Philipsburg — The Electoral Council would like to remind all political parties contesting the upcoming parliamentary elections that in accordance with the National Ordinance on Registration and Finances of Political Parties they are required to make their manifestos public in a timely manner. In order for the public to make well-informed decision, the political program of a party should be published around the date of postulation. To date only one party, the Sint Maarten Christian Party, has presented their manifesto for the 2018 elections to the public. According to the articles of association of the respective political parties the publication…
Author: The Publisher
Philipsburg — Last week during the visit of Rotary District Governor Robert Leger and his wife Rosa, the Rotary Club of St. Maarten-Mid Isle donated 75 pieces of school uniforms to SJIB (Stichting Justitiele Inrichtingen Bovenwinden). These uniforms were given to children of Martin Luther King School, Prins Willem Alexander School, Marie Genevieve de Weever School, Oranje School, Sr. Borgia Primary and St. Maarten Vocational Training School. The SJIB-Probation Department occupies a unique and central position in the St. Maarten justice structure. It is the only department that is in contact with the offender throughout the different stages of the…
by Jacob Gelt Dekker Six months after the Van Putten-Statia incident, financial mismanagement, abuse of power, fraud, theft, embezzlement of public funds, widespread corruption and favoritism, personal intimidations, threats and insults, and extensive administrative neglect, caused the Dutch government to intervene with direct rule from The Hague. Van Putten’s worst fears were realized, not by Marines but by parliament; with a sigh of relief, the population of victims may see a temporary end to gangster-rule on the island. In case you missed the incident, Statia’s PLP-leader, and Island Councilman, Clyde van Putten, had egged on his audience at a political…
Philipsburg — The missing 12 year old boy Nathan York who has been missing since Tuesday February 6th has been found. He was found early this morning by his mother in an old abandoned bus close to the home of his father in Middle Region. He was asleep at the time and had on the same school uniform he was last seen wearing. The young boy seemed to be dehydrated and was not answering to questions. It was immediately decided to take him to the hospital to get medical attention. On the way to the hospital his parents met up…
Dear Editor, Today is a black page in the political history of St. Eustatius. Even in the old days, when the Statia government, without significant support from the National government in Willemstad, had to operate with a so called wenselijkheids budget, which was not sufficient to cover the cost of good governance. But what happens now within our government did not take place. Lawlessness, dictatorial behavior, irresponsible expenditures, the practices to silence the opposition, and so on. At that time this did not happen! After 10-10-10, we got a government that was closer to the local administration. Previously, there was…
St. Peters — The ensuing smoke from the fire on the landfill created after hurricane Irma prompted the evacuation of the residents of Pond Island, schools and the persons staying in the temporary shelters, and the Government Building. The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development, & Labor coordinated the evacuation of the thirty-three (33) persons staying at the temporary shelters in the Festival Village and the Little League Ball Park. These persons were safely transported to the Community Center in St. Peters. Shelter services such as the preparation of meals and security are in place at the location. The relocation…
PHILIPSBURG – Member of Parliament Tamara Leonard launched an unprecedented attack on Claudius Buncamper, head of infrastructure management at the VROMI-ministry, during Wednesday’s central committee meeting about the fires at the dump on Pond Island. Without mentioning Buncamper’s name Leonard, a member of the UP-faction said that minister Miklos Giterson has to “address the issue of the director of maintenance at the VROMI-department. “If we allow this to continue for the sake of all kinds of kickbacks under the umbrella of smokescreens of saving money we have a problem,” the MP said. “Minister, you could be a hero,” she continued.…
PHILIPSBURG – Police officer Akeem A. and MP Chanel Brownbill were expected to be the highlights of the second day of the trials against seven suspects in the so-called emerald investigation on Wednesday. But Akeem Emile A., a brother of Checkmate Security director O’Neal A. did not show up and Brownbill’s case was eventually postponed until March 29. The dump fires also had their influence on what happened in court, because attorney Brenda Brooks went down with a serious asthma-attack, making it impossible for her to represent her clients Sindo Renigio Alexandre D. and Karim Gemayel L. Earlier in the…
PHILIPSBURG – “We need real solutions and we need immediate action,” VROMI-Minister Miklos Giterson said on Wednesday during the central committee meeting about the dump fires, whereby he once more referred to the landfill as a “toxic monster.” The immediate action the minister has in mind consists of three elements: getting rid of the post-Irma debris, reducing the amount of garbage that is going to the dump and improving the landfill management. Giterson said that the memorandum of understanding with the Canadian company Envirogreen for the construction of a waste-to-energy facility is under review. MP Theo Heyliger asked how the…
PHILIPSBURG – The Court in First Instance sentenced J.P. on Wednesday morning to 24 months of imprisonment, with 12 months suspended and 2 years of probation. P.’s pretrial detention remains suspended until the verdict has become irrevocable.
