Philipsburg:--- Ousted Minister of Labour, Health, and Social Affairs Maria Buncamper Molanus and her husband Claudius Buncamper, Head of Maintenance of VROMI were one of the many people who received government long lease land two weeks ago. The Buncamper's received another parcel of land situated on Pond Island just next to where they already have a plot of long lease land. The same parcel of land on Pond Island cost the Minister her Ministerial seat when she was facing a motion of non confidence.
According to decision taken by the outgoing Minister of VROMI Theodore Heyliger, a parcel of land was granted to "MARCLAU NV" on May 4, 2012. Based on the document SMN News received, the Head of Domain Affairs Maria van Zadelhof, Head of VROMI Louis Brown, and the Minister of VROMI Theodore Heyliger all signed off on the document on May 4, 2012. Just a few days after the United Peoples Party and Democratic Party government fell, the UP leader and his staff began working overtime to distribute government lease land and to grant licenses to their friends and cronies.
The documents state that the company MARCLAU NV submitted a request in May 2001 asking for the said parcel of land in long lease to construct apartments, storage, and a retail shop. Sometime in 2008 the Executive Council took a decision to grant the Buncampers said parcel of land but the certificate of ad-measurement marked in a meet-brief 321/2008 could not be found. Therefore, the outgoing Minister of VROMI was asked to draft a substitute decision to grant Marclau NV the plot of land on long lease. The parcel of land measures 1000m² and the annual rent will be Naf. 8,000.00 based on the Naf. 8.00 m² which is corresponding to the value of the land at Naf.100.00 per m².
It should be noted that on April 1, 2008, the Buncamper's received a plot of land on Pond Island to which they sold the economic rights of the property for a whopping USD 3 million to Eco Green. It is the sale of economic rights of this property that cost Maria Buncamper Molanus her seat as a Minister of Health Labour and Social Affairs. Ever since then the Prosecutor's Office confirmed on several occasions that they were going to investigate the case to see if the Buncampers had committed a crime. To date that investigation has not gotten off the ground. It should also be noted that one Elmer Moses Mardenborough is the one that filled in this section of Pond Island when Government promised to grant him the long lease for the property. Mardenborough had applied for the long lease for the property he filled in on April 21, 1995 and to date it has not been granted to him.

Click here to view the decision to grant the Buncampers another parcel of long lease land.

Philipsburg:--- Ousted Minister of Labour, Health, and Social Affairs Maria Buncamper Molanus and her husband Claudius Buncamper, Head of Maintenance of VROMI were one of the many people who received government long lease land two weeks ago. The Buncamper's received another parcel of land situated on Pond Island just next to where they already have a plot of long lease land. The same parcel of land on Pond Island cost the Minister her Ministerial seat when she was facing a motion of non confidence.
According to decision taken by the outgoing Minister of VROMI Theodore Heyliger, a parcel of land was granted to "MARCLAU NV" on May 4, 2012. Based on the document SMN News received, the Head of Domain Affairs Maria van Zadelhof, Head of VROMI Louis Brown, and the Minister of VROMI Theodore Heyliger all signed off on the document on May 4, 2012. Just a few days after the United Peoples Party and Democratic Party government fell, the UP leader and his staff began working overtime to distribute government lease land and to grant licenses to their friends and cronies.
The documents state that the company MARCLAU NV submitted a request in May 2001 asking for the said parcel of land in long lease to construct apartments, storage, and a retail shop. Sometime in 2008 the Executive Council took a decision to grant the Buncampers said parcel of land but the certificate of ad-measurement marked in a meet-brief 321/2008 could not be found. Therefore, the outgoing Minister of VROMI was asked to draft a substitute decision to grant Marclau NV the plot of land on long lease. The parcel of land measures 1000m² and the annual rent will be Naf. 8,000.00 based on the Naf. 8.00 m² which is corresponding to the value of the land at Naf.100.00 per m².
It should be noted that on April 1, 2008, the Buncamper's received a plot of land on Pond Island to which they sold the economic rights of the property for a whopping USD 3 million to Eco Green. It is the sale of economic rights of this property that cost Maria Buncamper Molanus her seat as a Minister of Health Labour and Social Affairs. Ever since then the Prosecutor's Office confirmed on several occasions that they were going to investigate the case to see if the Buncampers had committed a crime. To date that investigation has not gotten off the ground. It should also be noted that one Elmer Moses Mardenborough is the one that filled in this section of Pond Island when Government promised to grant him the long lease for the property. Mardenborough had applied for the long lease for the property he filled in on April 21, 1995 and to date it has not been granted to him.

Click here to view the decision to grant the Buncampers another parcel of long lease land.

~ Underscores Heyliger's renewable energy goal ~

PHILIPSBURG--A fifty-page report entitled "St. Maarten's Sustainable Energy Assessment – A Study of Electric Supply Options" has been completed and submitted to government by KEMA, the firm commissioned by the Minister of Energy Affairs Theo Heyliger to investigate options for reducing the country's dependence on imported fuels for the supply of energy to the island.

The intention is for the report to serve as an in-depth resource option and guiding document in developing a Green Energy Plan.

Heyliger has been pushing this Green Energy Plan for more than a year. Its objective is to provide St. Maarten an assessment of renewable energy options and recommendations for renewable options that will result in 20 per cent of St. Maarten's electric generation being supplied by renewable energy sources by 2015. Heyliger has already published his Energy Policy, which will be an integral factor in this plan.

St. Maarten's goal is to have 50 per cent of its electricity produced with renewable energy by 2020. This Green Energy Plan will review all renewable generation systems, including wind, solar, tidal, wave, geothermal and waste-to-energy power.

The report presents the results of KEMA's studies and recommendations on next steps.

KEMA recommends that St. Maarten initiate steps immediately to promote such types of distributed renewable energy options (DREO) as solar hot water heating, residential photovoltaic (PV) and commercial PV.

PV is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material.

Full implementation of these programmes, KEMA points out, would reduce electricity consumption by almost 20 per cent. Fuel cost could be reduced by US $12.25 million annually based upon GEBE's 2011 fuel cost. Fuel cost is up more than five per cent already for 2012. The peak load of 56 megawatts (MW) could be reduced by more than 25 per cent. Coupling this project with other large-scale generation options (waste-to-energy, etc.) could result in all of St. Maarten's electric supply being provided by renewable energy.

"The economic impact from jobs and investment cannot be easily quantified, but in general, every dollar of new investment has a typical multiplier of three in terms of economic growth. Thus, a US $100-million-plus investment in renewable distributed generation could result in a US $300 million boost for St. Maarten's economy. This does not include the economic benefit of reducing the drain on St. Maarten's economy of more than US $12 million in annual fuel cost for generation," the KEMA report stated.

Heyliger has said that government has identified energy issues that are of great importance for the island and has subsequently developed an Energy Policy addressing the energy issues and the actions needed to move from policy to implementation, with the ultimate goal of ensuring a sustainable, affordable and environmentally-friendly energy situation for St. Maarten.

The energy policy calls for, but is not limited to, revised legislation to implement the policy, benchmarks for GEBE, a green energy plan, the feasibility of implementing natural gas, and establishing a regulatory authority for regulating the energy sector.

KEMA Energy and Sustainability, headquartered in The Netherlands, is a leading global authority in business and technical consultancy, testing, inspections and certification, risk management and verification, along the energy value-chain.

MARIGOT--The Préfecture reported Friday it has received the official declarations of the candidates who will contest the legislative elections on June 9 and 16. They are however, subject to national validation.

There are seven candidates, and they are by order of drawn lots; 1. Louis Jeffry with substitute Alex Jacqua, 2.Daniel Gibbs and substitute Karine Miot, 3.Benoit Chauvin and substitute José Clarke-Conception, 4.Jacques Hamlet with Rosita Larregain Ledee, 5.Nicole Thiebault with Willy Boye, 6.Guillaume Arnell and Ines Bouchaut, and 7. Louis Mussington with Annick Petrus.

POND ISLAND--A vaccination open house will be held in Festival Village today, Saturday from 9:00am to 4:00pm.

Youth Health Care (YHC) Department, the organiser, has appealed to all parents to attend and to ensure that their children are up to date with their vaccinations especially before travelling on summer vacation.

This year's theme for the vaccination drive is "Vaccination: An Act of Love – for you, for me for everyone, get checked, get vaccinated."

Several health-related businesses and other health stakeholders will be present in the village promoting their services, information and products.

Parents should take along their children's vaccination booklets/cards.

"If unsure about the vaccination status of your child, contact your general practitioner, paediatrician or YHC for children up to age 17," the department advised.

To verify your vaccination status, call YHC at 542-3003, 542-2078 or 542-3553 Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 4:00pm.

WILLEMSTAD--The budgetary deficits of Curaçao from 2011, 2012 and 2013 will be erased with revenues from the Tax Regulation Kingdom BRK. The deficit for 2011 is 163.4 million guilders and for 2012 it is 32.7 million guilders. For next year government departs from a limited deficit of 5.1 million guilders.

Prime Minister Gerrit Schotte (MFK) announced a series of measures to make the country's public finances healthy in the coming years.

The policy of the former Island Territory Curaçao and Netherlands Antilles was that revenues from BRK, considered incidental windfalls, were not used to close gaps in the budget. The Island Territory had even approved a division where BRK revenues were earmarked for education and economic development.

The then Antillean Government also stuck to a policy where the revenues were deposited into a separate account with the intention to use these in the future for social investments in areas such as education, sports, culture and development in the districts.

The current MFK/PS/MAN coalition's decision to use the BRK revenues made the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT raise an eyebrow. CFT pointed out to government the danger of using incidental windfalls to solve structural problems.

The budget of country Curaçao has a deficit of 140 million guilders on the "regular service" account. According to the Schotte-cabinet, this deficit is due to the reforms in public health and the upcoming adjustment of the pension system.

The expenditures on the regular service were 80.3 million guilders higher than estimated. The capital service (investment funds) account last year had shown a deficit of 22.9 million.

The entire year 2011 deviated from a budgetary deficit of 163.4 million guilders, which will be made good with revenues from the BRK. This year's budget deviates from a surplus of 27.4 million guilders on the regular service account.

With the capital service account there is a question of a 60.1-million-guilder deficit; the budget, therefore, shows a combined deficit of 32.7 million. The reserves from BRK will also have to cover this deficit.

For 2013 government departs from a budgetary deficit. In this case, it involves approximately 5.1 million guilders.

Despite the alarming figures, during a press conference Schotte repeatedly emphasised that Curaçao is not in a financial/ economic crisis. According to him, government is working on a series of projects and actions for which he refused to use the word "measures," to straighten out the country's finances.

A concrete step announced is an across-the-board two per cent spending cut at all nine ministries of country Curaçao, which is to yield 34 million guilders in savings. This economisation must be realised by increasing efficiency, said Finance Minister George "Jorge" Jamaloodin (MFK), along with turning to digitalisation as much as possible. Furthermore, a strict personnel policy will be maintained.

The Schotte-cabinet has also announced a new dividend policy, where government-owned companies are to pay government a license fee. The first letter concerning this fee was recently sent to Curaçao Airport Holding (CAH).

Additionally, government announced savings in public health. According to Schotte, it involves numerous decisions, which previous governments had not taken in the past such as integration of the Social Insurance Bank SVB and the Bureau Medical Insurance BZV; raising the retirement age and introducing basic medical insurance with effect from July 1 this year.

The integration of the SVB and BZV was formalised on Thursday, during a ceremony at the Marriott Hotel.

The economisation package concerning public health also includes cutting by half the cost of medicines, introducing the New Remuneration Structure Public Health NBG and integrating specialists in the hospital.

~ Set for Sunday at Harbour ~

POINTE BLANCHE--St. Maarten's biggest multicultural, meditation and peace event – I Meditate SXM – and the 29th International AIDS Candlelight Memorial will be streamed live via the Internet to more than 100 countries, giving a boost to tourism promotion while spreading a message of tolerance and love for humanity.

The free event organised jointly by the Art of Living Foundation and St. Maarten AIDS Foundation will take place at Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Facilities on Sunday. Gates open at 5:00pm and attendees are required to have photo IDs.

The extensive programme begins at 6:00pm with the Candlelight Memorial, which will lead into "I Meditate SXM," and will include presentation of the Elton Jones Award for AIDS awareness.

Organisers have promised ample seating for attendees to enjoy the cross-cultural presentations stemming from the Candlelight Memorial themed "Promoting Health and Dignity together" and I Meditate SXM themed "Celebrating Humanity."

Art of Living President Ashok Aswani has urged residents on both sides of the island to be part of this concentration of peace for non-violence and stress-free St. Maarten.

One highlight is the blend of music from the Scottish harp, played by Mary Sommerville, with that of steel pan by Isidore "Mighty Dow" York, who was knighted by Queen Beatrix recently for his musical accomplishments.

Art of Living International Founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a world renowned humanitarian leader, spiritual teacher and ambassador of peace, will lead the meditational aspect of "I Meditate SXM" via live feed from an ashram in Germany.

A number of people have flown in from as far away as Curaçao for this first mass meditate event in the Caribbean, while others will be following the event live in countries around the world where Art of Living has a presence.

The live feed for the mediation and continuous streaming will be provided by United Telecommunication Services (UTS).

The event also will be recorded and shared throughout the Caribbean as a promotion of peace and togetherness.

Art of Living Vice President Robin Ramrattan said at a press conference on Friday that the idea was to make this an annual "One Caribbean Peace Event" with St. Maarten as its venue.

Art of Living International Programme Director Dushyant Savadia, who brought the Art of Living movement to St. Maarten, said the event's aim was to bring back the balance of peace to the community and further afield. He said the merging with the AIDS Candlelight Memorial was a welcome move, as Art of Living also ran projects aimed at AIDS awareness.

AIDS Foundation Prevention Unit Head Rajesh Chintaman shared Savadia's sentiment of awareness. He said the candlelight memorial called on the community "to light a candle for respect and love."

AIDS Foundation President Gerard van Osch said the event would bring a bigger exposure to AIDS and the need to reduce its stigma.

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Cable TV management is advising customers who still have analog cable boxes to come in and switch to the new digital service as soon as possible. Analog channels are currently being removed from the cable system to complete the digital upgrade.

Removal of analog channels will allow St. Maarten Cable TV to launch more channels and packages in the near future.

St. Maarten Cable TV's Madame Estate location will be open on Saturday, May 19, from 9:00am to 1:00pm to accommodate customers who have not yet swapped their cable boxes.

The second office location at The Mailbox at La Palapa Centre in Simpson Bay, across from RBC Bank, will continue to accept customers on Saturdays throughout the digital box project. Customer service representatives are available at that office to process digital swaps, new accounts and other digital inquiries.

The office at The Mailbox processes credit or debit card transactions and cheque payments. Hours of operation at The Mailbox will continue to be Monday to Friday from 10:00am to 6:30pm and Saturdays from 9:00am to 4:30pm.

"We are very excited that we are concluding this part of the digitisation process. Now we can focus on expanding our existing basic and Solid Gold packages with new, exciting channels in June," St. Maarten Cable TV Managing Director Beulah Jonis said.

Customers also are encouraged to visit St. Maarten Cable TV's new Website

www.innovativevi.net/sxmcable for additional information about the new location and other pertinent facts about the digital conversion.

PHILIPSBURG--A black Hyundai Elantra collided with a Ford Eco Line F350 taxi in the vicinity of Prins Bernhard Bridge on Friday, May 18, around 2:20am.

The taxi was travelling from Nisbeth Road toward Bush Road. The Elantra was travelling from Long Wall Road toward A.Th. Illidge Road.

The Elantra reportedly ran the red light, hit the van, then crashed into the railing of Prins Bernhard Bridge. The driver and passenger of the Elantra, and the driver of the taxi were injured. An ambulance arrived and transported the injured to St. Maarten Medical Center.

The taxi was transporting tourists, but the tourists were not injured. Another taxi was called to transport the tourists.

Police are investigating the accident.

~ Boost for Community Policing ~

PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Justice Roland Duncan formally announced at a press conference at the Cabinet on Illidge Road on Wednesday, May 16, that a partnership agreement had been signed between the Ministry of Justice and Miami Dade School of Justice.

  The aims of this partnership are to harness a superior image of Justice, with the desire to make law enforcement more accessible to all, foster ideals of maintaining a more sustainable future for law enforcement, and deliver a Justice service that is extraordinary and exceptional, a press release from the Minister stated.

  Miami Dade School of Justice Director Hector Garcia has many years of experience in the field of Justice, not to mention the School of Justice’s massive track record in delivering top-of-the-line law enforcement officers for global clients.

  Police officers Hellen Christiana-Romeo, Edualdus Josepha, Felix Richards, Michael-Angelo Sylvania and Juan Statie who were designated as Community Police officers on May 1, will start the Community Policing CCOP course in the next two weeks and are expected to finish by the end of July.

  The course includes an internship in Miami, Florida, where the officers will receive practical experience while training. After completing the course, they will be functioning in the areas of Lowlands, Philipsburg (including Pointe Blanche and Fort Willem), St. Peters (including South Reward, Betty’s Estate, etc.), Dutch Quarter and Middle Region, the press release continued.

  All contact information such as phone numbers, Twitter accounts and e-mail accounts of the police officers mentioned will be published in the media during the course of next week. A second group of designated Community Police officers will begin their course in July and are scheduled to complete it in October.

  In addition to the Community Policing programme, the Ministry is exploring other possibilities for cooperation with Miami Dade School of Justice for further upgrading of its staff, with emphasis on the uniformed services Immigration and Naturalisation IND, Prison, Police and Customs.

MARIGOT--The business side of the St. Maarten/St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow (SMART) concluded last night with delegates giving positive feedback on this year's tradeshow, said to have been the biggest to date in the event's eleven-year history.

A farewell party at Fort Amsterdam capped an epic day of "speed-dating" between buyers and suppliers. An unprecedented 703 pre-arranged 20-minute appointments with 53 suppliers took place in the ballroom of Radisson Blu Resort, the host hotel for the second time, with more appointments and site visits scheduled for this morning.

Aside from regular stalwarts USA and Canada, the tradeshow was pleased to welcome wholesalers from Holland, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela – about 25 buyers in total.

St. Maarten Tourist Bureau Director May-Ling Chun confirmed good feedback had been received from the delegates.

"We are very pleased to hear of an increase in bookings," she told the gathering at Fort Amsterdam. "Thank you for your dedication to the island over the years, and we especially want to thank our new European tour operators for selling St. Maarten."

SMART focused this year on Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts and Nevis, Barbados, and St. Maarten/St. Martin.

CI Caribiciinseln GmbH Managing Director Rita Kunert, a tour operator from Dresden, Germany, said personal contact was far preferable to e-mail. "I met a lot of people from the hotels. It's much nicer to be here. I came a few days earlier so I've seen quite a few hotels. We specialise in small Caribbean islands and most of our clients are island-hoppers. St. Martin is a fantastic base for the whole Caribbean."

Expedia.com and hotels.com were represented by Market Management Director Demetrius Canton, a regular attendee at SMART for the past five years.

"It's been a very positive winter for us. We've experienced double-digit room night growth for the destination and in revenue," he said. "When we win, the hotels win. We're hearing good feedback about how the winter fared. Summer is always a challenge in this region, so we're here to help and discuss strategies."

Thomas Cook in Sweden Production Manager Tobias Ferreira Sjöström, one of the first-time SMART attendees, noted that St. Martin was not that well-known in Sweden.

"The meetings have been well-organised and I've had some good contacts," he said. "We're hoping to get some more attention for your island from Scandinavians. Interest in the Caribbean is increasing as more people travel West rather than East. I've had 12 scheduled appointments, but there are informal meetings as well. It's a long day."

American Reps, a wholesaler in Lima, Peru, was there to renew contacts and find new destinations for its clients.

"We are very well known in our country," said Sales and Reservations Manager Paloma Coronel, who disclosed she had 21 meetings arranged. "This time we want to take advantage of the four flights a week by Copa which will make it much easier for us. Years ago we did some charters with St. Martin. We're here to know a bit more about the island; make contacts and offers; and, of course, to visit the hotels."

Grand Case Beach Club, Le Village in St. Barths, and Cap Juluca in Anguilla all reported having positive meetings during the day, as did Sharmin Turner representing St. Eustatius Tourism Development Foundation.

Cap Juluca's Revenue Manager Giovannis Lopez said overall it was a good and helpful experience to attend SMART. "I've had 12 meetings, not quite as busy as I would have liked, but still a lot of other people dropped by," he said.

SMART coordinator Robert Dubourcq said he was very pleased to have the new interest from Europe to enhance the tradeshow.

Asked how results from SMART are measured in increased business, he replied; "It's difficult to say. But we look at the total increase in business. For example, for November occupancy went up from the year before. We know that the charter Sunwing that started last year in November originated from SMART. This show is something you have to do and hope to get something out of it. If you don't do anything you get nothing."

President of the Collectivité Alain Richardson gave a welcome address to the delegates at a lavish opening party Wednesday evening at the Radisson.

~ Budget for same period under-spent ~

PHILIPSBURG--Government has seen an eleven-per-cent increase in income in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, and has under-spent by some NAf. 13 million for the same period, outgoing Finance Minister Hiro Shigemoto announced on Wednesday.

A total of NAf. 123 million in income was generated up to March. If the income trend continues, the total for 2012 could be some NAf. 490 million, up from the budgeted NAf. 432 million. The budgeted income up to March 2012 was NAf. 108 million.

"This means that up to March 2012, the income is 13.9 per cent more than what is budgeted," the minister explained in a press conference in Dr. A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall.

Dealing with the under-spending for the first quarter, Shigemoto said only three ministries had gone over their budgeted amounts for the quarter, although they were not over budget yet for the year. The Ministry of General Affairs overspent by NAf. 552,648; the Ministry of Public Health and Labour by NAf. 435,928; and the Ministry of Public Housing and Infrastructure VROMI by NAf. 424,781.

Parliament has under-spent by NAf. 512,478; the Finance Ministry by NAf. 2,133,800; the Justice Ministry by NAf. 5,609,801; the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports by NAf. 3,615657; and the Ministry of Tourism and Economic Affairs by NAf. 1,717,792.

The balance on the government's current accounts totalled NAf. 38 million up to March 2012. In the same period last year, the amount on the current account was NAf. 20 million.

The government's bank reserves totalled NAf. 127 million on December 31, 2010. Some NAf. 65 million was transferred to the General Pension Funds APS, putting the actual reserve at NAf. 62 million.

The reserves built at several banks in St. Maarten totalled NAf. 65 million as of March 31.

Government paid off a portion of the outstanding debt of NAf. 5 million to APS in the first quarter, using part of the short-term deposit.

Shigemoto took "a very conservative approach" to ensure that reserves would remain intact, to cover at least three months of employee salaries, as a cash buffer in case of any natural disasters and for further repayment of loans.

No new loans have been issued since 10-10-10. However, as a measure to reduce cost, existing pre-financed loans with rates ranging from six to 6.5 per cent were refinanced by issuing a bond with 1.5 per cent interest.

When the United People's (UP) party/Democratic Party (DP) took office on 10-10-10, the budget 2011 had a deficit of nearly NAf. 120 million. This deficit was worked off by the Finance Ministry, under the guidance of Shigemoto, to balance the budget that was approved by Parliament in July 2011.

This resulted in a later start in preparing the budget 2012. That budget received a preliminary positive advice from the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT in February and was approved by Parliament in March.

"We learned from the challenges from the past and we started with the preparations for the budget 2013 in April this year," Shigemoto said.

The policy guidelines for the budget 2013 were sent to the ministries and the higher councils on April 20, with the request that they submit their budgets by May 15 so that the budget 2013 could be presented to Parliament by August 31, as required by the financial supervision regulations.

The Finance Ministry is busy with amendments to Budgets 2011 and 2012, which are expected to be completed in two weeks.

The 2010 financial statements are under review by the Government Accountants Bureau SOAB. The statements for 2011 are in process and "all efforts" are being made to ensure they are ready by August 31.

PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Public Housing Theo Heyliger said Wednesday that he was thankful to be able to make a dent, though just a ten-per-cent dent, in the need for social homes in St. Maarten.

Heyliger was speaking at the groundbreaking for the first of 18 homes in 13 buildings in Belvedere: the so called "Villas" in Belvedere.

The first building for which ground was broken will be a two-bedroom single-family home. The property is about 300 square metres in size. Some of the buildings will consist of two-bedroom duplex family homes and three-bedroom duplex homes with garage.

