PHILIPSBURG:---  The Civil Registry Department would like to inform the general public of the following. In accordance with Article 23 of the Electoral Ordinance:

The endorsement of the candidate's list for political parties contesting the Parliamentary Elections will take place on:

Date: Tuesday, August 9th, 2016
Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm
Location: Civil Registry Department (Philipsburg)

In order to facilitate this procedure, the entire office (including Public service center branch) will be closed for its customary services, due to the excessive amount of persons that this process will generate.

Please see flow plan for persons visiting the Civil Registry and the Receivers office on August 9th, 2016.

PLEASE NOTE!! It will be prohibited for parking at the premises of the Civil Registry/Receivers office.

PARKING AVAILABILITY:

1. Public parking lot across Festival Village
2. In front of Festival village (only on pavement)
3. The little league ballpark parking lot.

For more information please call +1721-5422457 or
email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Two reportedly arrested --- Police and Prosecutor Tightlipped.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Early Friday morning August 5th the multi-disciplinary team started house search on Backstreet.
The Arrest Team, K-9 Unit were present. Also Prosecutor and Judge of Instruction. The search still ongoing.
SMN News learnt that the search is taking place at “Nunez” home on Back Street. So far the police and prosecutor’s office remains tight-lipped on the search and possible arrest of at least one person.
The Spokesman for the Prosecutor’s Office said that later on Friday a joint press release will be issued on the ongoing search.

Two arrested in house search on Backstreet

 On Friday, August 5 the Police Force of St. Maarten KPSM, together with the Kingdom Detective Cooperation Team RST and the Royal Dutch Marechaussee led by the Prosecutor’s Office and in the presence of a Judge of Instruction held a search at an address on Backstreet. The Police Arrest Team, the Police K-9 Brigade, and the Multidisciplinary Team assisted in the search.
During the search drugs, information carriers, large amounts of money and three expensive watches as well as a luxurious car, were found and confiscated in connection with the investigation. The car was confiscated based on suspicions of money laundering.
Two persons were also arrested. M.C.G.N. (35) has been arrested for illegal firearms and drugs possession while T.O.N. (35) has been arrested for threat with a firearm. Both have been notified by the Acting Prosecutor that they are detained.
The investigation is in full swing and more arrests cannot be excluded.

KPSM  and Prosecutor's Office Press Release

It is somewhat comforting to read in a press release from the Senator of Saint-Martin that “The financial and fiscal autonomy of Saint-Martin is a myth”, following the decision of the Constitutional Council of July 1, 2016. It would have taken about 13 years - from 2003 to 2016 – to understand that the Top Elected officials then – Mayor, Regional Councilor, General Councilors 1 and 2 – were taken for a ride by their socio-professional “advisers,” and that in fact, the autonomy wished for by the Top Elected officials was but an illusion. Our Senator is credited in this press release with having stated with courage and fairness the opposite of what the other elected representatives still repeat today with certainty and conviction.
At least, the Senator is admitting what the true reality is. Can we, therefore, hope that the Collectivity will take a more honorable stand in order to put back this part of the island on track and stop its endemic decline? Will the Senator’s “astonishment” and “disappointment“, the President’s “real disappointment” and “feeling of shock” serve as a wake-up call? The ousted President of the Collectivity in a letter to all the elected officials of Saint-Martin called for their collective resignations dubbing the decision of the Constitutional Council as “a violation of our rights “and a blatant “injustice”. He may be right. But his demand seems to be mere wishful thinking, because our Deputy (MP) believes in “the rule of law”. Beyond the harsh criticism directed towards the former president and refusing, as he stated, to indulge in “futile emotion”, “disappointment and helplessness”, he preferred to engage in “a true concerted strategy of all the forces of Saint-Martin, in order to make both Saint-Martin and the general interest winners”. Yet, Saint-Martin has been a loser for the last thirty years and decision-makers have turned their backs on the general interest. Should we consider this approach as naïvely optimistic?
Elected officials, this situation has been going on for 13 years and more. What are you waiting to act efficiently, as expected? Ask the people what they think? After all, you are in this position thanks to them, and on their behalf, in order to defend their “own interests”. Is still time for the Deputy, the Senator and the President to discuss together with a Minister and Advisers of an “omnipotent State” - according to the Senator - only dedicated to take care of its own interests, whereas the Constitutional Council has already pronounced its verdict. Let us stop dreaming!
One month has elapsed since. What do you intend to do collectively? The same project of filling the sea of the Marigot Bay, a project that is in the pipeline since 1997! The rehabilitation of our capital after its loss of vitality has been programmed with your help! Indirect taxes which every taxpayer had to pay in order to replenish the coffers of the collectivity! It is too simple to tax the same taxpayers – who have always paid - the sum of 100 euros for administrative fees on the i income tax since 2015. Income is not extensible in a dying economy. Do you think that with this state of affairs the State and your ”advisers” will stop cheating you? On the contrary, they do rejoice at you eagerness to protect their interests.
Nevertheless, the people is expecting better from you. The people believe that your indignation should not be abandoned. How much longer will you allow yourselves to be controlled remotely by the same “advisers” who have dragged you to the path of disillusion?
Such disillusion was actually predictable since 2003. The Steering Committee was announcing in its press release: ”74, it is power together with means”. The Paris government was sharing competences, yes, but not power. In the presence of the Top Elected officials on the occasion of their visit to the Overseas Minister on the question of autonomy in February-March 2005 (See my book, The Status Scandal ... L’Harmattan, 2006), the Minister precisely stated: ‘Autonomy was not discussed with the voters at the consultation of December 7, 2003 and it would be incompatible with Europe. The competences of the future collectivity falling under the law are too less to justify autonomy, unlike Saint-Barths...It would be a manifest error of assessment, for which we will be blamed, to give autonomy to a collectivity under the supervision of the Regional Chamber of Audits”.
Was the Minister referring to a different autonomy?

Daniella JEFFRY
04.08.2016

St. Peters:--- As of Saturday August 6th 2016, the entrance to the St. Peters main Road, from the L.B. Scott road, will be closed for a period of maximum one week, to enable the Contractor Designer’s Choice N.V.

to connect the St. Peters road main sewage line onto the existing sewage line in the L.B. Scott road.

The execution of the works will commence Saturday morning at 9:00 am with the closure of the St. Peters main road. During the execution of the works, residence residing on the St. Peters main road will have access to their homes by means of a detour via the Messaple road.

During the execution of the project the detour from St. Peters to L.B. Scott road and vice versa will be directed thru the Mesapple road . Marigot hill road will remain a one way road to the L.B. Scott road as presently is the situation.

The overall objective of the project is to connect the homes alongside the main road of St. Peters onto the main sewage line in the L.B. Scott road that will further transport the waste water to the Waste Water Treatment Plant, located at the A.T. illidge road.

With the connecting of the homes onto the main sewerage lines, the existing issues of running sewerage water on the main road of St. Peters will be eliminated and will be something of the past.

During the execution of the project the residents of St. Peters and Motorists that utilize the St. Peters road and the L.B. Scott Road will experience some inconvenience.

Further information about the Project “St. Peters house connection” can be obtained at Ministry of VROMI, Department of New Projects Development and Planning, tel. 542-4289, Project Manager, Bako Maynard email. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and/or Department Head New Projects Development and Planning, ing. Kurt A. Ruan or by e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..