PHILIPSBURG — It is worthwhile to enter elections with a full list of 23 candidates. This appears from our analysis of the 2020-elections. Generally, the top five vote getters on a list are good for around 65 percent of the votes, but the remaining 35 percent can still make a big difference. Take for instance the United People’s party (UP). In 2020 the party won 3,238 votes and the top five candidates were good for 2,119 votes or 65.4 percent. The remaining 34.6 percent however, represented a massive 1,119 votes – and these are all votes bought home by candidates…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — The International Monetary fund (IMF) observes in its 2022 Article IV Consultation that public investments levels in St. Maarten are too low compared to the Caribbean region. The average Caribbean investment level is 4 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but up to 2016 St. Maarten invested just 1 percent. This year, St. Maarten plans to invest in the construction of a new prison, in improvement and construction of school buildings and in the expansion of the sewage system. “In spite of these plans, St. Maarten’s investment level stays behind the Caribbean average with 1 to 1.5 percent…
PHILIPSBURG — It’s official: parliamentary elections will take place on January 11, 2024, and parties will have to submit their lists of candidates on November 22. The government published the national decree that determines these dates in a special edition of the National Gazette on Wednesday. One thing remains unclear though and that is whether the electorate will vote for a parliament of 15 seats or for a parliament of 17 seats. Article 45 of the constitution states that the parliament consists of 15 members if the population is below 60,000. With a population between 60,000 and 70,000 parliament gets…
THE HAGUE — Senators Eddy Hartog (Volt) and Ferd Crone (Green Left/PvdA) have agreed to postpone voting on their motion that objects to the intention of charging Curacao and Aruba a higher interest rate on their corona-loans until December. State Secretary Marnix van Rij (Fiscality and Tax Inspectorate) asked members of the First Chamber “not to disturb a brooding chicken.” This was a reference to the negotiations about financial supervision between State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen (Kingdom Relations) and the cabinet Wever-Croes in Aruba. These negotiations should result in a breakthrough this week. Van Rij urged the senators to wait…
PHILIPSBURG — At least 19 percent of St. Maarten’s population has a monthly income of 1,000 guilders ($558.66) or less, it appears from an analysis of the local labor market by the Economic Bureau Amsterdam in collaboration with Tackling Law. The Social Economic Council has defined the poverty line as being 80 percent of the minimum wage. This puts the household poverty line at 1,223 guilders ($683.24). St. Maarten’s monthly minimum wage of $855 (at the time the report was published) compares poorly to that of other Caribbean islands like Bonaire ($1,236), Saba ($1,434) and Statia ($1,446). The minimum wage…
PHILIPSBURG — Minister of Justice Anna Richardson has reacted in a hurry to criticism from the police union NAPB about her decision to make the police force responsible for the detention center at police headquarters. “This decision is vital to meet the pressing needs of the Pointe Blanche prison while ensuring the safety and security of our community,” she states in a press release. The minister explains the difference between holding cells (where detainees can stay a maximum of ten days) and detention facilities like prisons where inmates are forcibly confined under state authority. In 2011, former Minister of Justice…
PHILIPSBURG — The first draft of a new gambling law has been completed, it appears from the third implementation report that details progress on measures that are part of the country package. The Temporary Work Organization (TWO) has provided feedback on the draft, but the implementation report does not contain any specifics. The TWO is still waiting for a proposal for the organizational structure of the St. Maarten Gaming Authority. The Netherlands will also give feedback and advice on this proposal. Research into gambling addiction on St. Maarten still has not begun, because the deadline for giving this assignment to…
Dear Editor, Soon Postulation to participate in the upcoming 2024 parliamentary election is upon us. Political parties will be presenting their list of candidates. With the postulation of the list of candidates who are eligible, new parties must acquire authorized voters signatures to support their list of candidates, according to the Election Ordinance. These signatures must amount to 1% of the total votes cast in the previous election. The Election Ordinance further states: The signatures do not apply with regard to a list of candidates of a political party to which one or more seats in Parliament were assigned at…
PHILIPSBURG — The NAPB – the National General Police Union – has reacted with dismay to the decision by Justice Minister Anna Richardson to transfer the responsibility for the detention center at the police station to the police force per November 11. The union points out that the police force is already seriously understaffed and that its personnel are not trained in dealing with detainees. Taking care of the detention center will also take police officers off the streets. The NAPB says that under these conditions it can no longer guarantee safety and security. It demands answers from the justice…
WILLEMSTAD — The Common Court of Justice has denied Ennia’s request to have the Supreme Court render judgment on the court’s interim ruling in the dispute between the insurance company and its majority shareholder Hushang Ansary and former managers, the Antilliaans Dagblad reports. Ennia (or rather the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten on its behalf) wanted to go to the Supreme Court to speed up the procedures against Ansary. But the Common Court ruled that the appeal process is progressing at a proper speed and that there is no need for a procedure at the Supreme Court. The…