He added that perhaps he could have helped in a bigger way with the approximately 1,200 social homes needed in St. Maarten had he not been on his way out of government. He outlined the amount of land that had been provided to the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) and the fact that the foundation had a business plan and a vision, and now needed continuous financial support.

In that context, he thanked FirstCaribbean Bank for "financing the foundation," but explained that another bank had offered NAf. 5 million at a one per cent interest rate during the construction period. He said he hoped the incoming government would keep this in mind, as those savings generated now would keep the homes at an affordable price.

He also disclosed that plans were on the table to construct about 50 homes in the area known as "Foga" in Sucker Garden. To keep the price of these homes at an affordable level for low- to middle-income families, Heyliger said government would be responsible for putting in the infrastructure, sewage, etc.

Heyliger also congratulated the SMHDF for using four or five different contractors on the Villas project, thereby guaranteeing a spread of work for locals, which he had been able to regulate in every upgrading project that had been initiated in the various districts.

SMHDF Supervisory Board Chairman Elso Kraai said statistics showed that persons with lower to middle incomes were suffering from high rents on the island (US $800-$1,200 per month). As a result, he said, many are lowering their living standards, which may be okay financially, but is not suitable for a healthy family situation.

The foundation's building programme is specifically for this group, he said – a programme in which the construction price is kept low and the property is given by government in long-lease terms. So instead of paying high rent, the person pays the bank an amount that fits his or her income, with the added benefit of owning the home outright after 10 to 15 years.

Kraai said the foundation needed more partners, not just government, to meet housing demands. "We are looking for a win-win situation for the businesses (potential partners) and citizens of our country," he said.

SMHDF Managing Director Henry Lynch said that although it had taken 11 months and 13 days from the launch of this project to its groundbreaking, it was the "beginning of new era." He said that through the home sales, additional apartments would be constructed in Belvedere and other parts of St. Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG--The swearing-in of the new National Alliance (NA)-led Cabinet is "tentatively" set for Monday, once all seven candidate-ministers have passed the Justice and security service screening successfully, Caretaker Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams announced on Wednesday.

"No issues" are expected with screening of the candidates. However, if anything crops up, the swearing-in can be delayed no more than "a day or two."

The new NA/Democratic Party(DP)/I-3 coalition is supported by the five NA Members of Parliament (MPs), the two DP MPs and independent MPs Frans Richardson, Patrick Illidge and Romain Laville. This gives the incoming coalition 10 seats and puts the United People's (UP) party with five seats in the opposition.

Wescot-Williams had said at the last Council of Ministers press conference for the UP/DP cabinet that it would not be appropriate to release the names of the candidate-ministers formally while the process was ongoing.

The dossiers on the candidates will be submitted to Governor Eugene Holiday after the successful screening of the candidates, after which they will be appointed by national decree. They will take the oath of office before Governor Holiday.

However, based on information gathered, the new ministers are expected to be Wescot-Williams as Prime Minister/Minister of General Affairs; current Public Health Minister Cornelius de Weever; current Justice Minister Roland Duncan; Romeo Pantophlet as Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs; William Marlin as Minister of Infrastructure; Silveria Jacobs as Minister of Education; and Roland Tuitt as Finance Minister.

Minister Plenipotentiary in The Hague Mathias Voges also is expected to continue on in his function, while a new deputy minister plenipotentiary will be appointed to replace Richard Panneflek (UP).

Marlin and Wescot-Williams were appointed "formateurs" of the new government after the so-called "Carnival coup" resulted in the UP/DP/Illidge coalition losing its majority support in Parliament.

PHILIPSBURG--United Kingdom-based Taxand Group has devised a financial analysis (so-called straw-man) with budgetary effects on the proposed fiscal measures, but it has not been approved by the Council of Ministers as yet, outgoing Finance Minister Hiro Shigemoto told the press on Wednesday.

The Department of Fiscal affairs has to draft an advice on the "straw-man" before it can be approved by the Council of Ministers.

An advice on the total Taxand Project was approved by the Council of Ministers on March 22. This advice, together with a national decree, were thereafter sent to the Governor's Office for a signature to allow further execution, Shigemoto said.

He described his disclosure about Taxand's involvement in the country's tax reform process "another rumour busted" because it was called into question by independent Member of Parliament (MP) Frans Richardson. Richardson had claimed that Shigemoto had signed off on a multi-million dollar project with "a Canadian firm."

Shigemoto said a second international company was considered for the tax reform project. Its price tag was some 30 million euros and entailed residents' tax information being routed through The Netherlands, which was not acceptable. Taxand's project should cost some NAf. 11 million.

New Tax Administration St Maarten Project is made up of several components to eliminate backlog, purchase resources such as vehicles, recruitment, ICT infrastructure and equipment, education and training, control and communication.

The tax projects still require priority and follow-up. Shigemoto said he has left behind complete documentation of each phase of the project for continuation.

The "work in progress" new tax system is aimed to reduce all current direct tax rates, increase the country's competitiveness to encourage investment by reducing tax rates and through simplification and refocus the economic incidence of taxation on visitors/migrant workers rather than on the local population in a way which will not damage the tourism industry or the wider economy.

Shigemoto further explained that it is designed to increase tax collection by collecting more at source, while simplifying the system and improving compliance. The reform project was scheduled to be in place by January 2013.

Tax suggestions

Currently, residents are taxed on worldwide income. It is proposed to tax residents on income derived in St. Maarten only, the finance minister explained.

Income tax is currently "progressive and has an effective rate up to 43.75 per cent. It is proposed to have no taxes on the first NAf. 36,000 of earnings, a five per cent tax on earnings of NAf. 36,000 to NAf. 54,000, a 10 per cent tax on earnings of NAf. 54,000 to NAf. 72,000 and a 15 per cent tax thereafter.

Corporate tax is currently taxed at 30 per cent, plus 15 per cent surtax, making an effective rate of 34.5 per cent. The proposal is to keep a flat 15 per cent on all profits coupled with a potential election between tax on profits and a lower tax on turnover for a fixed/minimum number of years.

A one per cent fee is levied on all money transfers out of St. Maarten for all residents and non-residents. It is proposed not to tax St. Maarten residents and businesses with a tax registration or CRIB number. Non residents are to pay a higher fee than one per cent.

Capital gains, taxed at 30 per cent, are to be abolished.

It is suggested to lower bank interest, now taxed at 25 per cent plus 20 per cent island surcharge, to 10 per cent. Tax-free accounts are to be available to St. Maarten residents with a CRIB number, allowing savings up to a certain limit.

Dividends are proposed to become tax free for St. Maarten residents or businesses with a CRIB number, whereas non residents will pay 15 per cent.

It is proposed to maintain the five per cent Turnover Tax (ToT) as a preferred option, given the lower compliance burden for residents and businesses, Shigemoto said.

VAT/Sales taxes were considered but they would have to be levied considerably at higher rates (between 10 per cent and 22 per cent) to deliver the same income stream as the current five per cent TOT.

At present, property rentals are taxed as income, timeshare units are taxed per week and hotels are taxed under room tax. It is proposed to tax property rental income at 10 per cent, timeshare units per night and hotels taxed under TOT with potential additional surcharges.

Casinos are not part of the tax system. The proposal is to implement a simple tax based on the number of machines and tables on site.

Similarly, tobacco and alcohol are not taxed. An enhanced TOT on tobacco and alcohol sold is suggested.

Tax revenues

Tax revenue is estimated at NAf. 378 million, excluding compliance and operational improvements, according to Shigemoto.

Based on complete tax proposals, tax collection is estimated to generate an additional NAf. 149.4 million, if implemented in 2013 for the whole of that year, totalling NAf. 527.4 million annually, excluding said compliance and operational improvements.

The three scenarios show tax increases from NAf. 18 to 45 million on an annual basis, taking into consideration tax compliance and operation improvements, he continued. The total tax revenue, coupled with compliance and operational improvements, can generate as much as NAf. 45 million, to the tune of NAf. 572.4 million annually.

The tax compliance team has identified 492 individuals/corporations as possible previously unidentified taxpayers. Data from various open sources were used for the Yellow Pages, vehicle registry and Chamber of Commerce registry to confirm or falsify findings.

PHILIPSBURG--Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure Theo Heyliger outlined a number of projects Wednesday that his Ministry has started and others that will soon come online, and stressed that he is proud of the work his staff and Ministry have been able to accomplish.

Starting with the causeway project, Heyliger said the permits had been signed, as had the agreement with the contractor; financing is in place and construction should start soon. Whether the incoming government will stop the project "is up to them," he said.

In Middle Region, the Minister said just one aspect of the project remained to be executed: the erection of walls for certain residents. These residents gave up pieces of property to facilitate the construction of sidewalks. In return, the contractor will construct walls in front of their properties, similar to what was done for the upgrading of Front Street and Back Street.

In Dutch Quarter, the upgrading of the drainage will continue and the design for the construction for the main road is underway. Heyliger said he had also signed off on the design and amenities for the side roads in Dutch Quarter, which will include hard-surfacing of these roads.

In Cole Bay, there has been a design change for the drainage system from Tropicana Casino to the entrance of Cay Bay that would see more drainage facilities constructed. Other low-lying areas in Cole Bay will also receive drainage and sewage facilities, including a sewage plant in Cole Bay. Orange Grove Road is in the final design stages and should go out to bid soon.

Union Road is also scheduled to be reconstructed, from the border at Bellevue to the Kruythoff roundabout. This project will be financed by government and with funding which will be allocated from the causeway project to the tune of US $5 million.

Lastly, the Minister explained that the Prins Bernhard Bridge was being redesigned and the entire intersection area was scheduled to be redone. This project will see the removal of the last traffic lights on the island, to be replaced by a roundabout.

The meeting will take place on Monday morning at 10:00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House of Parliament on Wilhelmina Straat #2.1 in Philipsburg.

The draft ordinance to be discussed is about the introduction of Emancipation Day on July 1 as a national holiday.

The other agenda points are the National Ordinance of the new Criminal Code and incoming documents.

The committee meeting will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 20 and via Pearl Radio FM 98.1. The audio will be carried via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com.

If you are traveling this summer you should safeguard yourself and your family by ensuring that you and your children's immunizations are up-to-date. Even if you are not traveling for the upcoming holidays, it is still good to get vaccination or at least check to see if you are up to date with the aforementioned.

The theme for this year's open house is "Vaccination: An Act of Love – For you for me for everyone, get checked, get vaccinated."

Immunization is a way of protecting children against serious vaccine preventable diseases. Once a child or an adult has been fully vaccinated, their bodies can fight those diseases if one comes into contact with them.

Unprotected children are at greatest risk of contracting the virus. Parents and guardians must ensure that their children are protected.

The Open House will take place at the Festival Village from 9:00am to 4:00pm on Saturday. Various businesses and stakeholders will be present promoting their services, information and products.

Vaccines have the power not only to save, but giving children and adults a chance to age healthy. Vaccination offers protection not only to children but also to adolescents and adults against life- threatening diseases.

Parents who will be going to the Open House on Saturday should bring along with them their child's vaccination booklet/card. If you are not sure of the vaccination status of your child, you should contact your general practitioner, pediatrician, or YHC for children up and through 17 years of age.

YHC can also be contacted if you want to verify your own vaccination status by calling Tel. 542-3003, 542-2078 or 542-3553.

The meeting will take place on Tuesday afternoon at 2:00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House of Parliament at Wilhelmina Straat #2.1 in Philipsburg.

The Central Committee will have a discussion about correspondence submitted from CGC to the Council of Ministers applying Article 4 of the Ordinance Corporate Ordinance.

The second agenda point is the half-year report of financial supervision presented by (former) Dutch Minister of Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations Hon. J.P.H. Donner.

The third agenda point is a proposal by the Parliament of Latin America Parlatino for Sint Maarten to host two committee meetings on November 22 and 23, 2012.

The committee meeting will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 20 and via Pearl Radio FM 98.1. The audio will be carried via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com.

With a cash sponsorship of 12 thousand dollars, in addition to marketing and telecommunications support, Caribserve has secured itself as presenting sponsor, and henceforth the event will be known as the Caribserve 4G Video X Games.

"We are so pleased to have UTS/Caribserve at the helm of this event. We could think of no better company on the island to work with us to bring this event not only the gamers of St. Maarten, but to gamers around the world," said the foundation's President Jeff Oliver. "We know that when UTS partners with any event, it only leads to success. So my team and I are very excited about having them on board. I would sincerely like to thank the entire marketing team of UTS, as well as the rest of UTS management, for understanding the potential this event has for becoming THE event of the Summer."

UTS staff presented a check to the Video X Games staff yesterday at UTS, as some avid gamers looked on. "We are very proud to be the presenting sponsor of this event," said Ms. Ivy Lambert, Marketing and Communications officer at UTS, as she presented the VXG team with their check. "We immediately wanted to be involved when we were first presented with this event. The partnership is a logical choice, as Caribserve 4G is just the technology gamers on the island need in order to compete with gamers around the world."

With a cash sponsorship of 12 thousand dollars, in addition to marketing and telecommunications support, Caribserve has secured itself as presenting sponsor, and henceforth the event will be known as the Caribserve 4G Video X Games.

"We are so pleased to have UTS/Caribserve at the helm of this event. We could think of no better company on the island to work with us to bring this event not only the gamers of St. Maarten, but to gamers around the world," said the foundation's President Jeff Oliver. "We know that when UTS partners with any event, it only leads to success. So my team and I are very excited about having them on board. I would sincerely like to thank the entire marketing team of UTS, as well as the rest of UTS management, for understanding the potential this event has for becoming THE event of the Summer."

UTS staff presented a check to the Video X Games staff yesterday at UTS, as some avid gamers looked on. "We are very proud to be the presenting sponsor of this event," said Ms. Ivy Lambert, Marketing and Communications officer at UTS, as she presented the VXG team with their check. "We immediately wanted to be involved when we were first presented with this event. The partnership is a logical choice, as Caribserve 4G is just the technology gamers on the island need in order to compete with gamers around the world."

With a cash sponsorship of 12 thousand dollars, in addition to marketing and telecommunications support, Caribserve has secured itself as presenting sponsor, and henceforth the event will be known as the Caribserve 4G Video X Games.

"We are so pleased to have UTS/Caribserve at the helm of this event. We could think of no better company on the island to work with us to bring this event not only the gamers of St. Maarten, but to gamers around the world," said the foundation's President Jeff Oliver. "We know that when UTS partners with any event, it only leads to success. So my team and I are very excited about having them on board. I would sincerely like to thank the entire marketing team of UTS, as well as the rest of UTS management, for understanding the potential this event has for becoming THE event of the Summer."

UTS staff presented a check to the Video X Games staff yesterday at UTS, as some avid gamers looked on. "We are very proud to be the presenting sponsor of this event," said Ms. Ivy Lambert, Marketing and Communications officer at UTS, as she presented the VXG team with their check. "We immediately wanted to be involved when we were first presented with this event. The partnership is a logical choice, as Caribserve 4G is just the technology gamers on the island need in order to compete with gamers around the world."

In addition to the aforementioned promotion, UTS will also commemorate World Telecommunication Day by supporting of the Art of Living Foundations' Multicultural Peace event, to be held on May 20th at the A.C. Wathey Cruise Pier. The focus of the foundation is to increase the level of peace by creating an atmosphere where people can come together with understanding, compassion and love. "We are proud to support this initiative with our diamond sponsorship," said UTS Marketing & Communication Officer, Ivy Lambert. "Communication is the first step towards creating understanding and compassion, so what better way to commemorate World Telecommunication Day than by sponsoring such a unique and positive-minded event. The prosperity of a nation not only depends on its economic growth, but also on how peaceful and happy its people are. We are happy to support a foundation whose goal is to contribute to a more peaceful and stress-free St. Maarten." The event is titled, The Biggest Multicultural Peace Event with the Sub-heading Celebrating Humanity. The event will start at 6 pm and will feature Multicultural local performances, Live Harp Music from a Scotland based harpist and a guided peace meditation by the foundations founder, through direct a video-feed from Germany. The webcast will be followed in 153 countries world-wide. The evening will also feature inspirational talks on peace by various St. Maarten leaders such as the Prime Minister, the Minister of Health and various other spiritual leaders. UTS will also provide a few BlackBerry Smartphones as door-prizes for the evening. The Art of Living Foundation is a non-religious, not-for-profit, educational and humanitarian NGO engaged in stress-management and service initiatives. The organization is entirely made up of volunteers and operates globally in 151 countries and has benefited more than 300 million around the world.

ST. PETERS--Safe Haven Foundation (SHF) unveiled its latest domestic violence billboard by the St. Peters community centre yesterday, Tuesday.

Founded in 1998, SHF is a non-governmental organisation serving as a shelter, providing counselling and supportive service to victims of domestic violence. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams and Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Cornelius de Weever were in attendance for the unveiling.

The programme featured a prayer by Eudora Rogers and remarks by SHF Director Loyola Seymonson, followed by the unveiling by Eudora Rogers and Kamilah Gumbs.

The billboards are funded by the Antillean Co-Financing Organisation AMFO and feature local models. Each billboard also features a unique slogan in English or another language such as Dutch, French, Spanish or Papiamentu, to cater to St. Maarten's multinational makeup.

The billboard unveiled yesterday features a couple and the slogan, "Words do hurt" in bold lettering. It also features in Papiamentu in smaller lettering the foundation's popular slogan "No tin dispensa pa violencia" ("There is no excuse for violence").

SHF will unveil another billboard at the Motor World parking lot today, Wednesday.

PHILIPSBURG--Government has opened the public bidding process to select a consulting firm that can prepare the overall design and engineering drawings for Link 3, more commonly known as the Ring Road project. The design of Link 3 is divided into two phases.

Phase 1 includes conducting various consultations with stakeholders to accumulate information, making a topographical survey of the existing situation, executing soil investigations along with providing the regular cost estimates etc.

Phase 2, includes determining the programme of requirements with an analysis of the required parking spaces and road capacity as well as determining the needed connections to the existing road system. The selected consultant will also execute a landownership survey along with other relevant activities required in the terms of reference for the tender.

Parties have until Thursday, June 14, at 11:00am to submit their bids at the Ministry of VROMI.

Earlier intentions were for the Ring Road project to have seven connecting points from the existing road network. The "centre piece" of each point will be a round-about that will allow motorists to filter on and off of the Ring Road. It is unclear if this is still the plan.

In the planning were connecting points in the vicinity of Firgos Paper on Illidge Road, the Prins Bernard Bridge, intersection of Plaza China supermarket (formerly Van Dorp/Los Guachos), the intersection of GEBE, the salt pickers round-about at the Police station, in the vicinity of the Melford Hazel Auditorium in Sucker Garden and in the vicinity behind Laser 101.

The eastern section of the Great Salt Pond will not be included in the Ring Road plan because of the historic nature and concentration of the salt pans located there.

MARIGOT--A 19-year-old youth was transferred to Guadeloupe on Saturday May 12, placed in provisional detention and formally charged with committing six armed robberies between October 2011 and January 2012, in St. Martin.

The victims were businesses located in Sandy Ground, Marigot, Concordia, and Marigot, and included a restaurant and a gas station.

The arrest brought to a close months of investigation by detectives on both sides of the island. The suspect had been on the run for the last few weeks.

He was finally arrested while getting into a car when Gendarmes set up a discreet surveillance operation in Concordia on Thursday, May 10.

MARIGOT--Some 703 pre-scheduled 20-minute appointments have been booked for suppliers and buyers at the St. Maarten/St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow's (SMART's) first full working day this Thursday, coordinator Robert Dubourcq disclosed Tuesday.

In addition 53 "table tops" (each company has a table in the Ballroom of the Radisson Blu resort) have been organized.

"The appointments represent a 38 per cent increase over last year," added Dubourcq, who was busy fine-tuning the final details on Tuesday.

The eleventh edition of SMART is being hosted by the Radisson Blu Resort, Marina and Spa, from May 16-18.

Most delegates will be arriving today for the tradeshow. The welcome reception takes place tonight around the pool at the Radisson. President of the Collectivite Alain Richardson is expected to make opening remarks.

This year SMART is showcasing the North Eastern islands of Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Barths, St. Kitts and Nevis, Barbados, and St. Maarten and St. Martin.

Also making a difference this year is the representation from Europe, Dubourcq noted.

"We have wholesalers from Holland, Sweden, Germany, and Switzerland, one per country, which is new. Most of our wholesalers come from Canada and USA. And we have Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela. So it's getting quite international now. This is the biggest joint marketing event that French and Dutch side organizes and it's marked by very good cooperation on both sides."

SMART provides a venue for international buyers to network and negotiate future business opportunities with suppliers. The most important travel industry partners and wholesale travel agents meet hotel and excursion operators one a one-to-one basis. Twenty minute appointments are scheduled continuously from 10:00am to 6:15pm on Thursday with a "working" lunch break from 12:30pm to 2:30pm.

The farewell closing party will be held at Fort Amsterdam Thursday evening at 7:30pm. On Friday, May 18, there will be additional optional appointments between 9:00am and 12:00pm and hotel visits, island tours and activities arranged during the day.

SMART is presented by the Office du Tourisme de Saint-Martin, St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) and Association des Hoteliers de Saint-Martin (AHSM).

PHILIPSBURG--The governments of St. Maarten and Curaçao are yet to respond to the Dutch Government's proposal about the phased takeover of Antillean Co-Financing Organisation AMFO after Dutch aid comes to an end this year, Dutch Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Liesbeth Spies said in a press statement.

A Dutch subsidy of some 6.5 million euros (NAf. 15 million) has been given annually for AMFO. Ongoing AMFO-funded projects will be completed in 2013. The end of the Dutch subsidy for AMFO has been expected since 2009.

Should the St. Maarten and Curaçao Governments not take a decision to take over the funding of AMFO, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that depend on AMFO will see their monies dry up unless they find alternative donors.

Spies expects Curaçao and St. Maarten will give content to the agreement to take over the subsidising of AMFO from 2013, as this is important to the sustainability of poverty-reduction projects and the improvement of future prospects of the youth.

AMFO has accrued "much knowledge about and experience with poverty reduction" over the years and Spies hopes the expertise accrued will remain available for the local population after the expiration of the cooperation programmes financed by The Netherlands.

According to the press statement, the debt-restructuring of 1.7 billion euros for Curaçao and St. Maarten should enable them to take responsibility for AMFO from 2013.

With Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba now special municipalities of The Netherlands as of October 10, 2010, The Netherlands, St. Maarten and Curaçao had to take over responsibility for AMFO effective 2011.

Then-Dutch Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Piet Hein Donner agreed to AMFO's request to extend the term by one year.

Donner had requested cooperation from the prime ministers of Curaçao and St. Maarten for a gradual transfer of the Dutch donor facility of AMFO, in September 2011. However, neither St. Maarten nor Curaçao has given a decision on the Dutch proposal.

From the start of AMFO in 2004, The Netherlands has been the only donor and has made some NAf. 180 million available to AMFO to finance NGO projects directed towards the youth, the elderly, the sick and the disabled, teenage mothers and an integral neighbourhood approach, among other priorities.

PHILIPSBURG--The president and members of the Bus Drivers Association held a brief meeting on the Pondfill today as the association launched a signature campaign amongst its members for a petition to be submitted to Governor Eugene Holiday condemning government’s recent issuing of 24 new bus permits.

  Bus Drivers Association President Jose Slac said the petition would be submitted to Governor Eugene Holiday to see if anything could be done about what he described as the “irresponsible decision of the minister to give out 24 permits after promising the Bus Drivers Association that no permits will be issued.”

  Slac said the circumstances under which the bus drivers were working already were not favourable. “The road is oversaturated with buses. The system needs to be run in a more relaxed manner, not running up and down behind one another, burning fuel. And the increase in the price of gas is really affecting our drivers,” Slac explained Tuesday.

  He said the association would submit a petition to the Governor to see if he could hold back on the decision taken by the minister.

  When asked whether the association was looking into possible solutions to this issue, Slac said discussions had been held previously with the Department of Economic Affairs and things had been going in the right direction.

  “Unfortunately, with the collapse of the government, we have to deal with a new minister and we don’t know how it’s going to continue from here on,” he said.

  He stressed that the Bus Association had not submitted any names for bus licences.

PHILIPSBURG--Dutch Quarter residents temporarily blocked the Dutch Quarter road and ongoing drainage upgrading project on Tuesday because they thought the piping they were seeing was the permanent solution for drainage in the area.

