PHILIPSBURG:---  The House of Parliament will sit in a Central Committee meeting on January 9, 2026.

The Central Committee meeting is scheduled for Friday at 13.00 hrs. in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda points are:
1. Approval of composition delegation and provisions for Members of Parliament to participate in IPKO and Tripartite meetings in Oranjestad, Aruba, from February 19-23, 2026
2. Approval of composition delegation and provisions for Members of Parliament to participate in a meeting of Caribbean women parliamentarians on January 21, 2026, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (IS/469/2025-2026 dated December 18, 2025)

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, www.pearlfmradio.sx and www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament

PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in a Public meeting on January 9, 2025.

This Public meeting was adjourned on December 15, 2025, and will be reconvened on Friday at 10.00 hrs. in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg.

The Minister of Finance will return to Parliament to provide clarifications to the Members of Parliament in the second round of deliberations on the draft National Ordinance containing rules regarding a basic payment account for consumers.

2. Ontwerplandsverordening houdende regels met betrekking tot een basisbetaalrekening voor consumenten (Landsverordening basisbetaalrekening) (Zittingsjaar 2023-2024-174) (IS/292/2023-2024 d.d. 20 december 2023)

Draft National Ordinance containing rules regarding a basic payment account for consumers (National Ordinance basic payment account) (Parliamentary year 2023-2024-174) (IS/292/2023-2024 dated 20 December 2023)

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament and www.pearlfmradio.sx

PHILIPSBURG:--- A significant escalation in internal political tensions occurred today following reports that access to government facilities was restricted for a high-ranking official. According to sources close to the situation, Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina and his Chief of Staff, Stuart Johnson, issued explicit instructions to security personnel to deny entry to Sueana Laville, the Chief of Staff for the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development, and Labor (VSA).
This incident comes amid growing concern over delays to the national mental health master plan. Advocacy groups have reported troubling increases in untreated mental health conditions and suicide attempts, raising alarms about the lack of policy action and funding. Minister Richinel Brug has yet to announce any concrete crisis interventions, while the community continues to call for urgent support.

Allegations have surfaced that the Prime Minister recently removed the World Bank-funded Mental Health Project from the Ministry of VSA and reassigned it to the General Affairs Ministry. The project, reportedly led by Romain Laville from the Ministry of VSA's cabinet, was seen as a critical step forward in addressing local mental health needs. Sources indicate that this reallocation led to a confrontation between Sueana Laville and the Prime Minister. It is further alleged that the Chief of Staff’s subsequent ban from entering government buildings stemmed from her conduct during this exchange, described by some as disrespectful.

SMN News understands that the incident on Wednesday, January 7th, 2026, was the second of its kind. A source revealed that eight days prior, the Chief of Staff also threatened the Prime Minister, indicating that he was on her husband's list. According to an official letter from the Prime Minister to Parliament, the Chief of Staff verbally conveyed a message to the Prime Minister, which was said to have originated from her partner and was perceived as a serious threat to the Prime Minister’s safety. In response to this incident, the Prime Minister imposed certain order measures in accordance with relevant laws and administrative procedures. These actions were taken to safeguard public order, ensure safety, and protect the integrity and proper functioning of government operations. Given the sensitive nature of the situation and the ongoing assessment, further details regarding the event and related processes have not yet been disclosed.

Witnesses indicate that the directive was strictly enforced at the main entrance of the government administration building. The specific reasoning behind the Prime Minister's instruction to bar the VSA Chief of Staff has not yet been officially disclosed to the public.
Adding to the gravity of the situation, reports suggest that law enforcement presence was heightened in anticipation of a potential standoff. Sources state that police officers were placed on standby to intervene should the Minister of VSA attempt to escort his Chief of Staff into the building against the Prime Minister's orders. This precautionary measure highlights the severity of the internal disagreement and the administration's concern regarding potential confrontations on government premises.
This development raises questions about the current operational relationship between the Prime Minister’s office and the Ministry of VSA. Such public displays of discord between ministries and cabinet leadership are rare and suggest underlying administrative or political conflicts that have now surfaced into the operational sphere.

Stakeholders and the public are now looking to the Council of Ministers for clarification on the status of the VSA Chief of Staff, the fate of the Mental Health Project, and how these tensions might impact the functioning of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor.
In response to a request from MP Ardwell Irion, Chairlady of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams also informed the Parliament about the incident, ensuring legislators were made aware of the ongoing situation.

At the time of writing, neither the Prime Minister’s office nor the Ministry of VSA has released an official statement regarding the incident, the future status of Ms. Laville’s access to her office, or the implications for the mental health initiative.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Lyndon Lewis voiced strong reservations regarding government spending during the first parliamentary meeting of 2026, signaling that his support for the upcoming national budget is far from guaranteed. Addressing the House on Thursday, MP Lewis emphasized the need for fiscal responsibility and scrutinized what he termed irresponsible usage of public funds.
The Member of Parliament extended New Year greetings to the Chairlady, the Minister of Finance, his colleagues, and the viewing public before turning his attention to the critical financial debates scheduled for the coming weeks. With the budget presentation and debate looming, Lewis made his position clear: thorough scrutiny will be his priority.
"I will be studying this budget thoroughly because, as per right now, I cannot support a budget when the people's money is being spent irresponsibly," Lewis stated.
To illustrate his concerns regarding fiscal mismanagement, the MP highlighted a specific situation involving the Ministry of Justice. He drew attention to the recently opened police substation located on Union Road in Cole Bay. According to Lewis, despite being a new facility intended to serve the community, he observed the station closed with hurricane shutters down 2:00 PM the previous day.
Lewis raised questions about the cost-benefit of such operations, noting that he understood the facility's rent to be approximately $10,000 or more. He argued that while he does not support cutting the justice budget, funds must be allocated more effectively.
"This money can be used for the betterment of the organization and its workers," Lewis argued, suggesting that high rental costs for a facility that is not consistently accessible to the public represents a misallocation of resources that could otherwise support justice workers directly.
As the Parliament of St. Maarten prepares to debate the 2026 budget, MP Lewis’s comments set a tone of rigorous oversight. His statement suggests that the Ministry of Finance and other government bodies should expect challenging questions regarding operational costs and the efficient use of taxpayer money in the upcoming sessions.