundation to complete the decolonization process of the former Netherlands Antilles. The same foundation also maintains that the Kingdom Charter is not a lawful legal instrument and that it can therefore not be used as the basis for legislation. Said Kingdom Charter is of course instrumental to the creation of the consensus kingdom law Caribbean Reform Entity which, in turn, is a condition for receiving the…
PHILIPSBURG – The government will not have all its ducks in a row before the end of the year. That puts a big question mark behind the preparedness of State Secretary Drs. Raymond Knops (Kingdom Relations) to give St. Maarten access to the third tranche of liquidity support during Friday’s meeting of the Kingdom Council of Ministers. A frantic exchange of correspondence with Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs shows that Knops is far from satisfied with the government’s steps towards accepting all conditions – and with it, the establishment of the Caribbean Reform Entity. Jacobs assures Knops in a letter dated…
PHILIPSBURG – The Integrity Chamber Sint Maarten has wrapped up introductory meetings with the supervisory boards and management of the “big four” government-owned companies. These virtual meetings were aimed at sharing the tasks assigned to the Integrity Chamber based on its governing ordinance and to learn more about the companies. Separate meetings were held by the three members of the Integrity Chamber and director of the secretariat with Sint Maarten Telephone Group of Companies TelEm, Sint Maarten Harbour Group of Companies, utilities companies GEBE and Princess Juliana International Airport. The meetings allowed the Integrity Chamber to gain valuable insight into…