Residents were upset when they saw workmen preparing a smaller PVC pipe to connect to a larger PVC pipe and wondered how this was supposed to remedy a drainage problem that has plagued them for decades. They proceeded to block the project until government officials were on scene to explain what was going on.

Ministry of VROMI Department of New Works and Projects head Kurt Ruan and support staff arrived on the scene a short while afterwards and informed the residents that what they were seeing was a temporary drainage measure.

He explained that PVC piping as laid out on the scene could never be a permanent solution, as this was not part of the contractor's contract. The upgrading of the drainage facilities in Dutch Quarter calls for the construction of concrete culverts 2.5 metres wide and about 2 metres deep.

Ruan said the PVC piping would be removed and replaced by culverts that would run up the hill (towards the old Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School). Windward Roads was awarded the contract for that phase of the project just last week.

The residents apparently were satisfied with the explanation and removed the makeshift barriers they had erected.

Colorado State University hurricane team Phil Klotzbach and William Gray have forecasted in their early April report reduced activity for the hurricane season with 10 named storms, of which four will become hurricanes, and two of those will become major hurricanes with over 111 miles per hour winds.

Even though the official start of the season is over two weeks away, the Prime Minister is urging residents to use this period to prepare themselves adequately by reviewing their annual hurricane season preparatory list.

The Prime Minister added that the country's disaster preparedness and emergency management mechanism are expected to be ready to deal with any eventuality arising during the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season.

"I am encouraging the nation to begin to prepare now, so as to mitigate the effects of a possible hurricane disaster in our country. Let's use the time wisely to prepare our homes, businesses and other structures adequately in the event of a hurricane strike.

"Save yourself the stress and prepare now by reviewing your disaster plan and reviewing your disaster supply kit.

"Prepare early and avoid being caught unprepared. Minimize your dependence on government, family or friends. Preparedness starts with every one of us within our communities," Prime Minister Hon. Sarah Wescot-Williams told DCOMM on Tuesday.

Some of the preparations that should be carried out now are checking hurricane shutters and the roof of your home or business, and to make sure windows close securely.

Persons living along coastal areas as well as those in flood prone areas should start looking at what measures they would take in the event of a hurricane which could cause flood challenges.

The 2012 hurricane season officially runs through November 30.

Colorado State University hurricane team Phil Klotzbach and William Gray have forecasted in their early April report reduced activity for the hurricane season with 10 named storms, of which four will become hurricanes, and two of those will become major hurricanes with over 111 miles per hour winds.

Even though the official start of the season is over two weeks away, the Prime Minister is urging residents to use this period to prepare themselves adequately by reviewing their annual hurricane season preparatory list.

The Prime Minister added that the country's disaster preparedness and emergency management mechanism are expected to be ready to deal with any eventuality arising during the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season.

"I am encouraging the nation to begin to prepare now, so as to mitigate the effects of a possible hurricane disaster in our country. Let's use the time wisely to prepare our homes, businesses and other structures adequately in the event of a hurricane strike.

"Save yourself the stress and prepare now by reviewing your disaster plan and reviewing your disaster supply kit.

"Prepare early and avoid being caught unprepared. Minimize your dependence on government, family or friends. Preparedness starts with every one of us within our communities," Prime Minister Hon. Sarah Wescot-Williams told DCOMM on Tuesday.

Some of the preparations that should be carried out now are checking hurricane shutters and the roof of your home or business, and to make sure windows close securely.

Persons living along coastal areas as well as those in flood prone areas should start looking at what measures they would take in the event of a hurricane which could cause flood challenges.

The 2012 hurricane season officially runs through November 30.

In her opening remarks, the tax inspector, Drs. Maria Bass, commended the New Testament Baptist Church and Pastor Smith for the initiative taken to organize a lecture on this topic at this time. In her lecture, she clarified several issues concerning the tax system that were brought to her attention during the discussion. The lecture was an eye-opener for most persons present.
Drs. Bass brought along with her about 100 Tax return Forms which were issued to those present with the intention to assist with the filling out of the forms. But, on account of the very animated discussion during the almost 3 hours' session, she did not get the opportunity to do so. Many persons in the audience got the chance to ask question related to themselves or to others and after the lecture, indicated that they were very satisfied with the information received and regretted that they had not received such information before.
Because it was getting rather late, Pastor Smith had to intervene in the very interactive discussion and the attendees expressed the wish to have a continuation of the lecture in which Ms. Bass will be able to advise on how to fill out the Tax Refund Forms.
Drs. Maria Bass requested those present to start filling out the first 2 pages of the rather lengthy tax return forms and reminded the attendees that the deadline for submitting the 2011 Tax Return Form is May 31st, 2012. She stated that not submitting this form in due time, could have serious consequences in terms of ever increasing fines. She also indicated that persons who did not receive a 2011 Tax Return Form should go to the Tax Department to collect a form.
Those who attended the lecture were very happy with the information provided as well as with the answers to the many questions on tax issues. They all indicated that they had learnt a lot and regretted that they had not received such information before. It was also indicated that the Tax Department should organize more such information sessions and it was even proposed that information on taxes should be offered in schools to inform the schoolchildren of their civic duties at a young age so that they would not have such anxiety or resistance to filing tax return forms when they grow up.
The follow up lecture on taxes will be held on Thursday, May 17th, 2012 at 7:30 pm at the New Testament Baptist Church. The general public is invited to come out and bring along the 2011 Tax Return Form.

The pass allows the aforementioned to assess possible damage to their property. Potential applicants have until May 25 to present all relevant information related to the process of requesting a Mobility Pass.

The application form as well as information sheet can be downloaded from the Fire Department's website www.brandweersxm.net

under the tab link "Hurricane Information" followed by the "Hurricane Passes" tab.

The hurricane pass application procedure is only intended for businesses and vital organizations with respect to their key personnel receiving an exemption to a curfew.

The application form has to be completed and submitted to the offices of the Fire Department & Disaster Management, to the attention of the secretary located at Jackal Road 5, Cay Hill by Friday, May 25, 2012, with all necessary documents attached between office hours, Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM.

COLE BAY--Twenty-seven invasive, poisonous Lionfish have already been collected by dive companies for the 2012 Lionfish Hunt, which started earlier this month. Aimed at ridding the local waters of this species, the hunt will end on May 21.

Ocean Explorers, Scuba Fun, Dive Safaris, Aqua Mania, Blue Bubbles and Caribbean Dive College were the companies that caught a number of Lionfish. They are eligible to win prizes for their efforts, from The Scuba Shop, Vanity First, Ray's Jewellery, Tommy Hilfiger, Endless Summer, and Mist of the Carib, Chesterfields and Oualichi restaurants.

"We really appreciate how the dive shops are doing their best in helping to control the invasion of the venomous Lionfish. The involvement of divers and local fishermen are essential in saving our local reef species and maintaining the dive and fishing industry on the island," said Tineke Van Bussel, Lionfish researcher at the Nature Foundation and hunt organiser.

Lionfish are an invasive, venomous fish that can inflict a painful and sometimes fatal sting. Lionfish are usually found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, but were introduced into the Atlantic through the aquarium trade. Native fish species don't recognise the Lionfish as a threat, so they are unable to defend themselves against it.

Nature Foundation encourages fishermen, divers and all those who may have captured or sighted Lionfish to report their catch or sightings to the foundation, by calling tel. 527-0490 or e-mailing

manager@naturefoundationsxm.org.

MAHO--Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, one of Bollywood's most popular playback singers, will be performing live at the Maho Convention Centre on June 8 for the first time in St. Maarten.

This will be his last concert date on tour. The 2010 "Best International Act" (UK Asian Music Awards) winner arrives in St. Maarten on June 5 and will return to the US and then India on June 11.

Khan, known mostly for his song "Jiya Dhadak Dhadak," has toured extensively and has performed in countries such as India, Pakistan, the US and now St. Maarten.

Tickets are available at Shiva's on Front Street, Rima's on the Pondfill and the Indian Association on the French side for $50, $75, and $100 and will go on sale from today, May 15. VIP tickets were available, but have already sold out. The concert begins at 8:00pm. For more information, call 1-721-520-1729.

MARIGOT--The Collectivité has launched an appeal for projects to promote activities in the various districts of French St. Martin, for the benefit of the youth.

The objective is also to encourage initiatives that contribute to the social and professional integration of young people at risk, and to maintain a social link and facilitate citizenship.

In a release, the Collectivité noted that the appeal for proposals was an additional tool allowing the community and State to combat all forms of social exclusion and various problems encountered by the youth. It is also a tool intended to energise programmes implemented by associations and to increase the palette of activities offered to a young audience. Joint programmes among various associations of the same district or between associations of various districts, with the possible help of District Councils, will be encouraged.

Proposals must come from a registered association, an association in the registration process, or a non-profit organisation. The association must have access to a location to carry out its activities. Priority will be given to programmes conducted outside of regular hours: during the weekends and on official holidays and school holidays.

Emphasis will be on targeting young people ages 11 to 25, living in St. Martin, with as priorities the districts of French Quarter, Sandy Ground, Grand Case, Marigot and Concordia.

Follow up will be carried out by Prevention of Delinquency/Security Mission CLSPD and will rest on the following indicators: a quarterly report stating the progress of the project as well as a number of persons participating in the activities proposed by the association. Difficulties encountered should also be submitted. The project will also be evaluated to measure its impact on the social situation within that district.

Interested associations must present a projected budget of all the mobilised sources of funding (membership fees, donations and funding requests to other organisations.

Applications forms should be picked up from CLSPD Project Manager Patrick Hénoc, Pôle Développement (former hospital), Rue Fort Louis, Marigot – tel. (0590) 52-27-30 and fax (0590) 87-73-07.

The closing date to submit proposals is June 8, 2012, at 12:00pm.

ST. EUSTATIUS--Despite being disappointed in what he described as "unfounded accusations" by former Commissioner Koert Kerkhoff, Island Governor Gerald Berkel said Monday he had made "all relevant information available" to the National Government Representative, concerning his alleged wrongdoings surrounding the fall of the previous coalition.

News surfaced last week Friday that Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Liesbeth Spies had instructed National Government Representative Wilbert Stolte to look into the function of St. Eustatius' Executive Council and specifically Governor Berkel.

A March 21 letter by former Commissioner Koert Kerkhoff (STEP) was the reason for the minister's request to Stolte on April 25. According to Kerkhoff, there were severe irregularities and laws and regulations were trampled on. Spies stated in her letter to Stolte that Kerkhoff's letter had "greatly worried" her.

"As there in an inquiry currently being conducted by the ministry, I do not believe it is appropriate to publicly express my side of the story at this point. In fairness to the minister, I will await the outcome of her inquiry," Berkel stated Monday, in declining to answer any questions. However, the Island Governor made an official statement available in response to Kerkhoff's letter.

"Quite recently there have been some concerns expressed as a result of questions raised by former commissioner Kerkhoff, in a letter addressed to the Minister of Kingdom Relations and various other entities within the national government. As a result of the accusations expressed in this letter, the minister has posed several questions via the Kingdom Representative, in order to ascertain whether the allegations levelled by Mr. Kerkhoff were warranted. In order to address these issues, my office has made all relevant information available to the Kingdom Representative, as requested," Berkel's statement read.

He stated that it was important to give clarity on the functioning of all public officials, and that the results of this specific inquiry would be made available to the public "shortly, as promised by the minister."

The Island Governor said he had not formally received a copy of Kerkhoff's letter to Minister Spies, "neither has the Island Council of St. Eustatius," he added.

"It must be clear that all public officials, including the Island Governor, in the execution of the task and responsibilities, are obligated to act within the realms of the law and in the interest of the community we serve. There is also a legal obligation to give account for one's actions, in executing the duties of public office, hence our action to promptly provide the information requested," Berkel stated.

"As Island Governor, while I was disappointed by the unfounded accusations of my former colleague, and the manner in which it is being addressed, I recognise my responsibility in giving account for actions taken on my part and ask those concerned to be patient and await the results of the ongoing inquiry," he concluded.

Minister Spies has asked Stolte to provide her answers to a number of questions relating to the fall of government, the resignation of the commissioners, the division of portfolios, the cancellation of appointments, the participation of the Commissioners in meetings, and the authority of the Island Governor and the new Commissioners.

Spies wanted to know exactly what had transpired during the fall of government, on which date the Commissioners had tendered their resignations and under what circumstances they had done so. She also asked if the NuStar portfolio had been transferred to the Island Governor and if he had cancelled Commissioners' appointments.

National Government Representative Stolte is to provide a report to Minister Spies on this matter, no later than May 23.

~ May send petition to governor ~

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Bus Drivers Association President Jose Slac distanced his association and its members on Monday from a statement published in Monday's issue of The Daily Herald expressing concern about foreign nationals receiving bus licences.

In the page one article headlined "114 bus, taxi licences given out in two days," it was stated, "Another common concern for members of the Bus Association is the number of foreign nationals who are receiving licences."

Slac contacted this newspaper yesterday and said the Bus Association "has no problem with foreign nationals that get their licences" and "no member of the Bus Association feels that way."

Meanwhile, Slac complained on the Lloyd Richardson Show on PJD2 Radio on Monday about the outgoing government's recent decision to issue another 24 bus licences. He said his association was against the decision and wanted the governor to do something about the decision.

In response to a suggestion from Richardson that to attract the Governor's attention officially, members of the bus association should prepare, sign and submit a petition to the Governor, Slac said he accepted the advice and would have started working yesterday on such a petition to the Governor.

Another caller to the Lloyd Richardson Show complained that without even consulting with the current operators of jet skis in the Great Bay harbour, Minister of Economic Affairs and Tourism Franklin Meyers recently had scrapped the moratorium on the issuing of permits to operate jet skis in the harbour and had granted permission for a number of other persons – including persons she said were "friends" of the minister – to operate jet skis in Great Bay.

She indicated that the current operators might have to seek legal advice about options available to them in seeking to have the minister's decision on the ending of the moratorium reversed.

WILLEMSTAD--Curaçao's Minister of Justice Elmer "Kadè" Wilsoe (PS) says he will order Attorney General Dick Piar to stop what he considers the illegal investigation and prosecution of lottery boss Robbie dos Santos in the so-called "Bientu" (Wind) case.

In a memo dated May 11 to Parliament, the minister said he would issue a so-called "general instruction" to that effect. Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports suggest that in addition to Dos Santos, Finance Minister George "Jorge" Jamaloodin (MFK) is also a suspect in the illegal lottery, fiscal fraud, forgery and money laundering probe.

Wilsoe titled his letter to the legislature "a report on the relations between the Justice Minister and the Attorney General." He accused Piar of insubordination, conscious misleading and -information as well as punishable acts.

The minister said it is up to the Director of Taxes to start an investigation when fiscal laws are violated. Since no such action was taken, there wasn't any transfer of an investigation to the Prosecutor's Office either, he argued.

He said Piar had misled him into believing that the probe was initiated at the request of- or at least in consultation with the Director of Taxes. "I meanwhile have written confirmation from the director that also here it involves a case whereby the prosecution purposely made up things and gave me wrong information," Wilsoe wrote.

He also announced that he would propose legislation to end the Kingdom Consensus Laws regarding the prosecution that went into effect when the Netherlands Antilles was dismantled effective 10-10-10.

The minister called it "sad that the prosecution should now have to prosecute itself." As the "political boss" involved he could not tolerate all of this.

"Certainly from the Prosecutor's Office I will not accept insubordination and/or undermining authority. The prosecution must obey the law at all times. In any case I do not have any confidence anymore in the attorney general," he wrote, announcing as his next step the instruction to halt the Bientu-case.

PHILIPSBURG--The vetting of the seven candidate-ministers for the new National Alliance (NA)-led coalition is expected to round off "by the end of this week," Caretaker Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams said on radio programme People's Voice on PJD2 on Sunday.

Wescot-Williams said the names of the candidate-ministers had been submitted to Governor Eugene Holiday together with the Governing Accord titled "Working for the People" last week Friday.

The accord was signed by Wescot-Williams' Democratic Party (DP), NA and independent Members of Parliament (MPs) Frans Richardson, Patrick Illidge and Romain Laville.

The candidate-ministers now have to be vetted by the security service and other departments. Wescot-Williams said she and coalition partner NA leader MP William Marlin "will make sure all information" is in for the vetting, which should take "not more than a couple of days."

When the candidates have been cleared, their names and dossiers will be presented to Holiday for their appointment by national decree, which will be formalised by their taking the oath of office.

Not all of the candidates' names have been made public. Those known are Wescot-Williams as Prime Minister/Minister of General Affairs, current Public Health Minister Cornelius de Weever, current Justice Minister Roland Duncan and Romeo Pantophlet as Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs.

According sources within the NA, the other three ministers will be William Marlin – Minister of Infrastructure, Silveria Jacobs – Minister of Education, and Roland Tuitt – Finance Minister.

Jacobs already has been listed as Education Minister on the programme of a ceremony at Pointe Blanche House of Detention set for Friday.

Once the candidates are ready to be sworn in, the seven ministers of the United People's (UP)/Democratic Party (DP) coalition, who resigned on May 8, officially will be relieved of their duties. Holiday had requested that the ministers continue in their posts until the new government could take office, Wescot-Williams said.

Asked about the future of controversial projects such as the ring road and the causeway across Simpson Bay Lagoon under an NA-led government, she said she did not envisage any problems.

Wescot-Williams noted that funding already had been provided for the ring road project in the recently approved 2012 budget and that while the causeway was not a government project, the funds for it would be provided through the US $150 million bond being floated by the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten for the St. Maarten Harbour Group to be used for the refinancing of existing loans and the building of the causeway.

Leading members of the National Alliance have been critical of both projects, referring to the causeway as a "bridge to nowhere."

'We really appreciate how the dive shops are doing their best in helping to control the invasion of the venomous lionfish. The involvement of divers and local fishermen are essential in saving our local reef species and maintaining the dive and fishing industry on the island", commented Tineke Van Bussel, lionfish researcher at the Nature Foundation and organizer of the event.

The competition is scheduled to end on the 21st of May with various prizes to be won from businesses as diverse as The Scuba Shop, Vanity First, Ray's Jewelry, Tommy Hilfiger store, Endless Summer and Restaurants Mist the Carib, Chesterfields and Oualichi.

Lionfish are an invasive venomous fish that can inflict a painful and sometimes fatal sting. Lionfish are usually found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans but were introduced into the Atlantic thru the aquarium trade. Native fish species don't recognize the Lionfish as a threat so they are unable to defend themselves against it. In other places were lionfish were spotted there are hardly any snappers and grouper left because those are the type of fish the lionfish likes to eat.

The Nature Foundation encourages fishermen, divers and all those who may have captured or sighted lionfish to report their catch or sightings to the Nature Foundation through calling 5270490 or via email at manager@naturefoundationsxm.org.

BELAIR--Princess Juliana International Airport, as Blue Flag-designated company for April, in collaboration with Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) and St. Maarten Nature Foundation, initiated a tree-planting ceremony along Belair Road on Friday, May 11, to culminate its Blue Flag activities and show its commitment to environmental issues.

PJIAE Managing Director Regina LaBega, quoted Frank Lloyd Wright in her remarks, noting "The best friend of man is the tree," and added that "the airport believes in the environment and in the greening and re-greening of St. Maarten."

LaBega said, "Environmental sustainability and economic sustainability go hand in hand and, as PJIAE is a good corporate citizen, it will continue to collaborate with organizations of this nature to improve the environmental state of the island."

EPIC Project Manager Rueben Thompson said, "St. Maarten is no stranger to environmental challenges ... from 1960 we have seen a decline in the number of ponds on the island and Little Bay Pond (which is in the Belair area), is one of the remaining ponds on the island that is ideal for planting trees to help maintain that environment."

The trees that were planted along the Belair Road/Little Bay Pond bank were Sea Grape (Coccoloba uvifera) and Green and Silver Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus). "Both species are hardy and adapted to this environment and require little to no maintenance," said Thompson.

A total of nine trees were planted along the Belair Road/Little Bay Pond bank. Ten airport employees, including management, took part in the tree-planting activity along with representatives of EPIC, which included visiting research students, and the Nature Foundation, which brought along two St. Maarten students.

PJIA called on companies in St. Maarten to collaborate with environmental groups and lauded organizations like EPIC and Nature Foundation for their continued efforts in raising environmental awareness among the general public.

Last month, during the St. Maarten Carnival festivities, numerous garbage cans throughout the Festival Village bore the Blue Flag label. Earlier in April, the airport placed garbage cans with the Blue Flag logo at Mullet Bay Beach during the Easter holidays as a public reminder to keep the environment clean.

"Mobilize the Earth" was the theme for this year's international Earth Day, said Thompson, and he wanted to bring that theme closer to home. So he adapted the slogan to, "Mobilize St. Maarten," with the involvement of PJIAE in environmental efforts. Thompson said the airport's involvement was also a way to increase business sector interest in participating in environmental protection and conservation for the benefit of the whole island and its people.

The Blue Flag programme is a prestigious international eco-label for beaches, marinas, and tourism destinations. Through the Blue Flag programme St. Maarten is part of some 40 Blue Flag destinations around the world.

The eco-label is recognized as a symbol of quality by governments, NGOs, and the travel industry. The Blue Flag label is also used to promote the awarded beach, marina, hotel or destination.

~Minister reportedly questioned by national detectives~

WILLEMSTAD--Former Antillean Justice Minister David Dick of opposition party PAR says Curaçao's current Minister of Justice Elmer "Kadè" Wilsoe (PS) may have committed a punishable act by sending a letter to US authorities asking to remove an attachment on bank accounts as part of the "Bientu" (Wind) investigation behind the back of Attorney General Dick Piar.

Former Antillean Governor and ex-Court President Jaime Saleh is also concerned, pointing out that the constitutional state functions on the basis of a separation of the executive, legislative and judicial powers that must be kept intact.

Adding to the mix was the report in the Saturday edition of the Amigoe newspaper stating that a member of the Schotte cabinet had been heard at his home by the national detectives in the presence of a prosecutor. No further details were available, but a connection with the Bientu case in which lottery boss Robbie dos Santos is the main suspect was not excluded.

Saleh said a justice minister must not intervene in specific cases, "that's the way it is all over the world. The minister has the overall authority and can give general instructions, but when it regards individual cases and specific instructions these must be presented to the Court.

"This is clearly stated in the Kingdom Law Prosecution. That is precisely to prevent meddling by the political power."

It's for this reason, added Saleh, that then Justice Minister Suzy Romer delegated the mandate to request judicial assistance abroad to the attorney general. "As minister you have to prevent getting involved in specific cases. The mandate belongs to the minister and he can withdraw such if he wants, but based on general grounds. The reason should not be a specific case."

Dick even thinks Wilsoe may have violated article 2:344 of the Penal Code, which speaks of a prison sentence of at the most three years or a monetary fine in the fourth category for ministers who sign a decree or take other action that violates the Kingdom Charter, a Kingdom Law, the Cooperation Regulation between Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten or any legal regulation in force on Curaçao.

"As representative of the country the minister is authorised to sign judicial assistance request to the US authorities, but the decision whether or not to place an attachment is not up to the minister. That is why the singing authority was delegated to the attorney general, preventing any perception of political meddling," said Dick.

But according to lawyer Eldon "Peppie" Sulvaran who represents Dos Santos, the problem is that Piar does not know the difference between an attachment and an authorisation. "He either deliberately chose to give incorrect information or signed documents which he did not understand, the attorney said.

Dos Santos is suspected of illegal lotteries, money laundering and tax evasion. Wilsoe recently revoked the delegated authority of the attorney general to submit legal assistance requests to the US on behalf of the minister and sent a letter to the American authorities himself with the instruction to lift the attachments on bank accounts believed to be related to Dos Santos.

According to reports, it regards 30 million US dollars on the accounts of Ponsford Ltd and Tula Finance Ltd at the USB Bank. "Attachments on third parties (corporations Ponsford and Tula Finance-Ed.) as occurred in the Bientu-investigation are not possible according to our laws," said Sulvaran, referring to jurisprudence.

Nevertheless, the prosecutor received permission to place such an attachment. According to Sulvaran, since August 2011, the defence team of Dos Santos had been pointing out that this is abuse of power and that the attachment must be lifted.

Last December 15, the defence decided to lodge an appeal against the attachment. Without waiting for the judge's ruling, the Public Prosecutor's Office decided to request a new authorisation on January 19, to place an attachment on the same companies.

