PHILIPSBURG – The United Democrats have won the parliamentary elections but not by the landslide the party was aiming for. The preliminary results give the UD 7 seats. One short of a majority; the National Alliance did surprisingly well, winning 5 seats. The embattled United St. Maarten party claimed 2 seats and the St. Maarten Christian party 1. When all the votes were counted, the UD stood at the top with 5,748, followed by the NA (4,139), the USp (1,788) and the SMCP (1,181). Benjamin Ortega’s St. Maarten Development Movement (SDM) won 416 votes and Gracita Arrindell’s People’s Progressive Alliance…
Author: The Publisher
GREAT BAY — Based on the preliminary results as of 12:30am tonight, the United Democrats (UD) party is leading by 7 seats. The count from 15 polling stations is giving the following results: UD 4209 votes (good for 7 seats) SDM 314 votes NA 2670 votes (good for 5 seats) PPA 212 votes USP 1188 votes (good for 2 seats) SMCP 821 votes (good for 1 seat) Five (5) more polling stations to go. Photo caption: This supporter has UD stickers all over this rear window. Photo by Milton Pieters. Below is the sheet with the results thus far. Click…
Philipsburg — As of 8pm the official voter turnout is 13932, accounting for 62% of the total voting population of 22559. That is 650 (4,5%) less than the 2016 results at the same time of 14582, which accounted for 65% of the total voting population at the time, namely 22302. With this final voter turnout of 62%, the hourly count of the voter results officially comes to an end. The 62% average is not a bad turnout given the depressed state of the island after the passing of hurricanes Irma and Maria and the overall sentiment of the population not…
By Hilbert Haar Politicians are always quick to suggest that ‘this’ elections is really important and every time I hear this I think really? Our politicians also like to talk about ‘the next four years,’ knowing darn well that since 10-10-10 the average lifespan of government is 14 months. Monday’s elections are special in this sense that they will put the value of integrity truly to the test. Why am I writing this? Well, as you may know, this ain’t my first rodeo. Once you’ve been around the block a couple times you develop a feel for what is gonna…
GREAT BAY — On the 26th of February 2018, exactly 173 days after hurricane Irma wrecked havoc in St. Maarten, elections are again being held again due to the impromptu dissolution of the Marlin cabinet. This election is coming exactly seventeen months after the last election that was held on the 26th of September, 2016. The United Democrats Party (UD), National Alliance (NA), United St. Maarten Party (US) and the People’s Progressive Alliance Party (PPA) were on full display during this election. Eligible voters have been seen around the polling stations as elections are conducted in a free and fair…
Philipsburg — As of 6pm the voter turnout is 11572, which is 51% of the total voting population (22559). That is 541 less than 2016 at the same time (12113). At this rate, with two more hours to go, we are trending over 60%. Below is the voter turnout per polling station. Click on the image to enlarge for closer views.
Philipsburg – Voters showed an appetite for the elections during the first hour after the polls opened on Monday at 8 a.m. but in the next two hours turnout slowed down. At 9 a.m. 1,853 voters had cast their vote, well above the 1,331 that did so in 2016. This difference of 39.2 percent seemed to indicate a large turnout, but that idea had to be put to rest in the next two hours. At 10 a.m. the turnout was 2,748 – 170 voters or 5.8 percent behind 2016. An hour later turnout fell further behind with a total of…
PHILIPSBURG – At 10 a.m. on Monday morning stmaartennews.com received the first report about irregularities during the elections. Attorney Jojanneke Deelstra reported that she was turned away at the polling station in Middle Region at the Sr. Marie Laurence School. “Although they have a list of eligible voters and the voting ballots are handed out there, the lady told me that it is taking too much time to retrieve my name from the list,” Deelstra wrote in an email to the chairman of the Central Voting Bureau, Jason Rogers. “So they searched half the list, which took five to ten…
PHILIPSBURG – The interim director of the Tourist Bureau, Rolando Brison, obtained a declaration of no objection from the police in 2016 when he was a candidate to become the director of the St. Maarten Tourism Authority, even though the selection committee was aware that he had “resigned rather than be terminated” from his position at Winair “due to the misappropriation of funds under his control.” On August 16, 2016, the Today newspaper published an article based on documents it obtained, that Brison had embezzled more than $41,000 from Winair. The article appeared a few days after the Daily Herald…
** GOVERNMENT OF SINT MAARTEN INFORMS ** ** Manual for the voter ** (Art. 52, third section, Electoral Ordinance) You cast your vote by coloring red with a pencil the white dot in front of the name of the candidate of your choice. The ballot paper will be invalid if you have: · not colored red any white dot; · colored more than one white dot red; · casted your vote other than with red pencil; or · adding of any additions (texts or drawings) or if the ballot paper contains an indication of the voter. If you make a…
