Trouw journalist Hans Marijnissen analyzed the phenomenon Gerrit Schotte and Curacao-based journalist Dick Drayer added a brief introduction to the story. Why Schotte is going to win the elections tomorrow. Gerrit Schotte split with Helmin Wiels on October 29, 2012, after Wiels had called him a sociopath. Wiels had won the elections, beating Schotte by a margin of 1,265 votes that took away the initiative from Schotte for the formation of the next government. Research by journalist Yves Cooper made clear that Wiels took away 19 percent of Schotte’s MFK-electorate. In 2013 Wiels was assassinated and his 19,715 votes were…
Author: The Publisher
GREAT BAY – Watching grass grow is probably more exciting than sitting through a session of the Central Voting Bureau during a recount of all votes cast in the September 26 elections, but there was still some excitement in the air for at least two candidates yesterday. Photo caption: All hands go up in favor of the recount of all ballots. Photo Today / Hilbert Haar Central Voting Bureau finds discrepancies When the Central Voting Bureau announced the results last week, UP-candidate Jules James was just one vote ahead of Tamara Leonard for the fifth seat in parliament. But already…
Small changes can make a big difference. That at least, seems to be a serious possibility based on the first results of the total recount the Central Voting Bureau began yesterday. With just one vote separating the number five and six on the UP-list, and one vote already found to even the score, the final result will decide who is going to take that seat – Tamara Leonard or Jules James. If one of the top four vote getters becomes a minister this becomes obviously a moot point; in that case both candidates will take their seat at the end…
GREAT BAY – Governor Drs. Eugène Holiday requested National Alliance-leader William Marlin yesterday to form a new government as formateur. The governor expects the final report no later than October 27. The Governor, considering the results of the September 26 elections, held consultations between September 27 and 30, with the leaders of the political parties that obtained seats in parliament – the United People’s Party, the National Alliance, the United St. Maarten party and the Democratic Party – and with the vice chairperson of the Council of Advice and the chairperson of the Main Voting Bureau. During the consultation the…
GREAT BAY – The Democratic Party, the United St. Maarten party and the five parties that did not win a seat in last week’s elections have petitioned the Central Voting Bureau with a request for a total recount of the ballots of all polling stations. The Central Voting Bureau meets this morning at 10 a.m. The seven political parties motivate their request with eight arguments. The first one being that voters “were not allowed to be present in several of the voting stations, thereby obstructing their right to voice objections.” In one particular voting station, the parties write in a…
GREAT BAY – At the request of several readers we publish an overview of all the candidates that took part in last week Monday’s elections and the votes they won – from the highest vote getter (Theo Heyliger with 1,426) to the lowest (Johan Zwart with zero votes). Take note of the man in the very last position. It is certain that he is one of the candidates that did not vote for himself. Ironically, he is the last man in both lists of all candidates from the highest to the lowest vote getter and in alphabetical order. All candidates…
It’s Going To Be Four Long Years At least, that is what we hope! We can be optimistic because even losing parties such as the HOPE party are happy with this new NA-UP formation, which – according to HOPE – clearly has gotten the mandate of the people and will guarantee a much more stable government that will last the full four years. At least, that is what we hope! “This is an important condition to be able to reach sustainable development.” HOPE states in a press release. “An unstable government brings an unstable economy which has devastating consequences for us…
One thing is certain – one day we are all called to leave this earth but for radio-journalist Samuel Allen Jr. that call came far too early, just two weeks after his 48th birthday. We remember standing next to him in November 2013, when he reported live about the arrival of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima at the (now old) Government Administration Building. As the royal couple passed by, Allen told his listeners as if this was the most natural thing to happen, “Yes, here comes Maxima, and I believe she is looking straight at me now.” It was funny…
GREAT BAY- PJD2 Radio personality Samuel Allen Jr is no longer with us. Allen who had to be airlifted to the Dominican Republic on Friday afternoon after suffering from a stroke died while he was receiving treatment early last Saturday morning. He celebrated his 48th birthday on September 17. It was quite a scene outside the Intensive Care Unit at the St Maarten Medical Center when members of the local media converged. They were not there to capture breaking news, instead they were there to hear good news on the state of Allen’s medical condition after he suffered a stroke last…
Yes, St. Maarten should be worried about Trump, but not for the reasons you think As the saying goes; if the US sneezes, St. Maarten catches a cold. Our economy is inextricably linked to that of the United States, home to most of our tourist visitors and provider of the majority of our imported goods. Even our culture has become increasingly influenced by signals from the north, not only because of American visitors and investors, but also by way of the mass media, starting with cable TV in the nineties and of course the internet in the 21st century. History…