To Sulvaran this proves the prosecution knew the first attachment was illegal. Therefore, the lawyer was not surprised the judge ruled on April 4, that the attachment must be lifted.

"However, to this day the attorney general refuses to do so. On the contrary, despite an order from the judge, he requested the American authorities to maintain the attachment."

According to Sulvaran, using new arguments the attorney general requested the US to maintain the first attachment and no procedure was started to request a second attachment. "Whichever way you look at it, the minister, government and everyone who maintains the illegal attachment is responsible."

Regarding the second authorisation that the Public Prosecutors' Office requested on January 19, Sulvaran stated that the defence attempted to prevent as much damage as possible for Dos Santos through summary proceedings, as was the case with the first attachment.

"It's correct that the defence was declared inadmissible because there was not a second attachment. Therefore, it is nonsense to say that the defence has not started a procedure to lift the second attachment. An authorisation is not an order to place an attachment. It only opens the possibility to approach the appropriate authorities with the request to place an attachment."

Regarding the authorisation which the Public Prosecutor received on January 19, Sulvaran stated that no permission had been given yet to place an attachment.

"Piar is perfectly aware of this and although Wilsoe revoked his authority on April 26, behind the minister's back the attorney general requested the American authorities' permission to place the attachment. With this, the attorney general himself challenges the existence of two attachments."

Sulvaran finds it remarkable that on the very same day the Dutch ambassador in the United States submitted a request to maintain the attachment that had already been placed.

CAY HILL--"Many of us do not know the reality of the way some of our elderly live, whether it's the living conditions, family relationships or the lack thereof. By synchronizing our efforts with all stakeholders, I believe we can better serve our elderly," said Public Health, Social Development and Labour Minister Cornelius de Weever.

His ministry's Section for General Public Health recently held a brainstorming session in collaboration with St. Maarten Medical Center, St. Maarten Nurses Association and the White and Yellow Cross Foundation to address the World Health Organization's question: "Are health workers in St. Maarten adequately trained to address the rights and specific needs of older people."

"It was good to hear first-hand about the experiences from those in the field that actually deal with the elderly," said De Weever.

The session was part of a series of activities to commemorate World Health Day 2012, themed "Good health adds life to years." Participants had to address the involvement of the aging in the community and are health workers on St. Maarten adequately trained to address the rights and specific needs of older people.

The brainstorming session looked at challenges and solutions to the issues. It was an opportunity to learn from each other, identify weak areas and see how collectively those areas can be strengthened. The main objective is to educate stakeholders toward the direction of improving health for the aging and the community.

PHILIPSBURG--A "humongous ... but not impossible" task is ahead of the new National Alliance (NA)-led coalition government, said NA Member of Parliament (MP) George Pantophlet on Sunday.

"The new government will have to prioritise and start working. The key to its functioning successfully is the civil apparatus," he said.

This new government will need to take care of pensioners by ensuring they have a comfortable way life, revamp the educational system to allow equal access, opportunity and school fees, and create a realistic, reliable and simple tax system especially where it concerns tax collections, the MP said in a release.

The government also will have to find ways and means to encourage businesses that have deposited millions overseas to bring these funds back without penalties and probably a reduced tax rate, reduce unemployment especially amongst the youth, and tackle the healthcare system and poverty.

"There is a lot to be done and government will need its citizens to be patient and give it time to work. No one knows what they will meet when they take up their offices. The findings should be made known to the public to avoid being blamed for a mess the incoming government did not create. The task ahead indeed is a difficult, but who said governing was easy?" Pantophlet said.

Cooperation among MPs, Ministers, Secretaries-General and civil servants is crucial, he continued, adding that supervisory bodies such as the Advisory Council, General Auditing Chamber and the Corporate Governance Council must be provided with the necessary equipment to function in an optimal manner.

"Loyalty should be first and foremost to the people who pay our salaries, the general public. Stagnating or prolonging the preparation of vital advice because of personal political affiliation should not be tolerated, because this negatively affects the people of St. Maarten. While this is a continuation of a governing period which ends in 2014, the reality is that we have a new government," Pantophlet said.

~Says Dutch MP Recourt~

AMSTERDAM--The guarantee function that the Dutch Kingdom can use as basis to intervene is an "atomic bomb" which cannot just be used to threaten countries overseas.

That is the opinion of Member of the Second Chamber Jeroen Recourt of the Labour Party PvdA. Recourt was guest speaker at a lecture of the Antillean Network Association VAN in Amsterdam Friday evening.

Theme of that event was the message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the importance of that message in today's society. However, the political situation in Curaçao and the reported "fear and intimation" opponents and the media face there, featured prominently in the discussion with the small, but very involved crowd that attended the lecture.

"People in Curaçao feel like it is five to twelve. There is fear." "It is dangerous there. The fire is burning, don't you see that?" and "What do you do when a criminal takes power?" were some of the remarks of the persons present.

Violence is never the answer to a problem, contended Recourt (41), an avid proponent of anti-violence. His answer to a call by the public to deploy the guarantee function of the Charter to intervene in Curaçao: "The guarantee function is like an atomic bomb that you cannot use as a threat."

Deploying the guarantee function is actually taking over power," said Recourt, a former Judge who worked in Aruba from 2006 until 2010 when he became a Member of Parliament (MP). "We have only one weapon (the guarantee function, ed.) and we have to use that in a very careful manner." He said it was better to "put maximum political pressure."

It is a fact that relations in the Kingdom are unequal, said Recourt. "It is like comparing Amsterdam (the Dutch largest city, ed.) to Lutjebroek (a small village in The Netherlands, ed.)." Ideally, countries in the Kingdom should work together on the basis of equality, as partners, supporting and strengthening each other.

Recourt gave Aruba as an example. "Aruba is self conscious. It is proud of what it has achieved and it is with that pride that they can welcome a Dutch institution like TNO and to promote Dutch business with South America via Aruba," he said.

Aruba has actively promoted nation building and self consciousness, he said. "Curaçao has been self conscious for a long time but the contrasts between the different groups in society there are immense. The population is not as well balanced."

According to Recourt, it is up to the people of Curaçao to hold its government responsible for it s actions, not The Netherlands. "Ultimately we have one task and that is to make sure that the people on the islands can vote in freedom." He said The Netherlands was too eager to "put on the moral trousers." "There has to be more respect for the autonomy of the countries."

Recourt said he too was concerned about the state of law in Curaçao. But solving issues should always be done in a peaceful manner, not through violence. He said that democracy, in his view, still functioned in Curaçao. "There are free elections and people can vote on another political party if they do not agree or they can establish a new party."

The MP said that his dream was that Kingdom partners would treat each other in a respectful manner, being self conscious without looking at origin. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. could serve as an inspiration in this, he said. Martin Luther King Jr. did not look away, he did not engage or promote violence, but offered forceful resistance, he said.

"He is dead, but his message is just as current as it was in the sixties. He promoted justice, equality and peace," said Recourt. He said that realising equality among the different groups in society required a great input. "That input has set off but it is not finished," he said, referring to the Dutch Caribbean.

According to Recourt, discrimination was within everyone, be it in various levels. He criticised politicians who sewed hatred and fear which fed prejudices among a large group in society that was insecure. "Live as you preach. That message is also for politicians."

PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Public Health Cornelius de Weever reportedly has stopped the bidding process to award a new contract for the production of water intended for the distribution of drinking water.

The process initially was being guided by Minister of VROMI Theo Heyliger, but Minister de Weever explained on Sunday night that since the change of the governing situation, the process needed to be assessed.

He also explained that some companies wanted an extension of the deadline to submit proposals. Once everything is clear, De Weever said, a decision will be made on the way forward.

The current contract with Seven Seas Water St. Maarten is expiring and Heyliger has been adamant that the process to award a new contract should go on bid to obtain a better price for water for St. Maarten. Government opened the period for companies to submit proposals in early April, with a deadline of May 2.

De Weever also met with Seven Seas Water St. Maarten Director Franklyn Richards last week Friday.

The project consists of the production of requested volumes of water at specified quality with reverse osmosis plants. The activities include the acquisition (buyout) of existing reverse osmosis water production plants, the construction of new plants and the related design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance of these reverse osmosis water production plants (existing facilities at Cay Bay and Cupecoy)

In addition, a new plant would have to be built in Pointe Blanche, which is expected to be completed by December 2012 (first phase). The contract period for the production of water would be for 15 years, from 2013 to 2028.

The contract for the production of water was awarded to Seven Seas Water in June 2007.

PHILIPSBURG--The Ministry of Transport issued 114 taxi, bus and tour bus licences from May 8 to 10 on instructions of outgoing Minister of Transportation Franklin Meyers.

Meyers issued the instruction via letter to Ministry of Transportation Secretary General Miguel De Weever, adding that the instruction should only be executed if the persons met the relevant requirements as stated in the public transportation ordinance. Whether this had been determined to be the case could not be ascertained by press time.

In those two days 84 taxi licences, 24 bus licences and 6 licences to operate tour vehicles such as tour buses were issued. Included on the list of recipients are family members of Minister Meyers, a member of his cabinet and the brother of another Minister.

Reportedly there was or is an agreement with the taxi associations to issue 86 taxi licences and each association board submitted a list of names. This could not be confirmed up to press time.

Few of the various taxi associations were available for comment, but drivers for Harbour Taxi Association said some of these licences had been issued to persons who had been waiting a long time to acquire one, some for as long as 12 years. Another common concern for members of the Bus Association is the number of foreign nationals who are receiving licences. No further reactions were available.

The progress committee was established by Kingdom partners to monitor the progress of several government departments with respect to building up their human resources and work processes and procedures.

Each department has to prepare quarterly progress reports, which are then reviewed by the aforementioned committee, who in turn advices the Dutch Minister of Interior and Kingdom Affairs and Sint Maarten's Prime Minister, after which the latter two have consultations.

MARIGOT--The two-day Fête du Nautisme organised by marine trades association Métimer and French-side sea rescue organisation SNSM began at the Marigot waterfront over the weekend with scores of people enjoying the many marine activities on offer.

Proceeds from the Fête will be given to SNSM towards the cost of a new engine for the SNSM 129 lifeboat, but officials said Sunday it was too early to ascertain how much money had been raised or how many people had participated in activities.

The renaissance of this Fête, which was held last in 2005, bodes well for Métimer which had declared the event a "success" by the end of the day.

Métimer contends that the more interest there is in water sport activities the more the likelihood that a percentage of the population will be encouraged to start a business or begin a career, thereby stimulating and perpetuating the marine industry in St. Martin as a whole. For this reason, Métimer is seeking to rekindle interest in the sector.

The future potential is likely to emerge from Saturday's activities, which involved taking some 200 youngsters ages 14-16 to Tintamarre Island for a discovery day of sailing, swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, water skiing, diving, snorkelling and tours of Tintamarre led by Réserve Naturelle rangers to discover flora, fauna and marine eco-systems. Many owners of vessels contributed their time to assist transporting the students to the island.

"The students were very well-behaved. We were pleasantly surprised that it went better than last year," said a Métimer board member describing the Tintamarre excursion. "The Lycée organised a delicious lunch and it all went really well."

The aim on Sunday was to introduce the population to the many marine activities available, including kayaking, paddle boarding, sailing, jet skiing, helmet diving, etc. For a nominal fee persons could sign up for the activities at the SNSM headquarters or participate in the free demonstrations.

The board indicated that jet skis and helmet diving by H20 had been the most popular activities.

There was a parade of catamarans in the bay at the end of the day while a good crowd settled into a happy-hour mood listening to the live band GTO.

Métimer President Bülent Gülay said the Fête had been organised with a budget of 16,000 euros and he was very pleased with the outcome of the event. The Collectivité and St. Martin Tourism Office were not able to participate due to financial constraints.

"We were not able to choose the date for this Fête as it is a national event held all over France on this weekend in 700 locations. There were some other events coinciding such as the regatta in Anguilla and in Orient Bay and Le Galion, but all things considered we had a good turnout and a lot of people enjoyed the activities," he said.

Gülay added that next year's event would be even bigger and better thanks to an increased and enthusiastic Métimer membership and continued support of companies such as Island Water World and Budget Marine. He envisaged the event would be integrated with a second-hand boat show and not be restricted to the national dates for Fête du Nautisme.

There is also the possibility of soliciting funds from Europe.

"We will be applying for European funds and hope that we can have a budget in the region of 100,000 euros, which will allow us to organise something quite special with a second-hand boat show. There is a lot of interest in this in the region," he said.

The section "Best Islands in the World," describes what is it about an island that immediately invokes a daydream? That feeling of seclusion, for sure, but also those sprawling beaches, those rolling waves, and those untouched pockets of wilderness. For an island to be considered one of the "best," it must have that je ne sais quoi – that magical spark. The islands listed here have that little extra something that keeps travellers enchanted.

The islands that fall in the top 10 ranking are: Maldives, Bora Bora, St. Kitts & Nevis, Santorini, Seychelles, Fiji, Maui, Cayman Islands, St. Martin/St. Maarten, and U.S. Virgin Islands.

The meeting was scheduled to take place on Monday morning at 10:00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House of Parliament on Wilhelmina Straat #2.1 in Philipsburg.

The plenary session has been postponed until further notice due to funeral services for the late Jane Eliza Richardson-Proctor, the mother of Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Hyacinth Richardson.

The President of Parliament Hon. drs. Gracita Arrindell extends her condolences to the family of the late Jane Eliza Richardson-Proctor and especially to MP Hon. Hyacinth Richardson on behalf of the Parliament of Sint Maarten and fellow parliamentary colleagues.

One of the visits coordinated by TLH-SXMF Executive Director Lugisse was a meeting with President of the Collectivite Hon. Alain Richardson. Lugisse said it was a good opportunity for the Tallahassee officials to also meet the head of the Government of the North side of the island and explore possibilities with respect to the sister-city agreement that already exists with Sint Maarten, hoping to create positive opportunities by way of the partnership when it comes to the development of St. Martin/St. Maarten, where both sides should work together.

"The TLH-SXMF will act as the main promoter and maintain contact with President Richardson with respect to exploring further the opportunities that exist under the existing framework of the city-sister agreement," Executive Director Arthur Lugisse said.

The delegation that visited the island was headed by Deputy Fire Chief John Gatlin from the Tallahassee City Fire Department. It also included representatives from Public Safety, Law enforcement, Government environmental engineering, Medical and Private sector business.

THE HAGUE--The Kingdom Council of Ministers on Friday approved the appointment of Sybilla Dekker as Member of the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT for Curaçao and St. Maarten, as well as the CFT for Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba.

Dekker will represent The Netherlands in this committee, which supervises the execution of the Financial Supervision Laws (Rijkswet Financieel Toezicht) in effect for the countries Curaçao and St. Maarten and for the Dutch public entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba.

A former Dutch Minister of Public Housing, Physical Planning and Environmental Management for the conservative VVD party from 2003 until 2006, Dekker (70) will replace Margo Vliegenthart. The appointment goes into effect July 1, 2012.

Dekker is no stranger to the Dutch Caribbean, as she has been Chairperson of the Antillean Co-financing Organisation AMFO since 2007. She will give up this function. Dekker has ample experience in government and corporate business.

In a press release, CFT stated about Vliegenthart's pending exit: "Her input in the Board has been considerable and her work has been much appreciated."

Other members of CFT Curaçao and St. Maarten are: Chairman Professor Age Bakker and Alberto "Chos" Romero for Curaçao; and Richard Gibson for St. Maarten. As of July 1, CFT Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba will consist of Bakker, Dekker and Max Pandt, who represents the three islands.

PHILIPSBURG--The Department of Statistics STAT is conducting the Business Cycle Survey for the first half of 2012. The survey started on Monday, May 7, and will be executed until June 15, 2012.

The Business Cycle Survey is conducted twice a year to collect up-to-date information on business and economic developments, for industries and the business sector as a whole. Additionally, STAT hopes to capture the current opinions and expectations of entrepreneurs, in the areas of economic development and the investment climate in St. Maarten.

The survey will be conducted among all businesses with more than 10 employees, and a sample is drawn for those businesses with three to 10 employees. STAT interviewers will approach and distribute the questionnaires to the businesses. Should the business require any additional assistance, a STAT interviewer will gladly provide such.

Businesses can expect questions on their turnover, investments made, their competitive status and the company's personnel situation, over the year 2012. Additionally, a few questions relate to the entrepreneur's perception on a number of indicators and his/her confidence in the St. Maarten economy, during the coming period.

With this information available, government and entrepreneurs can take better-founded decisions more quickly. The input of the private sector in this survey will be highly appreciated and is essential to its success.

STAT therefore appeals to all businesses approached to cooperate; only then can STAT analyse and publish the survey results in a timely manner, for the benefit of the government and the private sector.

CAY HILL--Ground was broken in Cay Hill on Thursday for infrastructure work in the area of the new elementary school, the new Secondary Vocational Education SBO institution and the Fire and Ambulance Departments.

Ministers Theo Heyliger and Rhoda Arrindell were present for the event. When completed, the project will deliver a new school and new traffic situation in the area.

Department of New Works head Kurt Ruan explained that the project was not an easy one, with several hiccups and the two Ministers having had to agree on certain changes. But in the end, he said, the people of St. Maarten will have infrastructure that will organise the immediate area.

He explained that the road to the Fire and Ambulance Departments would remain a two-way road and the road passing alongside the new schools would be one-way with an emergency exit leading to Cay Hill. The Raoul Illidge Sports Complex board also made land available for the execution of the works, which will include drainage facilities.

The parking facility behind the Fire and Ambulance Departments building will be expanded with 42 parking spaces, while the sports complex and elementary school also will have spaces for parking. The entire project will employ contractors MNO Vervat and Sabrenzo NV and will cost about NAf. 8 million.

The elementary school is scheduled to be open for the new school year and will accommodate 400 pupils.

~ Governing Programme promised within 90 days ~

PHILIPSBURG--The bid to put a new government in place moved forward yesterday with the new coalition partners signing a governing accord titled "Working for the People" and Governor Eugene Holiday naming National Alliance (NA) leader William Marlin and Democratic Party (DP) leader Sarah Wescot-Williams as formateurs.

According to a copy of the accord sent to the press by William Marlin, central to the agreement is a government that is tuned to residents' needs, cognizant of the importance of sustainable development, respectful of the diversity of persons residing here harmoniously, and committed to improving the lives of all citizens through a balanced approach of job creation, enabling entrepreneurship and a social system that is efficient, cost-effective and responsive.

Signatories to the governing accord in which the parties declared that they have reached "an agreement in principle" on the formation of the next government are the NA and DP leaders, independent Members of Parliament (MPs) Frans Richardson, Patrick Illidge and Romain Laville, NA MPs George Pantophlet, Hyacinth Richardson, Dr. Lloyd Richardson and Louie Laveist, and DP MPs Roy Marlin and Leroy de Weever.

According to the signatories, party members or functionaries "shall not do anything to hinder, disturb, frustrate or impede the execution of this accord, agreements or actions resulting from this accord."

High on agenda

The accord states that the Governing Programme is to be completed within 90 days of the new government taking office and will include a "Plan of Action" outlining priority projects and programmes to be carried out for the remainder of the 2010-2014 governing term, with timelines, cost and the financing modalities.

"Initial concentration" will be on district improvements, education, safety, economy, environment, infrastructure, health care, social welfare and housing.

The parties to the accord, which was signed in Dr. A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall, also agreed that large scale programmes such as the fiscal system reform and general health insurance "must be provided for all the necessary resources to be concluded within 180 days."

Of "paramount importance" are the prudent management of government finances and the preparations for the drafting of the budget 2013.

The accord calls on ministers "to work diligently to avoid any disruption as a result of the change in government and called on the civil service to aid in this endeavour."

Parties said they also recognised the "urgent need" for implementation of ordinances decreed by several organic laws and for redefining parts of the government structure. "Transparency and a reduction of bureaucracy are vital components of this redefinition."

As part of its social development programmes, focus will be on specific target groups such as the elderly, the disabled and the youth.

The accord clearly establishes the coalition's hierarchical structure and modus operandi, stipulating that William Marlin will chair the coalition meetings with Wescot-Williams as deputy and that coalition meetings, based on the accord, will be held every fortnight and/or prior to public meetings of Parliament. In addition, the coalition will meet on "all important and key issues and matters" confronting the government or the execution of the governing accord.

Following the signing of the accord, to which the local media houses were not invited, NA leader William Marlin and DP leader Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams presented the accord and the portfolio division to Governor Eugene Holiday, who had requested that they form a new government as "formateurs" based on the two days of consultation he had had with all parties involved.

Holiday had urged them to form a government consisting of ministers "committed to the promotion of the wellbeing of St. Maarten and dedicated to jointly executing the governing accord," according to a statement from his cabinet.

Holiday also had emphasised to the formateurs the importance of the strict observance of the regulatory requirements, applicable to the appointment of candidate-ministers.

The NA/DP/I-3 government, supported by 10 seats in Parliament, will replace the United People's (UP) party/DP/Illidge coalition that has been in office since St. Maarten attained the status of country-within-the-Dutch-Kingdom in October 2010.

UP, with five seats in Parliament, is now the only party in opposition after the former coalition lost its majority support in the so-called "Carnival Coup" that saw Laville, Illidge and later DP parliamentarians withdraw their support.

Portfolios

As previously announced, NA will designate three ministers for the portfolios of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI; Finance; and Education.

DP will designate two ministers to hold the posts of Prime Minister/Minister of General Affairs and Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour.

Independent MPs Frans Richardson and Laville are to designate jointly the candidate for Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications,

Illidge will designate the Minister of Justice.

For portfolio substitution, the prime minister will be substituted by the minister of VROMI; finance minister by prime minister; education minister by public health minister; tourism/economic affairs minister by education minister; justice minister by finance minister; VROMI minister by tourism/economic affairs minister; and health minister by justice minister.

Parties also have agreed that NA will designate the President of Parliament, Laville will serve as the Deputy President of Parliament and DP will designate the Second Deputy President of Parliament.

DP will designate the Minister Plenipotentiary in The Hague and NA will appoint the Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary.

WILLEMSTAD--Former Antillean Prime Minister Etienne Ys is concerned about the manner in which the current Curaçao Government is handling important institutions such as the Central Bank, the Prosecutor's Office, the "Ombudsman" and the Intelligence Service of Curaçao VDC.

Government's continuous criticism of and various conflicts with these institutions seriously injure the island, said the former prime minister. His reaction followed the statement from Minister of Justice Elmer "Kadè" Wilsoe (PS), on a breach of confidence with the prosecution.

Ys pointed out that this was the umpteenth case of a conflict between government and an important institution in Curaçao. He also referred to recent and public differences of opinion with the management of the Central Bank and the discussion on VDC.

"It's notable that government itself tells the whole world about these conflicts. The government publicly states it doesn't have confidence in the most important institutions on the island. Government injures the island without realising the extent of the damage," added the financial expert.

Ys said that in the past period, the international financial sector on the island had received various telephone calls from concerned contacts, "who ask: 'What's going on here, in Curaçao?' To compete with other countries in the world, we present ourselves as a stable country, with a stable constitutional state and a stable judicial system."

"These conflicts, but also the publications on such, injure our image. We must proceed cautiously, because we could suddenly lose the image that we've built up for many years and it costs too much time and effort to restore the confidence.

"Let's take the Central Bank as an example. An investor sets great store by a Central Bank, because it is entrusted with the supervision of a reliable currency. An investor converting his money into our currency wants the assurance that our currency is stable enough and that a stable Central Bank supervises this. We now have a government that publicly spreads doubt on our Central Bank."

Ys added that government must stop attacking important institutions on the island, as quickly as possible. "Government must display greatness to overlook its personal problems with the institutions. The general interest of Curaçao must have priority."

THE HAGUE--Curaçao Justice Minister Elmer "Kadè" Wilsoe has harmed the reputation of the Dutch Kingdom, by asking US authorities to lift the lien on the bank accounts of lottery boss Robbie dos Santos.

That is the conclusion of the Kingdom Council of Ministers, which met on Friday to discuss the April 25 letter Wilsoe sent to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and US Attorney General Eric Holder, in which he asked for the lien ordered by the Courts to be lifted.

The Council expressed "great concern" over Wilsoe's personal intervention in a criminal investigation. Dos Santos is the main suspect in an extensive money-laundering and tax-fraud case named "Bientu" (Wind).

According to Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Liesbeth Spies, Wilsoe's conduct deviates from the usual practice that a Minister of Justice of a country should not get involved personally in a criminal investigation, or try to influence such.

