Dear Editor, The current Prime Minister’s Cabinet has promised to invoke Article 59 to dissolve Parliament, though the reason for this is unclear. This action would likely be a response to losing support within Parliament. It is important to note that the Governor must assess whether the motivations behind such a dissolution are justifiable, particularly as there is no evident disarray within Parliament. If the Governor decides not to proceed, this could signal an end to the frequent snap elections. However, if the Governor agrees back to the poll, we go with no promise of stability given the fragmented position…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — Politics is once more in turmoil after MP Kevin Maingrette announced in writing his resignation from Christophe Emmanuel’s NOW-party, thereby causing the coalition of NOW, DP, PFP and URSM to lose its majority in Parliament. Shortly afterwards, MP Sarah Wescot-Williams made her position as President of Parliament available. Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina has the option to dissolve Parliament by invoking article 59 of the Constitution but so far it is unclear whether he will take this initiative. If he does not, the coalition of the United People’s party (UP) and the National Alliance (NA) in combination with…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Philipsburg, St. Maarten – AirStMaarten, the pioneering virtual airline of St. Maarten, is thrilled to announce the launch of its innovative website, AirSXM 2.0. Featuring a custom-built, human-powered booking-engine, AirSXM 2.0 invites customers and agents worldwide to open an account at www.AirSXM.com and experience the future of travel booking. One-Stop-Shop for All Travel Needs AirSXM 2.0 serves as a comprehensive platform for booking private charters, shared charters, helicopter charters, commercial flights, boat charters, ferry services, and VIP services. The website caters to premier destinations such as St. Barths, Anguilla, Saba, St. Eustatius, and St. Kitts & Nevis,…
PHILIPSBURG — Deputy Leader of the Nation Opportunity Wealth (NOW) party Claudius Buncamper on Sunday said that Governor Ajamu Baly must substantiate that the appointment decisions regarding Raeyhon Peterson and MP Christophe Emmanuel represent a significant and structural violation of “the soundness of governance,” a matter primarily within the national jurisdiction of St. Maarten. Buncamper was reacting to the Governor’s decision last week to send Peterson and Emmanuel’s decrees back to the Prime Minister to be retracted. The Governor, Buncamper said, should clarify which national regulation or Kingdom interest is allegedly violated by these appointment decrees, providing a formal basis…
Dear Editor, The political situation in Sint Maarten presents a complex challenge due to the absence of a fully constituted parliament. With only 13 members currently active instead of the full 15, the inability to achieve quorum prevents the vetting and induction of the two pending members. This situation underlines the current gridlock, which the opposition seems to exploit as a strategy to cling to power. The criticism by the opposition is centered on the argument that the coalition is disorganized and unable to properly vet and seat their members, signaling a broader instability within the coalition, and further questions…
PHILIPSBURG – Na Ronald Plasterk, Raymond Knops and Alexandra van Huffelen the Caribbean part of the Dutch kingdom gets a new minister at the post Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations: Nicolien van Vroonhoven-Kok. This appears from the list of candidates for the new Dutch government. The four parties that are part of the new governing coalition – PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB – signed an agreement this week that will form the basis of a new governing accord. This agreement spends just one sentence on the Caribbean part of the kingdom: “The Netherlands considers the Caribbean part of the kingdom…
From our Correspondent ANGUILLA — A wave of frustration and anger have swept through Anguilla as about 200 residents joined forces in a peaceful protest outside the premises of Republic Bank (Anguilla) Limited, on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The protest, organized by a group of Anguillians and residents, aimed to address the financial losses suffered by customers due to unauthorized withdrawals from their accounts. Led by Mrs. Melisha Maccow-Niles, Tara Carter, and Anoushka Romney, the protesters gathered to express their grievances and demand accountability from the bank. The group, which represents a fraction of affected customers, delivered a formal communication…
By Hilbert Haar My publisher Terrance Rey posed the question whether we can be both a socialist and a capitalist country. Interesting question. American politicians tend to use socialism as a derogatory term, accusing their government of handing out taxpayers money like there is no tomorrow. But who is paying those damn politicians? Exactly, the tax payers. So it is fair to say that they live in a closed – quite comfortable – socialist society of their own. And they are happy with it; otherwise they would go and do something useful. Yet, the rest of the world considers the…
PHILIPSBURG — No more meetings of parliament without a quorum; assistance from the police to remove belligerent parliamentarians from a meeting and undesired visitors from the parliament building; and rules for virtual meetings when circumstances require this. These are the most significant changes to the rules of order for parliament. The new rules went into effect per May 1. The previous rules of order made it possible to hold a meeting without the required quorum. When after two meetings without a quorum, the third meeting also failed to have a quorum the meeting could then continue. No more: under the…
PHILIPSBURG — In light of recent developments regarding the vetting process for incoming Members of Parliament, the opposition members in Parliament representing the United People’s Party (UP) and the National Alliance (NA) have formally submitted a letter to the President of Parliament, the Honourable Sarah Wescot-Williams, urgently requesting that the vetting of the documents for incoming MPs not be further delayed and that it be handled by Friday this week. The honourable Omar E.C. Ottley and the honourable Silveria Jacobs, faction leaders two largest political parties issued a joint press release on Tuesday afternoon in which they clarified the stance of the…
