I doubted very long whether I would write this comment. Let me begin by congratulating pastor Wycliffe Smith with his upcoming executive position as Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS). I believe that a man with your experience can contribute a lot to policies in these fields, especially education. But reading all publications recently in the newspaper and on social media, I start to doubt whether you’ll be strong enough to stand your ground once in that chair. Pastor Wycliffe Smith in public stated that he was not willing to form any government with criminals (suspected!), not under…
Author: The Publisher
Our Country is often referred to as a State of Law (Rechtstaat). This means that our Country is governed by the rule of law, and that every formal decision of the state must be based on a law and the authority provided by law to make such decisions. Our Parliament and our Government are bound by the law. The Legality Principle (Legaliteitsbeginsel) is laid down in article 1 of our Penal Code. It states: No law is applicable unless it was established by the competent authority and published according to the law. This article aims to give the reader an…
Last week Saturday, Carnival Fascination cruise ship was informed about the smoke from the dump by the port authorities and advised not to make a call at the port of St. Maarten. Despite this the captain decided, after assessing the situation, to still make the stop in St. Maarten, as was announced in a subsequent press release issued by the port authorities. The news about the advice not to call and the decision to still dock are facts. We have the press releases to prove it. We also have a photo of the Fascination in port at the Pointe Blanche…
PHILIPSBURG – Twenty-two employees of World Gifts Import BV, a company that operates two stores in St. Maarten under the name Little Switzerland demand that the company pay salary arrears dating back to December 7, 2017. That day, the company stopped paying. On Friday morning, practically all the employees were in court together with their attorney Jelmer Snow to make their case in summary proceedings in front of Judge Sander van Rijen. Little Switzerland fielded attorneys Daniëlla Engelhardt and Michiel Gorsira, accompanied by Mike Cooney, the company’s vice president of human resources. The court will pronounce its ruling in this…
THE HAGUE – The Dutch government has put the establishment of a dispute regulation on ice, John Samson reports on Caribisch Netwerk. It is the umpteenth disappointment for the autonomous countries St. Maarten, Aruba and Curacao. State Secretary Raymond Knops says that he has other priorities, like the reconstruction of St. Maarten. During the past couple of years the islands have experienced several conflicts with the kingdom government about Dutch interventions on the islands. In 2014 The Hague balked at the idea that Theo Heyliger, then leader of the United People’s party (UP) would become prime minister. Heyliger solved the…
PHILIPSBURG – “Dear His Majesty King Willem Alexander, His Excellency the Governor Eugene Holiday, Council of Ministers, Honorable Members of Parliament, State Secretary of Kingdom Affair Raymond Knops, Head of Dutch Recovery Programme Hans Leijtens, Representative of the Netherlands in St. Maarten Chris Johnson, Head of World Bank Mission to St. Maarten Doekle Wielinga,” is the letter from the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA) addressed to the aforementioned on behalf of its membership and the public seeking urgent action regarding the Pond Island Landfill.” “To anybody familiar with Sint Maarten, it is obvious that just like hurricane Irma,…
Dear Editor, The Sint Maarten Christian Party (SMCP) has taken note via the media that the Court in First Instance has sentenced Member of Parliament, Chanel Brownbill. MP Brownbill is a member of the United Democrats (UD) with which SMCP entered a coalition agreement earlier this month. Matters such as these were discussed with the UD prior to forming the coalition and so the UD will be dealing with this matter from their end. Moreover, SMCP is of the opinion that the law must take its course. As far as the coalition between the UD and the SMCP is concerned,…
IMPORTANT NOTICE The Inspectorate of Public Health, Social Development and Labor has found and ordered the destruction of eggs that may be contaminated with the Salmonella bacteria and that were found in various markets on the local market. The eggs that were found originated from the second largest egg production plant by the name ROSE ACRE FARMS in the United States. There have been confirmed reports from the FDA connecting 22 cases of gastro intestinal illness to the badge of contaminated eggs. There have been no reported cases on Sint Maarten yet. Healthy individuals infected with the bacteria can…
PHILIPSBURG – Fifteen years of imprisonment. That is the demand the public prosecutor put to the Court in First Instance on Wednesday against Akil Amaru L. for allegedly stabbing 23-year old Gary Zorilla (see photo) to death during a fight at Diamond Hill on July 20 of last year.
PHILIPSBURG – The Court in First Instance sentenced Ashworth Robin on Wednesday morning to 36 months of imprisonment for the rape of a 19-year old girl in his home on Pumpkin Road on December 19, 2017.