Wilsoe has created the impression of a conflict of interest and his action is considered damaging for the reputation of the Kingdom, as partner in international treaties with the United States.

The Kingdom Council of Ministers wants the four Ministers of Justice in the Kingdom to put Wilsoe's letter on the agenda of its meeting in Aruba, next month, and to have the Ministers reconfirm the common code of conduct that a Minister of Justice doesn't hamper ongoing investigations by the Prosecutor's Office.

Following that meeting of the four Justice Ministers, the issue of Wilsoe's letter will come back to the Kingdom Council of Ministers, during its next meeting in June.

Sources said Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Uri Rosenthal had been especially irritated, because the letter had put him in a difficult position, in the relations with his US colleague Clinton.

Chief Commisioner Peter de Witte and Commissioner Carl John (Coordinator) congratulated the participants for their tremendous input during this course and wished them great success in the future while putting their acquired knowledge to work.

Chief Commisioner Peter de Witte and Commissioner Carl John (Coordinator) congratulated the participants for their tremendous input during this course and wished them great success in the future while putting their acquired knowledge to work.

Chief Commisioner Peter de Witte and Commissioner Carl John (Coordinator) congratulated the participants for their tremendous input during this course and wished them great success in the future while putting their acquired knowledge to work.

This is the second year that ESPN has covered the island's premiere sailing event and the organizers of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta are looking forward towards this type of coverage and cooperation in the coming years.

The general public can tune in to St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 209 and 211 at 7:00pm on Saturday, May 12 to see the regatta and relive those racing moments.

Philipsburg:--- Ten Members representing the Parliament of St. Maarten along with Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams signed a political accord “Working for the People” on Friday morning to form what can be considered the first broad based government of St. Maarten. The signing took place at the A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall shortly after 9am on Friday morning. Members of the GOA witnessed the signing of the agreement. While MPs Hyacinth Richardson and Petrus Leroy de Weever signed the agreement in absentia since they could not be present on Friday morning.

The Members of Parliament that signed the document are William Marlin, Dr. Lloyd Richardson, Hyacinth Richardson, George Pantophlet, Louis Laviest (National Alliance Faction) Frans Richardson, Patrick Illidge, Romaine La Ville (Independent Members of Parliament) Roy Marlin and Petrus Leroy de Weever (DP Faction) and Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams.

The signing came just one day after Governor Eugene Holiday appointed both William Marlin and Sarah Wescot-Williams as the formateurs to form the government.

Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams said the political accord they all signed and delivered to the governor indicated that the various political parties represented in parliament has found common ground to form the next government of St. Maarten and it is their desire to continue working for the remainder of the term 2010 -2014. Leader of the National Alliance and Member of Parliament William Marlin said since the Prime Minister submitted the resignation of the UP/DP cabinet on Tuesday the process to install a new government started. Marlin said the governor held consultations with the chairlady of Parliament, the leaders of the various political parties, the faction leaders in parliament as well as with the three independent members of parliament. Marlin explained that the meetings resulted in the Governor appointing two formateurs for the formation of the new government. Marlin said they worked diligently and concluded the governing accord with the party leaders that are supporting the new government. Marlin further explained that after the signed accord was submitted to the Governor the secret services of St. Maarten will be conducting the screening and vetting of the candidates that will be occupying the Ministerial seats. Those persons to be vetted are Silveria Jacobs and Romeo Pantophlet. Silveria Jacobs will be appointed Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports Affairs while Romeo Pantophlet will appointed Minister of Economic Affairs and Tourism. The screening process he said will take a week to ten days and as soon that is completed the new broad based government will be sworn in.

Marlin said the new and incoming government will focus on reducing cost of living on St. Maarten since the people of St. Maarten need government's assistance now more than ever. Marlin said they formed a team of parliamentarians whose primary goal are the people of St. Maarten. This team he said will ensure that cost of living is reduced in the form of reducing the price of electricity, cooking gas, and gasoline. Marlin said this new government will also focus on getting the boys off the block that are getting involved in criminal activities. Government’s intention is to get these young men in the job market and to provide sustainable and meaningful employment. He said government will also concentrate on the abuse of the short term labour agreements that they are aiming to put an end to. Marlin did not unleash the governing program they are to finalize within a 90-day period but gave a clear indication as to where the focus of the government will be for the next two years. Focus will be placed on district improvements, education, safety, economy, the environment, infrastructure, health care, social welfare, and housing.

Governor Holiday engaged in two days of discussion with the Members of Parliament and Prime Minister after he received the official resignation from the Ministers from the United Peoples Party on Tuesday. While the UP Ministers only tendered their resignation on Tuesday last, the UP/DP government fell on April 27^th 2012 when the three Independent Members of Parliament made their un-official declaration in Festival Village to save the people of St. Maarten from the current crisis they are facing. Letters were sent to the Prime Minister and Governor of St. Maarten since early last week informing that the UP/DP coalition had collapsed and that a new government has been formed. However, the process could not have moved forward unless the UP Ministers tendered their resignation. It should be noted that since St. Maarten became a country in October 2010, this is the first government to have the required two thirds majority in Parliament that consists of Members from all fractions.

Several political pundits said that they are of the opinion that St. Maarten will head in the right direction now because the two main leaders of the island is now at the helm of the government. It should be noted that Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams led the political delegation for ten years during the Constitutional talks while William Marlin was also present during the discussions. Marlin however, finalized the discussions after he led the delegation for a mere year and half.

A copy of the political agreement signed on Friday morning reads as follows:--

NA/DP/I-3 GOVERNING ACCORD

"Working For the People"

The political leaders of the National Alliance and the Democratic Party of St. Maarten, William V. Marlin and Sarah A. Wescot-Williams respectively,

And the undersigned members of  the Parliament of St. Maarten, Patrick Illidge, Frans Richardson, Romain Laville, George Pantophlet, Hyacinth Richardson, Lloyd Richardson, Louie Laveist, Roy Marlin, Leroy de Weever, representing a majority of 10 seats in the Parliament of St. Maarten and hereinafter referred to as "The Parties"

Considering:

Their expressed desire to work together in the interest of St. Maarten following the loss of support for the UP/DP government by a parliamentary majority:

Hereby declare to have reached an agreement in principle on the formation of the next government of St. Maarten and further declare that:

Central to this agreement is a government that is tuned to the needs of the residents of our country; cognizant of the importance of a sustainable development; respectful of the diversity of persons residing here harmoniously; and committed to improving the lives of all citizens through a balanced approach of job creation, enabling entrepreneurship and  a social system that is efficient,  cost-effective and responsive.

This agreement in entered into for the remainder of the governing period, 2010 – 2014.

Parties agree that the National Alliance shall designate 3 Ministers, viz. the Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Education.

The Democratic Party shall designate two (2) ministers, viz. the Prime Minister/Minister of General Affairs and the Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour.

Independent Members Richardson and Laville will jointly designate the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunication and Independent member Illidge shall designate the Minister of Justice.

The substitution for these Ministers shall be regulated as follows:

For the Prime Minister/Minister of General Affairs, the Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure;

For the Minister of Finance, the Prime Minister/Minister of General Affairs

For the Minister of Education, the Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour;

For the Minister of Tourism, the Minister of Education

For the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Finance

For the Minister of Housing, the Minister of Economic Affairs

For the Minister of Public Health, the Minister of Justice.

Parties further agree that  the National Alliance  will designate the Chairperson of Parliament of St. Maarten, Independent member Laville will serve as the deputy Chairperson and the Democratic Party will designate the  Second Deputy Chairperson of Parliament of St. Maarten;

Parties further agree that The Democratic Party shall designate the Minister Plenipotentiary in The Hague and the National Alliance shall designate the Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary.

The Ministers of Government shall be called upon to work diligently to avoid any disruption as a result of the change in government and call upon the civil service to aid in this endeavor.

Of paramount importance are the prudent management of government finances and the preparations for the drafting of the budget 2013. Large scale programs such as the reform of our fiscal system and  the general health insurance must be provided all the necessary resources to be concluded within 180 days.

Parties recognize the urgent need for implementation of ordinances, decreed by several organic laws and for redefining parts of the government structure. Transparency and a reduction of bureaucracy are vital components of this redefinition.

As part of its social development programs, focus will be on specific target groups, such as the elderly, the disabled and the youth.

The undersigned signatories to this declaration jointly and individually pledge their full support to carry out the provisions of this declaration to the fullest extent possible.

Parties commit themselves to establish a Governing Program for the Government of St. Maarten within 90 days after taking office and which will be based on the following premises and principles:

The NA/DP/I-3 governing program shall include a Plan of Action that shall set forth the projects and programs to be carried out as priorities of the Government of St. Maarten for the remainder of the 2010-2014 governing term, the duration and cost of these projects and the financing modalities.

The following areas of initial concentration are being highlighted and shall be further developed in the Action Plan:

DISTRICT IMPROVEMENTS

EDUCATION

SAFETY

ECONOMY

THE ENVIRONMENT

INFRASTRUCTURE

HEALTH CARE

SOCIAL WELFARE

HOUSING

There shall be coalition meetings of the Members of Parliament supporting the government and shall further include all the Ministers. William Marlin shall be the chairman of the coalition meetings and in his absence Mrs. Sarah Wescot-Williams will chair the meeting.

Coalition meetings shall be held every fortnight and or prior to public meetings of the Parliament.

The coalition shall meet on all important and key issues and matters confronting the government of St. Maarten or the execution of the governing accord.

Parties shall inform the Governor of St. Maarten, the Governments of the Kingdom, Curacao and Aruba, as well as the Governments of the BES Islands of this declaration.

Neither party, the signatories hereto nor any members or functionary of the parties hereto shall do anything to hinder, disturb, frustrate or impede the execution of this accord, agreements or actions resulting from this accord.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF parties have placed their signatures on this 11^th day of May, 2012.

_______________      ___________________          _____________          _______________

William V. Marlin      Sarah Wescot-Williams,         Patrick Illidge,            Frans Richardson,

_____________          ___________________          __________________

Romain Laville,          George Pantophlet,                Hyacinth Richardson,

_______________      _____________                      _____________          _________________

Lloyd Richardson       Louie Laveist,                        Roy Marlin,                Petrus L. de Weever,

PHILIPSBURG--Outgoing Minister of Education Rhoda Arrindell, in the presence of her mother Janet and her ministry's support staff on Thursday, echoed remarks made by US President Barack Obama and said her motivation remained doing the right thing, even if in the short term it was unpopular.

"That is why I joined the United People's (UP) party, and that is why I am honoured to still remain a member of the party with a better balance of experience and fresh blood and of males and females," she told reporters at a farewell press conference in Dr. A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall.

Arrindell reflected on her 19 months in office, briefed reporters on some of her accomplishments and initiatives, and explained that she now would spend some valuable time with her two children, one of whom is preparing to go to college.

"After 19 months in office, I have come to the conclusion that politics is indeed the art or science of making the impossible possible. It is not a career for the fainthearted or the thin-skinned; it is not conducive to higher spiritual ideals or morals. Indeed, taking the events of the last few weeks into consideration, Ambrose Bierce might be right in describing politics in his Devil's Dictionary: 'the conduct of public affairs for private advantage.'

"This was certainly not why I entered politics on the platform of the UP party just about a couple of years ago. I was driven by idealism, by a burning passion to make a difference in the field of education where I have worked as a professional for a whole generation," Arrindell said.

She thanked the people of St. Maarten for the privilege and honour to serve them in the last year and a half, and expressed gratitude to UP leader Deputy Prime Minister Theodore Heyliger for the confidence bestowed on her and the opportunity given to serve as St. Maarten's first Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs.

"We came in with a clear vision of the direction our education system should take. We came in with a mission to elevate the quality of education in St. Maarten in every aspect and at every level.

"We may have been too ambitious and possibly too overzealous to believe we could have achieved all the lofty goals we set for ourselves in the four years we thought we would have had to do so. That term has been cut short by more than a half. But as I look back I have no regrets. It is a blessing to have had this unique opportunity to serve my island," Arrindell said.

She was non-committal on whether she would contest the Parliamentary election in 2014. That, she said, will be thought about over the next two years.

When asked how she had blocked out the critics who had dubbed her too radical, too close to activists and even too black, Arrindell said she never read the online blogs, just the two daily newspapers. She said her family tended to take those kinds of statements on and were affected by them, but she had managed to block them out.

After detailing her projects, such as Foundation-Based Education being the law, agreements with tertiary institutions, spearheading the drive to make Emancipation Day a national holiday, the GB3 project and the involvement of the public schools with Carnival, Arrindell said there were many more projects and policies in the proverbial pipeline.

"They were not clogged. They were making their way through the normal channels before they could surface as finished products. The new administration will have to decide what to do with them," she said.

Arrindell managed to hold her composure through most of her prepared address, but became emotional to the brink of tears when thanking her cabinet.

"You were the wind beneath my sails throughout this unprecedented journey. I am grateful for your unconditional support, your tireless efforts and your bright ideas. Above all, I cherish your candour and have the utmost respect for your professionalism. I am blessed to be able to count each of you as a true friend," she said.

"In closing, let me say I fully endorse the sentiments expressed by my colleague, Minister Franklin Meyers, at his press conference yesterday. There was never any serious problem among the seven members of the Council of Ministers. Today you're down, tomorrow you're up. The UP party is certainly not out. We will continue to represent the people and provide alternative and real solutions to the challenges we face as a freedom-loving people.

"There is a time to come and there is a time to go. Let me therefore leave you with two quotes I believe are appropriate in the present circumstances. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said: 'In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.' That is what happened with the so-called 'Carnival Coup.'

"US Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, a role model as a female politician for me, said this: 'At present, our country needs women's idealism and determination, perhaps more in politics than anywhere else.' I couldn't agree more with her," Arrindell said.

PHILIPSBURG--The people of St. Maarten welcomed 109 new Dutch citizens through the naturalisation ceremony held at Divi Hotel on Thursday, May 10. Of the 109 new Dutch citizens, 58 are female and 51 are male, ranging in age from three to 78.

The morning was divided into two ceremonies. Sixteen different nationalities were represented in the first ceremony and 10 in the second ceremony. The ceremonies began with the singing of the Dutch national anthem and then the St. Maarten song.

Governor Eugene Holiday then addressed the new Dutch citizens, stating that obtaining the Dutch nationality was a special moment following a "long, legal and administrative process" that included "meeting a number of statutory requirements, including those related to residency, parental ties, 'good conduct', demonstrating an attachment to the social and cultural values of St. Maarten, and a process of proving knowledge of the constitutional principles upon which the Dutch Kingdom and St. Maarten is based."

New Dutch nationals were called on stage and recited the pledge of allegiance in Dutch, declaring that they would respect the constitution of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, the freedoms and rights thereof, and comply with the obligations that Dutch citizenship offered.

Governor Holiday then formally handed the new Dutch nationals their decrees stating their status as official Dutch citizens. Holiday said in his speech that he hoped the citizenship transformation that took place on Thursday "will result in the embrace of the social and cultural customs and traditions of your new country, our country."

The ceremony concluded with the new Dutch nationals and their families and friends meeting in a restaurant area for refreshments at Divi Hotel.

WILLEMSTAD--Curaçao Prime Minister Gerrit Schotte (MFK) lied to Parliament. Opposition leader Emily de Jongh-Elhage (PAR) expressed this serious accusation during a press conference.

According to De Jongh-Elhage, the prime minister hadn't produced any evidence for his allegations in Parliament that personnel from the Intelligence Service Curaçao VDC had devised plans to unseat the current MFK/PS/MAN government. Schotte replied that he wouldn't go into statements from the PAR press conference.

Several representatives of the yellow party heavily criticised the prime minister and his recent presentation in Parliament. During the latter, Schotte explained why his cabinet decided on an "operational shutdown" at VDC.

Following that presentation the various fraction leaders had a closed-door session with the prime-minister, Justice Minister Elmer "Kadè" Wilsoe (PS) and Parliament Chairman Ivar Asjes (PS) where more confidential information on the sensitive matter could be shared. PAR had delegated its deputy fraction leader Dennis Jackson, rather than De Jongh-Elhage.

During the press conference Jackson emphasised that the prime minister had not produced any evidence for his earlier statements. "I specifically asked him about evidence that four VDC-employees had conspired to unseat this government, but he was unable to produce a single document.

"I also questioned him about his statement that our former prime minister (De Jongh-Elhage Ed.) had ordered VDC to conduct an investigation into the lieutenant governor, but his response remained forthcoming. Schotte pointed out that the VDC could conduct an investigation on their own or at the request of the prime minister, but he hadn't answered my question; he didn't produce any evidence for the matters he spoke about," said Jackson.

The lack of proof for Schotte's accusations led De Jongh-Elhage to conclude that the prime minister lied to Parliament. "What Schotte said was a blatant lie. In every self-respecting country lying to the Parliament is a mortal sin and reason for the minister concerned to step down. He concocted a story to conceal the fact that nobody has confidence in VDC."

The PAR-leader repeated that the problems at VDC began when Schotte as incoming prime minister interfered with the screening of members of his cabinet. In this respect, she referred to September 16, 2010 when Schotte and his fellow party member (current Minister of Finance) George "Jorge" Jamaloodin travelled to St. Maarten.

Lourens Pieter, an employee of the intelligence agency entrusted with the screening process, had accompanied them on this trip. PAR wonders how Schotte could've known that Pieter was entrusted with the screening and why he had invited him.

After Schotte became prime minister, he continued his campaign against VDC because this service insisted on a security investigation into the members of Schotte's cabinet. This investigation would have disclosed matters that should have prevented ministers from ever being sworn in, according to PAR.

The yellow party will give Schotte two weeks to elaborate on all the unanswered questions and to produce concrete evidence. If these remain forthcoming, the PAR-fraction will request a public meeting on this subject, said De Jongh-Elhage.

PHILIPSBURG--A public plenary session of Parliament will be held on May 14 to discuss the ordinance to make Emancipation Day, July 1, a public holiday. The meeting starts at 10:00am in Parliament House. Also on the agenda are the new Criminal Code and incoming documents.

The meeting will be live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 20 and Pearl Radio FM 98.1. The audio will be on www.pearlfmradio.com.

PHILIPSBURG--Workers, particularly those signing individual contracts, are urged by the Windward Islands Chamber of Labour Union (WICLU) to have their contracts properly reviewed before signing. All contracts, they added, must be vetted by the Labour Department to ensure laws and regulations are adhered to.

WICLU President Theophilus Thompson said at a press conference on Thursday, that often individual contracts are slanted in favour of the employer thus the need for a thorough review.

Further, should an applicant be refused a job because they have had the contract reviewed by the Labour Department and demands changes, they have the right to file a formal protest with the department or take the would-be employer to court.

WICLU Vice President Claire Elshot, who also heads the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU), used the example of the contract of a teacher at a "faith-based school" being terminated because she became pregnant out of wedlock. The teacher subsequently married after the child's birth.

The teacher had signed a contract that stated based on the school's religious principles a pregnancy outside of a marriage was grounds for termination.

The union was not notified of the situation until sometime later because the teacher believed that the school board was within its rights to end the contract. Elshot said this belief was prevalent because of the contract the teacher signed, despite it being against human rights and more pointedly women's rights.

The school board is said to be reviewing the matter.

Another form of contract that better protects workers is the Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) negotiated by unions. Thompson said the CLA becomes "an umbrella" for all workers of the given company whether or not they are union members.

PHILIPSBURG--The body found floating in Simpson Bay Lagoon on Sunday, May 6, has been identified as that of Luis Rodriguez of Portugal. He was 34 years old.

An autopsy performed on the body on the afternoon of May 10 found no signs of violence, Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos said.

Further microscopic investigations have to be carried out and analysed because the body was in the water for quite some time. The results of those investigations are not likely to be available before 10 to 14 days, so there is no clear cause of death yet, Mos explained.

The body was buried in the Cul de Sac cemetery on Thursday afternoon, May 10. Family or friends of the deceased have yet to come forward.

HARBOUR VIEW--Governor Eugene Holiday will continue his consultations to arrive at the formation of a new cabinet today, Friday.

The governor spoke with caretaker Prime Minister and Democratic Party leader Sarah Wescot-Williams and National Alliance leader William Marlin as he wrapped up a second day of talks on Thursday.

Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams handed in her Cabinet's resignation to Holiday on Tuesday afternoon after she received the official resignation from all ministers. The letter was also forwarded to Parliament.

PHILIPSBURG--The workers of the former Pelican Resort Club did not received their wages Thursday according to the collective labour agreement (CLA) that the court has ruled still stands despite the resort being sold and under new management.

Workers Institute for Organised Labour (WIFOL) President Theophilus Thompson told the press on Thursday that the union and its attorneys were mapping out "the next course of action." He assured that "certain plans and actions will be taken" to make sure the workers receive their pay.

This is the first pay cycle for which the management of what is now Simpson Bay Resort could not claim they had an appeal pending, Thompson said. The court has imposed a penalty of US $5,000 with a maximum of US $1 million for each day the resort fails to pay the more than 80 workers.

The resort is "blatantly refusing" to comply with the law and the verdict rendered, Thompson said.

He questioned the resort's claims of financial straits in light of ongoing renovations of several parts of the resort. He argued that as it was a timeshare resort, the management had access to money paid by owners in fees and other payments.

The "Pelican saga" has been raging since December 2010, when the company attempted to dismiss more than 100 workers, many of whom were long-time employees.

"Today we took leave of an Icon of our community."

On Wednesday May 9th the Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams attended the funeral of St. Maarten Icon Mr. Walter Adolphus Williams. Mr. Williams, also known as Walter Plantz, plantzie or Bubba, was a well known fishermen and figure in the community of St. Maarten, particularly in Philipsburg. Mr. Williams, who was born on the 2nd of August 1916 and passed away peacefully on the 4th of May, leaves to mourn his wife Geraldine Williams-Blake and numerous family and friends. "Today we took leave of an icon of our community and of the Philipsburg community in particular. He will surely be missed by his family and friends, and of course not to forget 'the boys under the tree'", commented Wescot-Williams. Mr. Williams was interred at the Cul-De-Sac Cemetery.

The survey will be conducted among all businesses with more than ten employees, and a sample is drawn for those businesses with three to ten employees.

STAT interviewers will approach and distribute the questionnaires to the businesses. Should the business require any additional assistance, a STAT interviewer will gladly provide such.

Businesses can expect questions on the level of their turnover, investments made, their competitive status and the company's personnel situation over the year 2012. Additionally, a few questions relate to the entrepreneur's perception on a number of indicators and his/her confidence in the St. Maarten economy during the coming period.

With this information available, government and entrepreneurs can take better, quicker and well-founded decisions. The input of the private sector in this survey will be highly appreciated and is essential for its success.

STAT therefore appeals to all businesses approached to cooperate, only then can STAT timely analyze and publish the survey results for the benefit of the government and the private sector.

The CHU of FRANCE FORT specifies that the request for medical evacuation from St. Maarten to Fort de France of the Cypriot national, was conducted at the request of the intensive care physician of the CHU, based on medical information received from his colleague in St. Maarten, information that the patient needed urgent repatriation to a specialized hospital and referral in cardiology and cardiac surgery.
The request for medical evacuation was then signed by the Director on Guard at CHU Fort de France on May 4, 2012, before the start of the repatriation.
It is in this context that the public repatriation mission was decided after the financial agreement of the insurance company (IWIA) to support the cost of repatriation and hospitalization of the Cypriot national, company that as usual, charters airlines.
Accordingly, the CHU of Fort de France denies the privacy of the public service provided by the EMS 972 and regrets that such use is conducted to downgrade the memory of "fighters for life" that are the medical staff and EMS paramedics.

Cabinet staff of the ministries of VROMI,
Economic Affairs and Tourism, Finance and Education,
Members of the Media,
People of our beloved St. Martin,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good Morning.

The latest political developments have created a new reality in our community which has increased the cynicism with which many view politics and politicians. In my own case, they have forced me to look back at my reasons for entering the political arena, and weigh if those reasons are still valid today.
Of course, you are all familiar with remarks such as "politics is a dirty game"; or "politicians are only for themselves." For many of our people, "politicians only make promises they know they can't keep" and our calypsonians have reinforced the perception that politicians are a bunch of corrupt, self-serving, greedy, power-hungry people whose trademark is to fool the people, especially at election time.
In fact, our own Philosopher of Humor, Fernando Clark, who was recently crowned the King of MCs by the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation, in one of his most memorable shows, Raw, described politics as the profession you enter after having tried everything else and failed. I can't wait to see how he will depict the recent developments in his next show!
Apparently to save politics from this pervasive negative image, someone coined the word, "politrics" to describe the dishonest and immoral nature of what Bismarck in his classic definition called "the art of the possible."
After 19 months in office, I have come to the conclusion that politics is indeed the art or science of making the impossible possible. It is not a career for the faint-hearted or the thin-skinned; it is not conducive to higher spiritual ideals or morals. Indeed, taking the events of the last few weeks into consideration, Ambrose Bierce might be right in describing politics in his Devil's Dictionary, "the conduct of public affairs for private advantage."
This was certainly not why I entered politics on the platform of the UP Party just about a couple of years ago. I was driven by idealism, by a burning passion to make a difference in the field of education where I have worked as a professional for a whole generation. My motivation then, as it still remains now, was the belief that, as President Barack Obama said, "we were going to do the right thing, even if short-term it was unpopular." That is why I joined the UP party and that is why I am honored to still remain a member of the party with a better balance of experience and fresh blood and of males and females.
I expected that the vast range in backgrounds of people on the list would surely mean that a range of views would be represented, and coming from the world of academia where students are encouraged to present varying views, I was encouraged in the potential of the team. After I took office, I have come to respect the team even more because of this wide range of views on the issues.
I want to thank the people of St. Martin, our beloved island, for the privilege and honor to serve you in the last year and a half. I am eternally grateful to my party, and especially its leader, deputy Prime Minister Theodore Heyliger, for the confidence bestowed in me and the opportunity given me to serve as St. Martin's first Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs.
We came in with a clear vision of the direction our education system should take. We came in with a mission to elevate the quality of education on St. Martin in every aspect and at every level. We may have been too ambitious, and possibly too overzealous to believe we could have achieved all the lofty goals we set for ourselves in the four years we thought we would have had to do so. That term has been cut short by more than a half. But as I look back, I have no regrets. It is a blessing to have had this unique opportunity to serve my island.
We reached for the skies and plucked a few stars in terms of what we can consider a new direction for education, culture, sports and youth affairs. The common thread that links all four portfolios I have been responsible for is the youth. The youth of St. Martin form the base of our party. They are not just the leaders of tomorrow, they are not just the future of our island, they are a very real and present reality we must address to secure that future and make it a glorious one.
From day one of this administration, we have been building a brand new Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs, block by block, with an unambiguous plan, and specific goals. It is the first time our island would have its own Ministry, and we wanted to make it reflect and be responsive to our own realities and our collective aspirations of excellence, efficiency and professionalism that would become the cornerstone of this new St. Martin nation we are building together.
Permit me to highlight a few of our accomplishments in the last 19 months.
Education - Highlights
In Education, we began with the continued implementation of Compulsory Education. We embarked on a successful, town-hall style campaign with active participation of the stakeholders and today, we can safely say that, despite all the challenges, there is no turning back anymore: compulsory education is the law!
And speaking of laws, the draft laws on Foundation Based Education (FBE), Higher Education, and amendments to the Compulsory Education Law, which we've spent weeks just revising are now virtually ready to begin the prescribed legislative course. A lot of progress has been made in revising the curriculum of vocational education. The Ministry or Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs has sent out invitations for persons to be on the Committee responsible for installing a management team, teachers, etc. for the new vocational school, which should also offer adult educational courses. The SBO Center has also been working on curriculum development for more courses and at the same time, DERPI, the Department of Education and the Ministry have been investigating the possibilities for integrating TVET courses (Technical Vocational Education and Training for all) – a UNESCO supported effort for life-long learning and sustainable development – with SBO course.
Right now, there are various draft documents for a comprehensive curriculum. These need to be consolidated in a program that fits the vision and the reality for vocational education and the labour market on St. Martin while the Teacher Education Program (TEP) curriculum that would be used at the University of St. Martin will be ready by the end of the week.
We have worked intensively with the Ujima Foundation to establish an experimental project that was expected to begin in the coming school year. Funding for this project has been committed in the budget amendment of the 2012 budget.
Cooperation Protocols
We have signed two cooperation protocols, one with the Dutch Minister of Education, van Bijsterveldt-Vliegenhart to promote studying in the region, while the other was signed between the Ministers of St. Martin, Curaçao, Aruba and the Netherlands to work together in areas of mutual interest as it pertains to Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Emancipation.
We have also signed MOUs with Monroe College and Johnson & Wales University, allowing our students to attend these institutions at affordable fees.
Study Financing
With regards to Study Financing, we received a total of 237 applications for the 2012 – 2013 academic year, out of which a total of 203 were granted, or 85%. Our students applied to study in places as near as Anguilla and as far away as The Philipines/Thailand.
Out of this total number of successful applicants, 38 have been awarded scholarships to attend USM. Of these, 16 who had initially applied to go elsewhere were referred to USM to start their studies. These students will have the possibility to transfer after 2 years to one of the institutions with which we have signed an MOU.
A further breakdown of the scholarships shows that 88 were granted for Holland, 46 for the USA, 14 for Curacao, 6 for Canada, 5 for Aruba and 6 for other islands in the region (including St. Croix, The Dominican Republic, Trinidad, Barbados and Jamaica).
In total, we can see that a total of 63 students were granted study financing to study here at home (USM) and in the Caribbean region. This is the second largest group of study financing recipients, and reflects the emphasis we have placed on studying in the region as much as possible. Europe (including Belgium, Scotland and England) continues to be the largest group. The Netherlands, with 43% of the study financing granted, tops the whole list.
ROI Study
A study financing research project which will determine our return on investment (ROI) has already begun. JS Consulting services was commissioned to carry out this study, and we have just received a first summary report of the focus group sessions carried out recently in The Netherlands.
UNESCO Associate Membership
One of the highlights of our stewardship was without doubt getting St. Martin to be admitted to UNESCO as an associate member. I am confident that the island stands to benefit immensely in future from its membership of this world body that has an admirable track record in assisting its members with projects in the areas of education, science and culture.
Emancipation Day
Under Culture, our single most important achievement has been getting the Emancipation Day legislation to the point where on Monday, May 14, 2012, Parliament will debate and hopefully approve it, thus making July 1, a national public holiday. As you know, the draft legislation passed the Central Committee this week with unanimous support of all the members of parliament present. St. Martin, as far as I know, will be the first territory in the Kingdom of the Netherlands that would have such legislation, and this could not come at a more appropriate time seeing that next year, we will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.
We have established a Cultural Awards, given for the first time during the celebration of St. Martin Day last year, to recognize the work and talent of some of our most outstanding artists and performers. The largely symbolic award is supposed to be a St. Martin Day feature.
Children's Carnival Troupe
This year, we have presented a Children's Troupe in the Children's Carnival Parade consisting mainly of students attending our public schools. In conjunction with the SCDF, the idea is to make this an annual activity that can be incorporated into the school curriculum.
Preservation of Monuments
In terms of preservation of our monuments, we have been able to recommend two important national monuments for funding by the Dutch Monuments Preservation Fund. The Methodist Church and the Passangrahann Royal Guest House are the two monuments in consideration for said funding.
Sports
When we assumed office, we met a Department of Youth and Sports, which was not only understaffed but which the way it was structured did not permit adequate attention to be granted to each of these two important areas. We therefore decided to split it into two autonomous departments, each with its own head and staff. That process in its final stages of implementations as we have received applications from candidates to head the two departments. The selection process needs to continue so that more focus can be given to each.
Draft Sports Policy
In terms of Sports, you will recall that just recently, I received a draft Sports Policy from the Technical Committee I had set up for this purpose. The document was promptly handed over to the National Sports Institute, a foundation we established to implement the policies set forth by the Department of Sports. Part of the task of the National Sports Institute is the preparation of our athletes, trainers and coaches for the Kingdom Games 2013. The total overhaul and reorganization of Sports is still a work in progress.
However, we can point to several outstanding performances of St. Martin sports men and women, particularly in tae-kwan-do, in track and field, where we were able to support and sponsor, albeit partially, the recent highly successful 6th edition of the International Track and Field Meet held at the Alberic Richards Stadium in Marigot last weekend. Two track records and one French national record were set at that meet.
Work was being intensified to establish a St. Martin Youth Football Camp this July which was intended to introduce American Football to our youth, complete with cheerleading. The initiative is an inter-ministerial one, including three ministries – Sports, Tourism and Finance. Members of the Toni James Group, with links to the Washington Redskins, have already conducted two site visits to the island and are expected to come in this Monday for a third, during which they will continue with the arrangements and preparations for this Youth Football Camp. You will recall that we held a press conference with the principals of the group right here during their first site visit to St. Martin.
We had also begun preparations for a Schools Sports Festival scheduled for August this year. Those plans are on the front-burner and hopefully will be completed by our successors.
GB3
Finally, it goes without saying that the flagship project where it concerns Youth Affairs, was the Get off the Block, Get on the Bus, Get Busy or GB3 project. The pilot project which ran for three months was an overwhelming success in terms of participation, motivation and awareness. However, we have had to take stock of the adjustments necessary to make it an ongoing project. For this purpose, we were in the process of project writing and staff recruitment. NAFls 200,000 has been allocated to it in the 2012 budget.
Of course, there are many more projects and policies in the proverbial pipeline. They were not clogged; they were making their way through the normal channels before they could surface as finished products. The new administration will have to decide what to do with them.
We have given it our best shot in the short time we have been privileged to serve. I stress "WE" because this has been a team effort. The real team, TEAM MECSY, did not need a calypsonian to first blast it and then present it to the people as the saviours of St. Martin on a Carnival stage.
Team MECSY consists of ALL members of the staff of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs, from the Secretary General to the janitor; from the section and division heads to the secretaries and receptionists. In 19 months, we held two retreats to regroup, rebuild, and replenish our spirits, while refocusing on our mission. We were energized, excited, and extremely driven by our passion to make our Ministry relevant to the needs and aspirations of our people. I cannot thank each and every one of these industrious workers enough. Nothing we achieved could have been done without your exemplary dedication, and commitment.
Personally, I will never forget this experience. Mrs. Claudette Forsythe-Labega, the Secretary General of the Ministry, thank you. I am proud to have been your student and even more proud to have had the privilege of working with you. I hope and pray that your knowledge and experience, your rekindled passion and excitement will continue to inspire the whole Ministry to reach for higher heights.
Mr. Quincy Harrigan, Mrs. Patricia Lourens, Mrs. Shermina Powell-Richardson and all the other pillars of the Ministry, I will continue to cherish your professionalism, your wisdom, and your unreserved cooperation during these last 19 months.
I want to express my gratitude to the WITU and its leadership, particularly its President, Mrs. Claire Elschot. As rough as we have had it at times, I firmly believe that a strong teachers union is the most reliable partner of the Ministry of Education. There is a lot of work to be done to improve teachers' welfare and professionalism, and I am confident that you will not relent in your efforts to make an effective contribution to the all-round improvement of education on St. Martin.
I also want to express my sincerest appreciation to the various school boards. Your enlightened leadership is a pre-requisite for the achievement of the lofty goals we have set for education on the island.
I have saved the best for last. My cabinet: Fabian, Calvin, Maria, Morenika, Gina, Natasha and Chesley, you were the wind beneath my sails throughout this unprecedented journey. I am grateful for your unconditional support, your tireless efforts, and your bright ideas. Above all, I cherish your candour and have the utmost respect for your professionalism. I am blessed to be able to count each of you as a true friend.
In closing, let me say I fully endorse the sentiments expressed by my colleague, Minister Franklin Meyers at his press conference yesterday. There was never any serious problem among the seven members of the Council of Ministers. Personally, I want to thank the three DP ministers I have had the honor to work with in the Council: Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams; former Minister Maria Buncamper-Molanus and Minister of Labor, Mr. Cornelius de Weever, both of whom served as my substitute whenever I was off island. I want to also thank Minister Roland Duncan, my former boss and of course, my UP colleague ministers, the Honorable Theodore Heyliger, Franklin Meyers and Hiroshi Shigemoto. It was great being the only female among a bunch of special guys.
I want to also thank my family, especially my mother, ma, thank you. My brothers, my children, all my friends and relatives who sometimes wanted to go out and defend me when the media was against me, thank you. There was no need for it then, and there is no need for it now.
Today you're down, tomorrow you're up; what goes down, must come UP: the UP party is certainly not out. We will continue to represent the people and provide alternative and real solutions to the challenges we face as a freedom-loving people. There is a time to come; and there is a time to go. Let me therefore leave you with two quotes I believe are appropriate in the present circumstances.
Franklin D. Roosevelt once said: "In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way." That is what happened with the so-called "Carnival Coup."
US Congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm, a role model as a female politician for me, said this: "At present, our country needs women's idealism and determination, perhaps more in politics than anywhere else." I couldn't agree more with her.
This has been a learning experience for me and the media has been a critical ally in that process that has kept me on my toes. A new sheriff is riding into town and I hope you will give her your fullest cooperation as you did with me.
I thank you all.

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten's newest soca artiste Roxanne "Roxxy" Webster has been nominated for the Best New Female Soca Artiste and Best New Music Video in the Caribbean awards in this year's tenth annual International Soca Awards, based in New York.

Roxxy launched her first official music video on YouTube in March, for her hit release "Delete." She has been receiving great feedback on her music track and video since then.

Roxxy was selected in the top six for New Female Soca Artiste and the top 10 for New Music Videos in the Caribbean. She is very excited to be nominated and is looking forward to attending this red-carpet event set to take place in Hollywood, California, in July. She thanked everyone who had made the music track, video and nomination possible, as she could not have done it without everyone's support and encouragement.

Check out the music video "Roxxy Delete" on YouTube, or visit her Facebook fan page "Roxxy." To vote for Roxxy, visit

www.socaawards.com/nominees and click on the big, red "vote" button, to begin selecting.

THE HAGUE--Implementing euthanasia legislation in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba as of October 10, 2012 is a "complex assignment," according to Dutch Minister of Public Health, Wellbeing and Sports Edith Schippers.

The regulations and meticulous application and reviewing of euthanasia are especially cumbersome, when considering that there will only be an estimated two or three cases per year on the three Dutch public entities.

Member of the Dutch Parliament's Second Chamber Cynthia Ortega-Martijn of the Christian Union (CU) is questioning whether it is all worth the effort. "Other things on the islands are more urgent. The Minister should take the time to implement this in a very careful way." She pointed out that people on the islands had a different opinion on life and death than people in The Netherlands.

Ortega-Martijn wondered whether doctors would be willing to cooperate in implementing this legislation, which the Dutch Parliament basically has forced on the islands. "In The Netherlands there are also doctors who refuse this, on grounds of conscience. What will the Minister do if doctors refuse on the islands? Or when there is no medical examiner? Will the patient then be put on a plane to The Netherlands?"

Minister Schippers sent a letter to the Second and First Chambers on Wednesday, in which she explained the procedure and regulations of euthanasia on the islands. She informed Parliament that euthanasia was a sensitive issue with very limited support on the islands.

For this reason, it is extra important that the implementation takes place with "extreme caution," so medical doctors will be able to handle conforming to the strict precision requirements in the law and that he or she will be reviewed as such.

The Minister defined the specific procedure which includes a number of steps in case a patient has clearly indicated that he or she no longer wants to live and suffer. The doctor who has performed euthanasia must immediately notify a medical examiner, who will review the body and determine the exact cause of death. Only after that, the Prosecutor will give permission for burial or cremation.

The reports of the doctor, medical examiner and an independent doctor will be sent to the Regional vetting committee in The Netherlands. The committee for the province North Holland is willing to handle the cases from the Caribbean Netherlands. The Prosecutor will be informed if the committee finds that the doctor didn't act in accordance with the requirements.

Doctors in the islands have limited knowledge in the area of palliative care and euthanasia. That is why the VUmc and AMC hospitals of Amsterdam will shortly start an educational course for all doctors in the islands. This module will include the broad area of palliative care, medical decisions surrounding euthanasia and terminal care.

A doctor has to consult an independent colleague in case of euthanasia. Bonaire already has several doctors who have been trained for this, at a specialised Dutch consultative organisation, but this is not the case in St. Eustatius and Saba. "A practical solution will have to be found for this by, for example, consulting a doctor from outside," stated Schippers.

The Executive Councils in the islands will have to appoint a medical examiner, who can examine the body of a euthanised person. Bonaire has indicated that it will be able to appoint such person before the law goes into effect on October 10, 2012. There are some practical problems in St. Eustatius and Saba, for which a solution will be sought together with the Dutch Ministry of Public Health, Wellbeing and Sports VWS.

The Minister admitted that euthanasia is a sensitive issue on the islands and that is why it is important to properly involve and inform the people on the implementation of this legislation. She has asked the Dutch Public Health Service GGD, if possible together with the Kingdom Service Caribbean Netherlands RCN, to inform the people. "Proper information will prevent much uncertainty and lack of understanding," she stated.

~ Declares for 2014 elections ~

PHILIPSBURG--Minister Franklin Meyers said on Wednesday that the real motives of the new, incoming government are to "fill their pockets, not serve the people of St. Maarten."

He said Members of Parliament (MPs) had been circulating rumours about self-enrichment of his family and challenged them to prove the rumours. He also requested that the media keep a keen eye on a US $100-million deal that had been offered to the government of St. Maarten for the acquisition of 49 per cent of American Eagle.

Meyers also declared himself a candidate for the 2014 Parliamentary elections and promised to "expose these people for exactly what they are."

"This new government won't last seven months," he told a press conference in Dr. A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall.

Speaking for the first time since United People's (UP) party Parliamentary group leader Romain Laville pulled his support and left the party, Meyers said his intention was to explain under what circumstances the UP Ministers had to work, with certain MPs making certain demands that eventually had sunk to the level of pettiness.

Meyers dismissed the picture that had been painted by Laville of Ministers who did not care for the people of St. Maarten, stating that the UP had worked hard for 18 months to stabilise a country in transition. He referred to Laville's remarks about improving St. Maarten for its people and he challenged the media reps at the press conference to name one piece of legislation Laville had produced to improve the lives of the people of St. Maarten.

Like his colleague Deputy Prime Minister Theo Heyliger, Meyers said his record spoke for itself and he would not allow any "Johnny-come-lately" to paint him as being uncaring for the people or a crook. No MP who withdrew his support for the UP government can tell the people of St. Maarten the real reason why he left, he said.

He said that had the country been in crisis, or had a budget not passed or had some other sort of negative government-related event occurred, "then we could say this government didn't live up to the hype. But the people in this new government are looking out for their own interest."

Government fell because of greed, Meyers continued. "And the people will see it. It will manifest itself. St. Maarten is heading into a dangerous phase."

He added that he had had to tolerate a lot of things during his tenure as Minister, "even if I didn't like it."

He said he had recognised the fact that he was an appointed Minister and had tried his best not to say anything that possibly would lead to a destabilisation of the coalition. "If I had defended myself, I would have been the scapegoat for the downfall of government. But I can defend myself now."

Accusations

It is no secret that "my better half" is Brenda Wathey, Meyers said, adding that over the past few months, certain MPs had been claiming that Wathey would be awarded certain contracts, including the cleaning and catering contracts at the airport and the taxi concession contract at the harbour.

"Myself and my family have been targeted," he said.

He then challenged MPs Roy Marlin, Leroy de Weever, Laville, Frans Richardson and Patrick Illidge to prove "all the things they've been saying about Brenda and myself." If they say it publicly," he stressed, "I will take them to court."

American Eagle

Meyers requested that the media keep a keen eye on the aftermath of a recent presentation made to government by the Batiste Group led by Craig Batiste, which is seeking a US $100-million injection from government for the acquisition of American Eagle. St. Maarten in turn would control 49 per cent of the company.

He said while it was not a proposal that he would ever entertain, simply because St. Maarten doesn't have that kind of money and it would bankrupt a small island nation, there were MPs in the background "pushing to get it done."

He said if it ever was done, the media should ask where the money was coming from and where it would be going. He did not offer any additional details.

Regarding other actions by MPs, Meyers said "nowhere in the world" did MPs walk into a Minister's office to inform the Minister that a meeting had been set up with third parties that would require the Minister and the MP to travel and meet with these third parties.

"Had I gone to some of those meetings, they would have jeopardised government and my name," he said, explaining that this was a mere indication of the environment in which Ministers had to work, with MPs making demands.

Laville

As for Laville's contention that the people of St. Maarten could not relate to flying abroad and attending and betting on a boxing match, Meyers said: "Guilty!" He said he had travelled to see a fight last year, at his own expense and not first class.

"But the people of St. Maarten also cannot relate to going to Tantra night club every weekend and spending US $1,500 in the VIP section," Meyers said, not indicating to whom he was referring.

He chided Laville for sending what he said was the wrong message to young people: a message of limiting themselves. "There is no shame in success; I've said this before. It's okay for the Indians, Arabs and Chinese to have success and a big house, but the minute a local person has a big house, it's 'Where he get that money?'" Meyers said.

"Our people can't be successful?" he asked.

Meyers said he wished to remind Laville that he was "a real Sucker Garden man," having moved from Pelican to Sucker Garden, built Melford Hazel Sports Complex and established his business in the district. "My record speaks for itself."

Moving forward

Meyers said the UP would transition into a two-year campaign mode after he and Heyliger returned from a planned trip overseas.

He also said the party had not had discussions about any MP about giving up his or her seat so that Heyliger could assume it in Parliament.

Meyers added that the UP would also look inwards and evaluate.

PHILIPSBURG--Two men accused of burglaries at homes and businesses were sentenced to lengthy sentences, on Wednesday.

The Court of First Instance sentenced Bryan Henson (28) to five years, one of which was suspended, on two years' probation.

Felix Denis Lopez (30) received 41 months, eight of which were suspended, on two years' probation for these crimes. In another case involving several burglaries at homes, which was also heard Wednesday, Denis Lopes was sentenced to 18 months, four of which were suspended, on two years' probation.

In the first case, which was heard on April 19, Prosecutor Marleen Overmeer had requested the court to impose five years and six months on Henson, and to sentence Denis Lopes to four years and six months.

The two had been charged initially with having committed four burglaries and one attempted burglary, between January 12 and January 31. They were also charged with possession of a firearm, theft of a Police Walkie Talkie, and membership in a criminal organisation.

Judge Monique Keppels found it legally and convincingly proven that both men had taken jewellery and electronic devices from two homes on Cordia Road, in Betty's Estate.

It was also found proven that both had been involved in the January 23 burglary at Caribbean Gems, during which a considerable amount of jewellery was stolen. Both men were also convicted of membership in a criminal organisation.

Henson was also found guilty of the January 19 burglary of Cash for Gold, during which cash and jewellery with an estimated total value of US $9,000 was stolen.

The judge also found it proven that he had attempted to burglarise Philipsburg Liquor Store on January 31, had violated the Fire Weapon Ordinance, and had embezzled a Police radio that belonged to his father, who is a senior Police officer.

Denis Lopez was also found guilty of a burglary at Hope Estate, on November 17, 2010, during which a safe, jewellery, watches, a PlayStation with games, a camera and petty cash were stolen.

He received a one-month reduction on his sentence, because he was illegally detained for one day.

Denis Lopez may be considered a professional burglar. Shortly after he heard the judge pronounce the judgement in the first case, he was heard in a second case, concerning five other burglaries. These were committed between November 2011 and the day of his arrest, on March 31.

The suspect generally confessed to the crimes, stating it was difficult to remember all the various incidents.

Prosecutor Bart den Hartigh said four burglaries could be proven. He dropped one charge, because the paperwork was incorrect. He asked for two years.

Judge Monique Keppels sentenced Denis Lopes to 18 months, four of which were suspended, on two years' probation for these four burglaries. Therefore he will have to sit out almost four years in total.

MARIGOT--Investigators probing into the cause of last Saturday's fatal crash of a medivac plane on its way to Martinique, said at a press conference on Monday that the investigation can take from 12 to 18 months to complete.

The investigation is being handled by air crash specialists of Bureau Enquête Analyse (BEA) of the French Civil Aviation Authority and Groupement Transports Aériens (GTA) of the Gendarmerie. Prosecutor Jacques Louvier has also opened a judicial enquiry for involuntary homicide. He has asked his counterparts on the Dutch side to assist as the medical evacuation originated on the Dutch side.

Much of the wreckage and many body parts have already been recovered and the business of identifying the victims through DNA is expected to take some time to complete. GTA indicated the objective is to piece together all the parts of the plane at a special centre near Paris.

GTA investigators noted there can be a number of causes that could account for the crash. These include a mechanical breakdown, a bird strike, bad weather, the pilot becoming sick or having a heart attack, and sabotage.

Lieutenant Philippe Molé of GTA said, "A catastrophe is rarely the result of one element, but usually the result of several factors contributing to the disaster. An engine malfunction in itself is not the only reason for a crash, as pilots are trained to deal with that scenario."

Investigators will also be looking into the background of the pilot, his experience, and health records. The same applies to the Piper Cheyenne plane, reportedly 30 years old. It was noted, however, that the age of the plane does not necessarily mean it is a risk if it is properly maintained and inspected. The plane's maintenance records will be closely scrutinised.

Due to the salvage operation, a one kilometre exclusion zone has been placed around Tintamarre Island forbidding any anchorage of boats or sightseers. A military vessel has been patrolling behind Green Cay enforcing the order.

Marine Trades Association Métimer is hoping the Préfet will lift the order by this Saturday to allow some 200 students to enjoy a discovery day of sailing, swimming, and snorkelling on Tintamarre, as part of this weekend's Fete du Nautisme.

THE HAGUE--Pueblo Soberano (PS) Party Leader Helmin Wiels has threatened the Curaçao newspaper Antilliaans Dagblad. Member of the Dutch Parliament Second Chamber Martijn van Dam of the Labour Party PvdA is not amused. He wants the Kingdom Government to issue a warning to Curaçao that restricting freedom of the press is "unacceptable."

Wiels said in a radio interview on Tuesday that Antilliaans Dagblad Editor-in-Chief Mike Willemse should be "arrested" and "handcuffed," because of earlier publications in the newspaper about the intervention by Curaçao Minister of Justice Elmer "Kadè" Wilsoe, in the investigation of lottery owner Robbie Dos Santos and the crisis of confidence between Wilsoe and Attorney General Dick Piar.

According to Wiels, the newspaper and its management should be "prosecuted for releasing this dangerous information." Asked whether this was not a matter of freedom of the press, he said: "This has nothing to do with freedom of the press, but with terrorism."

Stunned by these remarks, Member of Parliament Van Dam on Wednesday submitted written questions to Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Liesbeth Spies. He wants to know what she thinks of Wiels' statement and in what light one should see this statement on the freedom of the press. "Do you share the view that these kinds of statements can undermine freedom of the press?"

Van Dam criticised the "far-reaching intimidation" of the press by some Curaçao politicians. He asked the Minister what she thought of earlier incidents, in which the Curaçao coalition parties had tried to intimidate the media in Curacao, because they didn't like media reports on their behaviour.

According to Van Dam, freedom of the press and a critical press are of essential importance for the functioning of a democratic state of law. In his opinion, media should be free, in a democratic state of law, to publish critical articles about the practices of politicians and rulers of a country.

"Can we still speak of a free and independent press, if the media continue to be harassed and intimidated by the Curaçao Government? What does this mean for the state of law in Curacao?" Van Dam asked Spies.

In Van Dam's opinion, the Kingdom Council of Ministers should get involved, because it has a responsibility to protect freedom of the press, in light of Article 43 of the Kingdom Charter, which states that the guaranteeing of fundamental human rights, freedom, legal security and proper governance is a matter of the Kingdom.

"Are you willing to inform the Curaçao Government that freedom of the press is of essential importance and that is why restricting freedom of the press is unacceptable within the Kingdom?" asked Van Dam, who wanted to know which sanctions the Kingdom Council of Ministers would impose, if the Curaçao Government didn't change its course.

Wilsoe (PS) and Antilliaans Dagblad have been in a back-and-forth since late last week, when the newspaper published a front-page story on the intervention by the Justice Minister in the "Bientu" (Wind) criminal investigation, in which Dos Santos is a key suspect.

According to the newspaper, Wilsoe sent a letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and US Attorney General Eric Holder, on April 25, with the request to lift the lien on the accounts of Dos Santos at the UBS bank in Miami, Florida. Wilsoe initially denied that he had intervened in the criminal investigation by sending a letter to Washington. "I cannot intervene and that is not my task," he said last week Friday.

However, Wilsoe's letter, which was obtained by the media in Curaçao, showed that the Minister had indeed submitted a formal request to Washington to remove the lien on Dos Santos' bank accounts. On the request of Curaçao justice authorities, US authorities had frozen the bank credits of about US $46 million at two of Dos Santos' companies in the US.

Wilsoe sent the letter via the US Consulate in Willemstad and not via the regular channel, namely the local Attorney General and the Prosecutor's Office. On Tuesday, Wilsoe said he personally had gotten involved in the case against Dos Santos, because of a conflict of trust that he has with Attorney General Piar.

WILLEMSTAD--Curaçao's Minister of Justice Elmer "Kade" Wilsoe (PS) asked for the direct interference of American authorities in the criminal investigation against lottery boss Robbie dos Santos, who is suspected of committing fraud with number tickets, money-laundering and tax evasion.

After Wilsoe's April 25 letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Attorney General Eric Holder leaked out, it turned out that the minister's request hadn't offered complete information on the case either.

Earlier, Wilsoe had refused to comment to the Amigoe newspaper on the letter regarding content, labelling it "internal correspondence." After publication of the letter in Antilliaans Dagblad, the minister convened a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

In it, he argued that as the one with final political responsibility, he had to see to it that justice was done. He said he had been forced to ask the Americans to lift the liens on the suspect's personal accounts in the US, because the local Prosecutor's Office had refused to carry out an April 4 court order to that effect.

He said he had made a "formal request" to have a judge's sentence honoured. "The letter was intended to remove the erroneous perception created in the US that there is a court decision the prosecutor may ignore, which cannot be the case," explained Wilsoe.

The minister said he was authorised to do so based on the "Treaty for Mutual Assistance" between the Dutch Kingdom and the US. He added that – then-Antillean – Justice Minister Suzy Camelia-Romer had given the Attorney General the mandate to request law enforcement assistance, in 1993, but Wilsoe had now withdrawn this mandate.

"Any public administrator can withdraw mandates; you need to have control. You need to have confidence and monitor that what you have others do is also done according to your guidelines. That was not the case with the lien on the Dos Santos' accounts.

"The Prosecutor's Office is one of the pillars of judicial power, but it is not infallible. As Justice Minister, I am responsible for the perception that we live in a constitutional state.

"There is a confidence break between me and the Attorney General of the Prosecutor's Office, but I hope this is the beginning of returning to a cooperation based on trust," the minister stated.

Wilsoe had sent the controversial letter on April 25. He literally wrote: "By this letter, I am formally requesting that the Department of Justice withdraws its motion to amend the restraining order against Ponsford Overseas Ltd. and Tula Finance Ltd."

Simply put, the minister is asking Clinton and Holder to lift the attachment on the bank accounts of Dos Santos, in America. It involves an amount of almost US $30 million.

It now turns out that Wilsoe made more than one request to the American Department of Justice, besides giving the authorities in the US incomplete information. "I further request that the Department of Justice instruct the District Court that it is the position of the Curaçao Government that the April 4, 2012 order of the Court of First Instance of Curaçao be honoured and that the seizure be lifted."

With this, Wilsoe not only asks Holder to interfere in a criminal case in which Curaçao, through the Prosecutor, requested legal assistance from the US, but also forgets –intentionally or unintentionally – to report that the local Court of First Instance decided that the attachment on the American bank accounts of three suspected legal bodies in the "Bientu-case" still stands.

By authority of an examining magistrate, the Prosecutor had first placed an attachment on three bank accounts under the name of Dos Santos, in July last year. The lien on the accounts of the corporations had followed later on. The first attachment was lifted on April 4, but the second attachment remained.

In a third request, which seems more like a direct instruction to the American authorities, Wilsoe wrote that no further attachments may be placed on the bank accounts of Ponsford Overseas Ltd. and Tula Finance Ltd., without his prior consent: "Furthermore, no further seizure may be put in place concerning these companies' assets in the United States, without prior written authorisation of the Minister of Justice."

As reported earlier, it wasn't until one week after the letter was sent that Attorney General Dick Piar received a copy. Although the minister is free to make a request, it's highly unusual to interfere with a criminal investigation.

The attorney general has been under political pressure for a good length of time, regarding the Bientu case. Amigoe reported on April 7 that ministers George "Jorge" Jamaloodin (MFK) and Carlos Monk (PS) had had a conspicuous conversation on the case with Piar.

The Netherlands was surprised to learn about the request. Outgoing ministers Liesbeth Spies of Kingdom Relations and Uri Rosenthal of Foreign Affairs have already sent Wilsoe a letter seeking clarification.

Andre Bosman (VVD) and Ineke van Gent (GroenLinks) don't exactly find Wilsoe's request a mark of integrity.

Bas Jan van Bochove (CDA) described it as conspicuous. For that matter, he also thought it strange that the Parliament of Curaçao hadn't immediately requested that Wilsoe clarify his request.

Dutch Parliament Second Chamber member Eric Lucassen (PVV) wanted to know whether the request had been sent with consent of the Dutch Government and if Wilsoe had been authorised to make such a request.

Meanwhile, there are calls for Wilsoe's resignation. In his blog, lawyer Karel Frieling of Spigthoff Attorneys wrote, "The Minister of Justice of Curaçao should step down." According to Frielink, the minister wrongfully interfered in the criminal investigation and then lied about it.

PHILIPSBURG--The Court of First Instance sentenced a 16-year-old boy on Wednesday to a suspended prison sentence, community service and supervision by the Court of Guardianship. The teenager received this penalty for theft with violence of three mobile phones, and one other attempt of theft, all within a four-month timeframe.

Prosecutor Bart den Hartigh said during the court hearing that the young man had also been held for theft in the past. "But he is always pointing at somebody else...Apparently it is difficult for him to realise that he has done something wrong," the Prosecutor said.

The young man had told the Court of Guardianship that things had taken a wrong turn in his life after the death of his father.

The Prosecutor said he was concerned about the youngster's future, and wanted to give him another chance. He therefore formulated a demand aimed at preventing recidivism.

In the Prosecutor's opinion, the sentence should consist of a one-year suspended prison sentence. He further recommended guidance by the Court of Guardianship, to include psychological and psychiatric aid, as well as training by Victorious Living Foundation.

The Prosecutor also asked the judge to impose 240 hours of community service to provide the defendant with meaningful day activities.

Attorney-at-law Geert Hatzmann claimed his client's detention had been against the Rights of the Child, which prohibit the detention of minors among adult detainees.

Due to the fact that St. Maarten does not have a youth detention facility, his client was locked up among adult thieves, rapists and murderers, said Hatzmann. The lawyer said this was an "embarrassing situation," and a "show of government's incompetence" in this area.

The Prosecutor countered that the government of the former Netherlands Antilles had indeed signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child, but had made a reservation where the detention of juvenile criminals was concerned because such a facility did not exist.

Admitting that the situation concerning the detention of suspects in St. Maarten is "bad", Den Hartigh pointed to the fact that certain cells at the new wing of the Philipsburg Police Station have, in the meantime, been specifically designated for the detention of juveniles.

Judge Monique Keppels found the suspect guilty as charged, and sentenced him according to the Prosecutor's demand.

HARBOUR VIEW--Governor Eugene Holiday wrapped up the first day of consultations to arrive at the formation of a new cabinet, on Wednesday. The talks continue today, Thursday.

The Governor spoke with Advisory Council Vice Chairman Mavis Brooks-Salmon, President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell and National Alliance leader William Marlin, in the morning.

The consultations in the afternoon were with Member of Parliament (MP) of the United People's (UP) party Silvia Olivacce-Meyers, Democratic Party fraction leader MP Roy Marlin, UP leader Theo Heyliger and independent MPs Frans Richardson, Patrick Illidge and Romain Laville.

Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams handed in her Cabinet's resignation to Holiday on Tuesday afternoon, after she had received the official resignation from all ministers. The letter will also be forwarded to Parliament.

The letter signals the end of the UP/Democratic Party (DP) coalition that has been in office for the past 19 months. The cabinet comprises the four UP members Deputy Prime Minister/Infrastructure Minister Theo Heyliger (UP leader), Tourism and Economic Affairs Minister Franklin Meyers (UP president), Finance Minister Hiro Shigemoto and Education and Culture Minister Rhoda Arrindell; and Justice Minister Roland Duncan, Health and Labour Minister Cornelius de Weever and Wescot-Williams.

The UP/DP coalition lost its majority in Parliament, when UP fraction leader MP Romain Laville resigned from the party. Laville together with independent MP Patrick Illidge and MPs Roy Marlin and Leroy de Weever (DP) withdrew their support from the coalition, in an April 30 letter to Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams.

Subsequently, a letter was submitted on May 2 to the governor, informing him of the composition of the proposed new government which will be supported by 10 MPs. The letter also gave an outline of the portfolio division agreed to by NA, DP and the three independent MPs.

The candles are produced in the candle Factory of the Mental Health Foundation and are available in various shapes, colors and sizes. Although the candles are already designed, you can still customize them by adding a name or date. This year, there are special "Light in a Martini Glass" candles which will be on sale for US 7 dollars. The candles can also be wrapped on site.

The Candle Factory falls under the Faraja care-product and since 2007 has been the largest community outreach - based project at the Foundation which showcases the skills of participating clients and staff. In addition, the project serves as a means of income as well as a job training program to many of the unemployed clients.

If you or your organization is interested celebrating Nurse's Day or Mother's Day by purchasing any of our candles you may stop by the Mental Health Foundation between: 8am and 4:30pm
At Leopard road #1 Cay Hill, The Faraja Entrance or
Call us at 542-1677 Ext: 516 and ask to speak to Benjamin or Gladys.

The new policy is effective immediately.

The purpose of the 2012 policy is to regulate general and beach vending activities on St. Maarten. The revised beach policy of January 2012 replaces all former policies.

The following changes were made: increase the allowable number of permits in the "Great Bay" area for motorized water vehicles from six to nine; increase the allowable number of permits in the "Great Bay" area for non-motorized water vehicles from two to four.

Copies of the policy in its entirety may be obtained via the Government website www.sintmaartengov.org under "What's New."

Hardcopies may also be obtained at the DIV, formerly known as General Affairs, at the Government Administration Building and the Department of Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunications, at Juancho Yrausquin Boulevard #6 (1st floor) during office hours.

The nominating committee of the 10th Annual International Soca Awards, based in New York, has recently informed Roxxy of her nomination for awards in the categories of "Best New Female Soca Artist" and "Best New Music Video" in the Caribbean for 2012.

Roxxy was selected in the top 6 for new female soca artists and top 10 for new music videos in the Caribbean. Roxanne is very excited to be nominated and is looking forward to attending this red carpet event in Hollywood, California in July 2012.

She would like to thank everyone who made the music track, video, and nomination possible; she couldn't have done it without everyone's support and encouragement.

Check out the music video on YouTube "ROXXY DELETE" or visit her Facebook fan page "ROXXY". She would like to ask everyone to support her by going to www.SOCAAWARDS.COM/NOMINEES and voting for ROXXY by clicking the big red vote button to begin selecting.

For information on the Mother's Day Karaoke Festival/Dance Party, please contact Helena Richardson 556 4740 or Linda Richardson at 554 6979, or per email at: richniel@sintmaarten.net or globalprofservices@yahoo.com.

PHILIPSBURG--The police and Prosecutor's Office have decided to resume the investigation on the Afoo Supermarket robbery and murder that took place on December 30, 2009.

Afoo Supermarket in Dutch Quarter was robbed around 8:00pm by four armed individuals. During the robbery, manager Eric Yuan Sam was shot dead by the perpetrators. They fled the scene running through the bushes behind the supermarket.

A major investigation was launched following the murder, during which many suspects were arrested and many searches were performed. However, the case could not be resolved and as a result the investigation was halted in 2010.

Afoo Group issued a US $20,000 reward for information that would lead to the resolution of the case and the reward is still in effect. The police are appealing to the community to help solve this crime.

There were many customers in the supermarket at the time of the robbery/murder. They saw the perpetrators and perhaps heard them speak. The police believe they must have information that can be used to identify these perpetrators.

Images of the perpetrators were captured on surveillance cameras and have been made public in the hope that one or more persons would recognise them.

The police are urging those who were in the supermarket at the time or in the area to come forward with any information by calling the hotline assigned specifically for this case: 553-1522. All calls will be confidential.

HARBOUR VIEW--Governor Eugene Holiday will start a two-day consultation on the formation of the new government and Council of Ministers today, Wednesday, according to a press release issued by his cabinet on Tuesday.

His consultations have become necessary because Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams submitted the resignation of the current United People's (UP) party-Democratic Party (DP) cabinet on Tuesday afternoon.

Holiday called on the seven ministers and the Minister Plenipotentiary in The Hague to continue their duties, in the interest of St. Maarten, and to continue working with him until a decision has been taken concerning their resignation.

The consultations will take place together with Advisory Council Vice Chairwoman Mavis Brooks-Salmon, President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell and leaders of all political parties that won seats in Parliament in the September 2010 election.

The UP/DP coalition lost its majority in Parliament due to political shakeups in the past week (see related story).

MARIGOT--The Coordination of Northern Islands Hospital Physicians based at Louis-Constant Fleming Hospital expressed its profound sadness, Tuesday, over the fatal air crash that occurred in the early hours of last week Saturday morning, claiming four lives, but called it "an accident waiting to happen."

The group said three of the victims were colleagues who were well-known to them.

The Gendarmerie meanwhile indicated Tuesday that there was no further news to report, as an investigation into the cause of the accident was continuing. The investigation is being conducted by air crash specialists from France, attached to the Gendarmerie.

Commandant Brunet said body parts retrieved from the wreckage site were being analysed to positively identify the victims. The plane wreckage is expected to be brought to the surface by the end of this week.

The Piper Cheyenne III of Transports Aériens Intercaraïbes (TAI) crashed into the sea between Orient Bay and Tintamarre Island, Saturday at 2:38am, shortly after take-off from Grand Case Airport, while on a private Medivac flight to Martinique.

The victims were Dr. Jean-Michel Dudoit, Nurse Gerard Omere, Pilot Bruno Le Jeune, and the patient Panagiotis Vryonides.

According to reports, the aircraft originally scheduled to make the flight – a TC Air King Air 90 – had been sent from Martinique to Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA), to pick up the patient from St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC), but could not take off due to a mechanical problem.

The Medivac plane of Jet Budget at PJIA is under contract to Louis-Constant Fleming Hospital, but Jet Budget said Tuesday, "[Our-Ed.] priority is to have our aircraft available for flight for the hospitals on both sides of the island, which we have contractual agreements with."

Jet Budget had also recommended on two occasions that the patient be taken to the L.C. Fleming Hospital to be stabilised overnight first, before the transfer could be carried out.

The TAI plane was eventually used. And, according to Chairman of SMMC Board of Directors Dr. George Scot, "The insurance company of the patient is responsible for arranging transportation to the receiving hospital. In most cases, insurance companies have their own contract with the air ambulance services and hospitals in the region."

Prior to winning the bid as official carrier for Louis-Constant Fleming Hospital, Jet Budget was being used by the hospital after it had terminated its contract with TAI, in September 2011. TAI subsequently sued the hospital.

The physicians group at Louis-Constant Fleming Hospital refused to work with TAI last year, because of what the group considered TAI's poor track record. It said TAI's service did not comply with up-to-date requirements regarding medical evacuation of critically ill patients and that TAI's timeworn and poorly equipped aircraft offered "precarious transportation conditions."

The group said TAI planes are operated by a single pilot, a practice which does not conform to the highest safety standard, for in an emergency situation, two pilots are preferable to prevent any by-passing or omission of important cockpit checks.

It said that by contrast, the Jet Budget plane is operated by two pilots and it is pressurised, fast and fully-equipped to the best air ambulance standards.

The physicians group also said it was not only saddened by the tragic accident, but it was dismayed that TAI was still being allowed to carry out evacuations and that a judge had concluded on January 5, 2012 that "TAI is recognised as putting patients and medical teams in danger."

It said that despite two subsequent letters it had sent warning health authority Agence Regional de la Santé (ARS) in Guadeloupe to stop using TAI, no action had been taken. The group contended further that "higher powers" in the Civil Aviation Authority continued to support TAI.

Meanwhile, the Gendarmerie appealed Tuesday to witnesses or anyone with further information that can assist in the crash investigation to call the free number 17 or tel. (0590) 52-30-17.

PHILIPSBURG--All Members of Parliament (MPs) present for Tuesday's Central Committee meeting are in agreement about making Emancipation Day July 1 a public holiday, based on a draft ordinance presented by Education and Culture Minister Rhoda Arrindell (United People's (UP) party).

The MPs will have to work speedily to adopt the ordinance in a plenary session of Parliament, to make this a reality by July 1. After the adoption of the ordinance, it will have to be published before it can take effect.

President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell (UP) said she would work to have the ordinance handled as soon as possible. The need for a swift handling was outlined to MPs during an adjournment, by government legal advisor M. van Rooij.

Several MPs pointed out that it was not enough to just make the day a holiday without teaching the people their history and the meaningfulness of celebrating the day.

Suggestions for a change of the curriculum to include local history and for "a real celebration" on July 1 were made by MPs.

Minister Rhoda Arrindell said in her introduction that the adoption of the ordinance would make St. Maarten the first country within the Dutch Kingdom to formally recognise this historic day. It is "not only the right thing to do for history," but as "an important cornerstone" for the country, to make the day a holiday.

Making the day a holiday would not only honour the memory of those who suffered and lived in slavery, it would also send a signal that slavery would never be allowed again, she added.

Delving into events locally and regionally that led to the abolition of slavery, Minister Arrindell said slave owners in St. Maarten had been paid NAf. 100 per slave for their loss, to compensate for the loss of labour due to emancipation. That amount was far less than what was paid for slaves in Curaçao and Suriname (then still part of the Dutch Kingdom).

The slaves and their descendants were "never paid one cent for their forced labour" and this was why the call for reparation will continue to be made, she added.

The minister's presentation was opened by Bob Marley's Redemption Song sung a cappella by Morenika Arrindell.

Independent MP Romain Laville said that despite emancipation, "we are still not free ... we are still under our former slave masters and their children."

Emancipation can never truly come if independence is not addressed, said MP Louie Laveist (NA), but he made it clear that he was not calling for independence. The day would not be meaningful "unless we make it meaningful." He also questioned if a budget amendment would be presented to Parliament to shift funds to organise a celebration and how much such a venture would cost.

MP William Marlin (NA) outlined his efforts to make the day a holiday, dating to 1994, when entering government at that time. While the proposal was supported locally, it did not get sufficient backing in the then-Parliament of the Netherlands Antilles. He said there was support for Arrindell's draft, but "we can't simply adopt it for the sake of adopting another day, if we do not educate our people in the real reason for the celebration."

St. Patrick's Day and Halloween – days with no significance to St. Maarten and its culture and heritage – are observed annually, Marlin said. He was also critical about casinos, in particular, making their staff wear costumes on those days.

MP Roy Marlin (DP) said the former Netherlands Antilles had never taken the step to make July 1 a holiday, despite the calls from St. Maarten. "We celebrate Queen's Birthday, Remembrance Day ..., but we fail to recognise this day." He was critical about the ordinance only now being presented to Parliament, saying that it should have been done before July 2011, "but better late than never."

MP Johan Leonard and Dr. Ruth Douglass (UP) said the people needed to be educated about the day. Leonard criticised other MPs who had been in government previously and had been in a position to make the day a holiday, but hadn't pursued it like Arrindell.

MP Silvia Meyers-Olivacce (UP) said all the types of slavery dating back to that which the Amerindians suffered must be remembered. She too called for a celebration of the day "in a meaningful and forceful way."

MPs Patrick Illidge (independent), Dr. Lloyd Richardson and George Pantophlet (NA) called for the struggles of the slaves to be recognised and for a stance to be taken that slavery is an atrocity that must not be repeated.

Politics of the day did creep into the discussion, with MP Jules James saying that the ancestors strove to be "like wolves" and "everyone didn't strive to be the leader." He added that the forefathers had looked at what was best for the pack, but today the good of all was being sabotaged for personal gain.

MPs also agreed in the meeting for MP Dr. Lloyd Richardson to sign on behalf of the country for the establishment of the network of the Cooperative Parliamentarians of the Americas, during the second cooperative summit of the Americas in Panama, at the end of May.

MP Hyacinth Richardson (NA) was absent from the meeting, due to the passing of his mother Jane Eliza Richardson-Proctor, on Monday. MPs expressed their condolences during the session.

MP Leroy de Weever was absent with notice.

TEXAS--NuStar is considering a smaller expansion project, possibly at another location in St. Eustatius.

That is the word from NuStar management. In a written statement sent to The Daily Herald, NuStar confirmed that the company had withdrawn its request for a building permit to expand the terminal with some 30 tanks in The Farm area. This newspaper reported on the withdrawal of the building permit request in Tuesday's edition.

"It is with profound disappointment that we announce that several issues have arisen recently which have impacted the costs associated with the proposed expansion project. This has made the project economically unfeasible," stated management.

"The good news is that there is an opportunity for a smaller expansion, possibly in an alternate location. Given this turn of events, we have withdrawn the building permit application that we previously submitted to the government since a new permit would be required if we move forward with the smaller expansion."

According to management, discussions are "underway" for "another potential expansion" in St. Eustatius that would be smaller than the Cul de Sac project. This project would confirm an "important part of the terminal's continued growth and success" and would further increase NuStar's ability to invest in the island.

Management assured that St. Eustatius remained a "highly strategic location" for NuStar and that the company would "continue to pursue opportunities to invest in and expand the terminal in ways that are beneficial to the island and to NuStar." The statement mentioned the US $50 million water distillation expansion project currently being executed and nearing completion.

Management said it would continue to cooperate with St. Eustatius and its government. "As we did throughout this process, we will continue working to ensure that we have open and honest communications with the community and government. NuStar appreciates the support of our employees, the Island Government and other community supporters as we worked to develop our proposed Cul de Sac expansion project."

~ Says UP always will be for the people ~

PHILIPSBURG--United People's (UP) party leader Theo Heyliger accused newly independent Member of Parliament (MP) Romain Laville on Tuesday of "betrayal" and promised that he would continue to serve the people of St. Maarten as he has been doing for more than a decade.

The UP leader's remarks were made in an interview with The Daily Herald Tuesday night in which he broke his long public silence about recent developments in the political arena that have led to the collapse of the UP/Democratic Party (DP)/Patrick Illidge coalition government.

He said that while he knew "the game of politics," he "would never have expected this type of betrayal" from Laville, who was leader of the UP Parliamentary group but who resigned from the UP recently, declared himself an independent MP and announced his support for a new coalition government to be led by the National Alliance.

Heyliger said all men and women were free to choose their own paths and should do so on their guiding principles, but the reasons for leaving the UP outlined by Laville to the public of St. Maarten painted a false picture of the green party and of himself and the other UP Ministers as public servants.

He said if Laville was conflicted over the reasons he had left the UP, he should not have denigrated hard-working public servants and used them as excuses to sell his story.

"I have known Mr. Laville since he was a teenager. The first time was when he participated in the Youth Island Council meeting. I helped the teenager Laville to prepare for such, of which he even publicly thanked me.

"Laville and I stayed in touch as he became involved with various youth groups. During this time, I became very good friends with his father Mr. Joe Laville, who actually built the house I presently live in. I helped Mr. Laville with his summer jobs at the harbour. ... He eventually got a scholarship and returned and got a permanent job at the harbour.

"In 2010, Mr. Laville ran on the UP list and received 186 votes – close to 1,000 votes is needed for a seat. Mr. Laville became an MP on behalf of the votes that his fellow candidates mustered – the same candidates he has thrown under the bus. He did not get preferential votes. As a matter of fact a far cry from that. He then became faction leader."

In countering one of Laville's main contentions for leaving the UP, his impression that only certain people could get ahead under the UP government, Heyliger said that several of the people who were employed with the UP government were directly connected to Laville.

"Mr. Hiro Shigemoto, who was the treasurer of Mr. Laville's campaign committee, became Minister of Finance. His campaign manager was appointed as a faction worker to the UP. My executive secretary was an avid supporter of Mr. Laville. Many associates of Mr. Laville have been helped and received work from this government," Heyliger said.

Heyliger said it should never have been about who had gotten what, but rather about having patience and perseverance and realising that government is about rules that must be followed.

"Mr. Laville was part of the governing faction for only about two years – that was the scope of his political life – but expected everything to happen as he demanded and on his time clock," Heyliger said.

"It has been the party's policy to have every Minister appoint a young party candidate to his or her cabinet to get experience. Mr. Laville had access to four ministers at all times and was faction leader. Now today he is saying not to expect much from the new government."

Regarding what is now widely referred to as the "Pelican" affair, Heyliger said Laville conveniently neglected to recognise that as soon as the Pelican case arose, he (Heyliger), Minister Franklin Meyers, Workers Institute for Organised Labour (WIFOL) and Pelican officials had spent an entire day working on a solution that had kept more than 146 workers in place.

"Everyone conveniently forgets this. We were the party that immediately tried to salvage that situation for the workers, before it ended up in court. Mr. Laville's statements that we should have done this and that from early shows wilful ignorance or a disturbing lack of understanding of what was happening, as a faction leader," Heyliger said. He said the UP government had worked on bringing in international brand Hard Rock to buy the resort. "All of this Mr. Laville has forgotten," Heyliger said.

On work for the "Sucker Garden Boys," Heyliger said his track record of providing work for the young men in districts spoke for itself. He said Laville should be reminded that years before he had started his political career, contractors had been obliged, through contractual agreements, to hire young men from whichever district they were executing work for government. "My record speaks for itself: St. Peters, Dutch Quarter and Middle Region, to name a few."

On Laville's Neighbourhood Maintenance project, the Heyliger said: "I told him we had to wait for the budget 2012 to be passed, as it had to be done right. He vehemently was against the law of accountability and public bidding and told me to make it happen. Again I looked at this as inexperience and tried to explain [to] him how government operates and to have patience."

Heyliger said he didn't have to defend what he had done for the everyday citizen Joe and Jane; he didn't have to apply fanfare or run in front of the camera to show that he helped people. However, he said for Laville to paint him as someone above and beyond the people, knowing how he had worked on behalf of the people, was disingenuous at best and insulting at worst.

In concluding the interview, Heyliger added: "Mr. Laville talks about not letting his surroundings change him, yet it was these surroundings that gave him the opportunities and platform to be the activist that he is. He talks about David slaying Goliath, but there is another biblical story, more about betrayal, that applies best to his personal story.

"The UP party has served the people of St. Maarten diligently and will continue to do so. Mr. Laville and his impatient, emotional mischaracterisations and contradictions that expose his own motives will not stand in the way of that fact.

"On behalf of the UP, I thank the people of St. Maarten for their support and understanding, and assure you that we will continue to work on your behalf."

PHILIPSBURG--Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams handed in her Cabinet's resignation to Governor Eugene Holiday at 5:00pm on Tuesday, after having received the official resignation from all ministers. The letter will also be forwarded to Parliament.

The letter signals the end of the United People's (UP) party-Democratic Party (DP) coalition that has been in office for the past 19 months. The cabinet comprises the four UP members Deputy Prime Minister/Infrastructure Minister Theo Heyliger (UP leader), Tourism and Economic Affairs Minister Franklin Meyers (UP president), Finance Minister Hiro Shigemoto, Education and Culture Minister Rhoda Arrindell, Justice Minister Roland Duncan, Health and Labour Minister Cornelius de Weever and Wescot-Williams.

The four UP party members had already submitted a joint resignation letter to Governor Eugene Holiday on Tuesday morning, after the party had been pushed into the opposition, having lost majority support in Parliament. Their resignations will be take effectiy, May 12.

The cabinet resignation came on the same day that several Members of Parliament (MPs) supporting what would become the new National Alliance (NA)-led coalition signed off on a letter requesting a meeting of Parliament to discuss the current political developments. Requested on Tuesday afternoon, that meeting should be called in the coming days.

The UP-DP coalition lost its majority in Parliament when UP fraction leader MP Romain Laville resigned from the party. Laville withdrew his support from the coalition, together with independent MP Patrick Illidge and DP MPs Roy Marlin and Leroy de Weever, in an April 30 letter to Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams.

Subsequently, on May 2, a letter was submitted to the governor informing him of the composition of the new government supported by 10 MPs. The letter also gave an outline of the portfolio division agreed to by NA, DP and the three independent MPs forming the new coalition.

Wescot-Williams had indicated in a press statement on Sunday night that she would submit the resignation of the cabinet to the governor this week.

According to reports, the posts to be vacated by the UP ministers will be taken up by NA leader MP William Marlin (Deputy Prime Minister), Romeo Pantophlet (Tourism and Economic Affairs), Silveria Jacobs (Education and Culture) and Roland Tuitt (Finance).

Marlin will have to give up his seat in Parliament to take up the post of minister, because the two functions are not compatible under the Constitution. It is expected that former Island Councilman Rudolphe Samuel will take up Marlin's seat in Parliament.

The four ministerial candidates will have to be vetted by the security service, before taking the oath of office before the governor.

May 8th, 1945 is the date when the Allies celebrated the defeat of the Nazi Germany and end of Adolph Hitler's Reich. It is the date that formally recognizes the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Prefet Delegue Philippe Chopin addressed the small gathering consisting of elected officials and a military troupe mostly represented by the Gendarmerie whose commandant Stephen Brunet attended his last official ceremony. Brunet's term as the head of the Gendarmerie is scheduled to end early August 2012.

Click here to see more photos of the wreath laying ceremony on Tuesday morning in the garden of the Collectivity of St. Martin.

A large investigation was conducted. During the investigation many suspects were arrested and many houses were searched. However, this brutal murder could not be solved. Therefore, the investigation ended at the end of 2010.

Many people were shocked by the death of Eric Yuan Sam, who was known by the Sint Maarten community as a very kind and caring person, who was always willing to help when help was needed. Many people nowadays still remember this murder and are still feeling shocked about it. So are the Police Force of Sint Maarten and the Prosecutor's Office. It is for this reason that both the Chief of Police and the Prosecutor's Office have decided to re-open this investigation. In 2010, the Afoo Group offered a reward of $20,000USD for the person that would give the information that would lead to solving of this crime. This reward is still valid.

The police are hereby asking for the help of the people of Sint Maarten in solving this awful crime. At the time of the robbery, a lot of customers were present in the supermarket. They have seen and might have overheard the culprits. They may have information, which could lead to the identification of the culprits, which are believed to be young men. All the offenders can be seen on the video images of the security camera's of Afoo. Photo images of this video are hereby being made public, in order for everybody - even those who were not present at the time of the robbery – to see if they might recognize one or more of the offenders or even the masks, helmet, clothes they had on during this robbery.

The offenders left the supermarket via the alley that is located on the left side of the supermarket and they fled via the bushes behind the Afoo supermarket. Several neighbors have seen this and have declared so.

If you were present at the Afoo supermarket at the time of the robbery, or if you were nearby, and if you have seen or heard anything, either that same evening or in the days/weeks/months thereafter, that could help us solve this crime, please step forward and contact the police. A special telephone number (a so called hotline) has been placed in order: 5531522. Your information could solve this case. You can make the difference.

Eric Yuan Sam was loved very much in Dutch Quarter as well as on the rest of the island. He would help whoever was in need for help. His death cannot remain unsolved. Help the police solving this murder, as Eric Yuan Sam helped so many persons during his life.

Please call the police at 5531522.

All your information will be dealt with in a confidential manner.

In comments earlier this week, the Prime Minister stated that as Prime Minister of this country and leader of the Democratic Party it is her pledge that as formal discussions regarding the next government for our country St. Maarten begins, it is those who have taken the responsibility of governing that must now truly lead by example, an example of unity amongst all of our people. The Prime Minister further stressed that new elections should be in her opinion, a last resort. "If certain laws are not amended or further worked out, dissolving Parliament and calling for new elections will only be a solution until the next political disagreement," commented Prime Minister Wescot-Williams.

"While politics will be politics, it is for the sake of all of our people that we do not have the luxury to draw political divides across our country. This is a first for country St. Maarten and I believe it is my duty, especially at this present moment, to ensure that the foundation that is laid for future generations," concluded the Prime Minister.

PHILIPSBURG--Marcellina Loblack of the Mediator's Office recently completed a one-week internship with the Aruba Government mediator's office where she was introduced to various aspects of mediation such as the process of requesting a referendum.

Loblack also had meetings with the President of the Aruba Chamber of Commerce who explained their views on various socio/economic topics and with the new Aruba Government Mediator Anselmo Pontilius who outlined the approach to mediation between employers and unions. Pontilius spoke about the mediator's office, which will be coordinating education and information programmes for union board members as well as employers' associations.

Loblack also had contact with the General Manager of Divi resorts, who is responsible for more than 1,000 employees. He shared his long-time experience working with trade unions.

The Labour Department made a presentation about the labour market survey that will be conducted on Aruba, and pending and ongoing programmes.

Rounding off her trip, Loblack met a local trade union president and other board members who shared their experience with the Mediator's Office.

Public Health Social Development and Labour Minister Cornelius de Weever said in a press statement that it is important for the development of St. Maarten that Loblack applies the knowledge gained in Aruba. "I hope that businesses and trade unions find the common ground with government to make the system work efficiently."

~ExCo not happy with surprise move~

ST. EUSTATIUS--The Island Government of St. Eustatius received a formal notice of withdrawal of Nustar's applications for building, hindrance and maritime permits for the construction of 31 storage tanks, a jetty, related buildings, pipeline and infrastructure in the Cul-de-Sac area.

NuStar indicated they do not intend to move forward with the Terminal expansion project as described in the application, the Executive Council stated in a press-release issued by Government Information Service on Monday.

All activities related to the NuStar Terminal expansion project have been put on hold until further notice. The amendment of the Spatial Development Plan will proceed in its final form, it was stated.

Commissioner Koos Sneek said NuStar was disappointed about the cancellation of the project, and was still hopeful to realize at least some of the aspects as proposed in the building application.

"To government they expressed their disappointment that they are not in the position to move forward with the full expansion project at this time, but they confirmed their commitment to Statia and are looking for opportunities to invest and expand their operations on the island," Sneek said.

The US $470 million expansion project would have increased the terminal's total oil storage capacity by some 1.94 million cubic metres. It was estimated the expanded terminal would create at least 40 new full-time jobs, and would have yielded US $5 million per year for the next 10 years to government coffers.

Sneek said the Island Government was informed of NuStar's decision not to proceed with the expansion project as it is now, on Thursday, May 3. That exact same day, government had sent an invoice to NuStar for the cost of the building permit.

Commissioner Sneek said all paperwork concerning the Terminal expansion had been finalised. "The letter of intent, and the financial and project agreements were all worked out and signed. But it seems that all work has been for nothing. I am not sure what made NuStar decide to cancel the project, but there have been rumours to this effect since early April. It may have to do with the fact that the lowest bid submitted by contractors to carry out the project was 50 per cent higher than NuStar had budgeted."

The Executive Council will send a letter to NuStar's management inviting them to sit around the table to discuss the current situation. Members of the Judicial Department are in the meantime looking into possibilities to recover the cost involved with the project.

"We are not happy," said Sneek. "The project would have been an impulse to the island's economy and employment. It looks as if it's not going to happen, but we'll wait and see what NuStar really wants."

"An interesting development, which doesn't change anything," said St. Eustatius Monuments Foundation (SEMF) Walter Hellebrand in a reaction. "Our court procedures are not directed against NuStar, but against the Island Council, which approved the Spatial Development Plan, and the Executive Council, which approved the amendments to the plan. Whether, at this moment, NuStar will be making use of the adapted plan or not; the possibility thereto remains open. We, therefore, continue with our legal action. I say this as SEMF's Monument Director, as chairman of Statia Safe and Sound Foundation and as a resident of Statia," Hellebrand said.

He said it seemed as if the Island Government and NuStar needed a "breather" because resistance against the terminal expansion had been much higher than when the first tanks were built in 1981.

"We do not need a breather...and will continue our appeals in the courts of law. That NuStar will not continue with the construction of 31 tanks in The Farm now, does not mean they're abandoning their plans altogether. The amended Spatial Development Plan makes that still possible. All appeals against the amendment need to continue," Hellebrand said.

The SEMF director said that according to "reliable rumours" NuStar would want to build seven instead of 31 tanks at the same location. "This could be the beginning of an expanding oil spill. Yes, pun is intended. Once there are seven tanks already it would become easier to also get the other ones."

PHILIPSBURG--Two women were robbed by what seems to be the same culprit.

The first victim was walking by Great Bay Beach Hotel last week Sunday when a man tried to pull her handbag from her shoulder from inside his vehicle. The victim did not let go and was dragged by the car from the entrance to the exit of the hotel, resulting in a bruise on her hip. The man then drove off. She described the car as being a small white Getz with a French-side number plate.

The second victim was attacked on Front Street after Carnival. While she and some friends were walking back to her car, they were attacked from the back. The attacker pulled her and her friends' handbags from their shoulders, jumped in a car and drove off. This car also was described as a small white car with a French-side number plate.

PHILIPSBURG--"Earthquake? What earthquake" was the common response from many residents to the news in the daily weather bulletin, that a "light earthquake" occurred some 145 miles northwest of Marigot around 8:12am on Monday.

The earthquake was "felt in sections of St. Maarten," according to the weather bulletin's "Special Features" section. The weather bulletin for St. Maarten is issued by the Meteorological Department of Curaçao.

The magnitude of this tremor was 3.4 on the Richter scale at a depth of about 15 miles below the bottom of the ocean. Its epicentre was located near 19.6 degrees north and 64.5 degrees west.

PHILIPSBURG--Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams (DP) is expected to tender the resignation of the United People's (UP) party/Democratic Party (DP) cabinet as early as today, Tuesday.

She indicated her intention to submit the cabinet resignation to Governor Eugene Holiday this week in a press statement issued late Sunday night. "Formal discussions" on a new government with National Alliance (NA), three independent Members of Parliament (MP) and DP will then commence.

The UP/DP government lost its majority a week ago when MPs Romain Laville (UP) and Patrick Illidge (independent) withdrew their support and signed on together with independent MP Frans Richardson to support an NA-led government. Together the three MPs and NA have the majority in the 15-seat Parliament.

DP swiftly joined the new coalition, with its two MPs withdrawing support from the UP/DP government. This has pushed UP into opposition with its five parliamentary seats.

The new political dynamics had been communicated formally to Wescot-Williams and to Governor Holiday. The resignation of the cabinet is the next step in the process.

Of the seven ministers, Wescot-Williams, Health and Labour Minister Cornelius de Weever (DP) and Justice Minister Roland Duncan (Illidge's appointee) are expected to continue to hold their current posts in the new cabinet.

Wescot-Williams stated, "We who have taken the responsibility of governing must now truly lead by example, an example of unity amongst all of our people. While politics will be politics, it is for the sake of all of our people that we do not have the luxury to draw political divides across our country."

Based on the UP/DP governing programme and resulting government actions for the past 19 months, DP's focal points "have been shown to be a people-oriented, strong and transparent government with an emphasis on checks and balances and sustainable development," Wescot-Williams said.

How these goals will be pursued in the new political reality "remains a point of discussion" with the partners forming the new government, she added.

Although the basic laws that govern the electoral and political systems are in place, many regulations as a result of these laws are yet to be devised, she stated, adding her belief that some laws need to be amended to allow St. Maarten to grow and find its own way.

As for some speculation about "intermittent elections," Wescot-Williams said based on the Constitution, that would take place if the Parliament were dissolved.

"While the decision to dissolve Parliament rests with government, it should be in my opinion a last resort. Furthermore, if certain laws are not amended or further worked out, dissolving Parliament and calling for new elections will only be a solution until the next political disagreement."

PHILIPSBURG--Member of Parliament Romain Laville said on Monday he does not know what Minister of Education Rhoda Arrindell was referring to in her comments on the dismissal of the director of S4.

Over the weekend Arrindell linked the recent dismissal of S4 Director Marva Richardson by the board of S4 to Laville's recent decision to serve as an independent MP supporting a government to be led by the National Alliance.

Arrindell identified the treasurer of the S4 board as the person "who apparently orchestrated the demise of the S4 director" and who also had been "parading himself as the advisor to MP Romain Laville and the NA fraction. Could it be a coincidence that the S4 director was fired immediately after the so-called 'Carnival coup' to bring down the UP-led coalition government?" she asked.

Laville said simply that he wasn't familiar with the issues at S4 or those surrounding Marva Richardson and had no idea who the treasurer of S4 was. "And I'll leave it at that."

CAY HILL--St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) Board of Directors Chairman Dr. George Scot has expressed sorrow over the tragic medivac accident that claimed the lives of four people over the weekend.

Scot explained that the patient, a cruise ship passenger, had been admitted to the ICU last week Thursday with a serious cardiac condition. One of the rotating cardiologists from Holland, who provides cardiological care at SMMC two weeks per month, was present at that moment to attend to the patient.

"On Friday the patient's condition worsened. At that time there was a medical indication for the patient to be referred to a specialised cardiological centre. In order to have the patient evacuated, the patient's insurance company needs to give approval for transport by air ambulance to the receiving hospital, in this case located in Martinique," Scot explained.

"After the medical indication has been confirmed by specialists and it has been established that the required medical care can be provided by that institute, the receiving hospital will accept the patient. Friday afternoon we received clearance from all parties concerned and the patient left SMMC on Friday evening with a special medical team of the hospital in Martinique by ambulance to Princess Juliana International Airport."

Scot said SMMC had not been informed that the air ambulance at Princess Juliana Airport had technical difficulties or that the patient had been transported from Princess Juliana International Airport to Grand Case Airport.

"If the patient's condition exceeds the treatment options at SMMC, it is to the medical judgment of the treating physician to refer a patient to a different hospital in order to receive proper care. The responsibility of the SMMC and the specialists at SMMC is to provide the necessary medical information timely to the insurance company of the patient and to arrange the ambulance to the airport," Scot said.

"The insurance company of the patient is responsible for arranging the transport to the receiving hospital. In most cases the insurance companies have their own contract with the air ambulance services and hospitals in the region."

Scot said it was important that a full investigation be carried out on how the tragic accident could have occurred. Even without the results of that investigation, he continued, "it would be wise that a policy is made for air transportation of patients of both the Dutch and French side and those strict guidelines for air ambulance services are agreed upon. The size of the population of St. Maarten/St. Martin together, and that of Saba and St. Eustatius plus the limited medical services to these islands, justifies such a policy.

"Staff, specialists and management of SMMC truly regret the tragic accident and we wish the family members, colleagues and friends of the deceased much strength in dealing with their unexpected tragic loss."

~ After being denied voluntary leave ~

PHILIPSBURG--Employees who were denied "voluntary leave" by the TelEm Group of Companies reportedly are not taking the company's decision lightly and will seek legal advice on how to proceed.

The company announced over the weekend that "voluntary leave" had been granted to 15 personnel, while five had been denied the leave.

The TelEm Group's offer of "voluntary leave" is in keeping with its bid to "right-size" itself. The exercise is expected to entail some downsizing of staff, with those who opt to leave voluntarily being offered what are referred to in some countries as "voluntary separation packages."

Speaking on condition that they not be identified, two of the five persons denied voluntary leave told this newspaper they could not understand why TelEm would offer the option of voluntary leave and then deny them when they took the option.

They said they had been informed that possibilities existed in the much-talked-about new operating company of TelEm, but that this was no guarantee, as the company had not been set up as yet and its structure had not been not clearly defined. They were of the opinion that the company probably believed it would be more cost-effective to keep them on board rather than pay them out for years of service.

"Why would you want to keep someone who wants to go, after you offered the opportunity?" one employee asked, adding that it was discriminatory to allow some employees to leave the company and deny others.

St. Maarten Communications Union (SMCU) President Ludson Evers could not offer informed comment on Monday, only stating that he understood legal advice would be sought. He said he had not spoken to management as yet about the denied voluntary leave.

Attempts to obtain comments from TelEm management through the company's Public Relations arm proved unsuccessful on Monday.

SS Simon and Jude Anglican Church parishioners met at the FX Bowling building in Madame Estate on Monday night at a reception to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the re-dedication of their church building at Back Street and Zoutsteeg. The evening's programme featured opening prayers, a brief history of the church, and several toasts – including one to the founders and past contributors. A special Mass to mark the anniversary will be led by Parish Priest Father Terrence Rawlins at the church tomorrow, Wednesday, starting at 7:30pm. There will be a bible quiz tonight, also starting at 7:30pm.