PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- Friday, 10 October, marks World Mental Health Day around the world under the theme, “Mental health in humanitarian emergencies.”

World Mental Health Day serves as a powerful reminder that there is no health without mental health, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. This year’s campaign focuses on the urgent need to support the mental health and psychosocial needs of people affected by humanitarian emergencies.

Globally, crises such as natural disasters, conflicts, and public health emergencies cause emotional distress, with one in five individuals experiencing a mental health condition. Supporting the mental well-being of individuals during such crises is not just important – it saves lives, gives people the strength to cope, the space to heal and to recover and rebuild not only as individuals but as communities.

Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well, and work well, and contribute to their community.  Mental health is a basic human right.

According to the WHO, “That’s why it is essential for everyone, including government officials, health and social care providers, school staff and community groups to come together. By working hand in hand, we can ensure the most vulnerable have access to the support they need while protecting the well-being of everyone. 

“By investing in evidence and community-based interventions, we can address immediate mental health needs, foster long-term recovery, and empower people and communities to rebuild their lives and thrive.

“On this World Mental Health Day, let us intensify our efforts to create a world where mental health is valued, protected, and accessible for all, especially in the face of adversity,” the WHO appealed on the occasion of World Mental Health Day.

Mental health is a universal human right underscoring the importance of ensuring everyone has the right to access quality mental health care and support.

Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department from the Sint Maarten Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, says creating awareness about mental health is part of CPS’ annual calendar of health observances.

For persons who need support, the Sint Maarten Mental Health Organization (MHF) provides psychiatric care services to the population of the country.  Its mission includes prevention to mitigate as much as possible the negative impact of mental disorders on individual’s wellbeing and on society.

For general information on mental health issues, you can call 542-1677 or for a mental health crisis, you can call the crisis line 585-5556 which will be answered by a professional and it’s confidential.

For more information, you can call CPS 542-1570 or 914.

Scholar of Comparative Government & Politics, Acknowledging and assessing Sint Maarten's 15 years of autonomy as a constituent state of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, characterized by Parliamentary Democracy, this odyssey can be best described as turbulent and pessimistic in nature. Turbulent and pessimistic in nature bearing in that over the past 15 years some 10 members of Parliament have engaged in the unconstitutional act of declaring themselves as ‘Independent Members of Parliament’; after declaring themselves as independent at least 3 members (on different occasions), joined forces with the opposition party/ parties with the intent to form a new government, affectionately know as ‘ship-jumping’, while the others just sat in Parliament as an independent causing government to fall on 4 occasions, with the most recent instance being one year ago (August 2024); the calling for new/ snap elections 5 times, and; further resulting in the realization of forming 12 governments over the past 15 years. Effectively eroding our autonomous statehood and the efficient function of our Parliamentary Democracy (as a result of the constant declaration of independence and ship-jumping). Notably, there are those who might disagree that the act of members of Parliament declaring themselves as independent members of Parliament is unconstitutional, arguing that Article 61.3 of the Constitution, which states that ‘Members of Parliament shall not be bound by a mandate or instructions…”. Thereto, contending that parliamentarians have a ‘free mandate’ to do as he or she wishes including declaring themselves as independent members of Parliament and ship jumping. Ignoring the ‘imperative mandate’ of Article 47.1 of the Constitution and as further laid down in the Election Ordinance. Which states that the [our] electoral system “is based on a system of list (political parties), not a system of persons (candidates) and “political parties taking part in an election is assigned a number of seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for that political party. Constitutionally, the directives of imperative mandates supersede free mandates, without contradiction. To address the mitigating factors related to the turbulent and pessimistic autonomous statehood outlook of Sint Maarten (i.e., members of Parliament declaring themselves as independent and ship-jumping, thus, constantly causing the collapse of government), there is much talk about amending (or doing away with Articles 59 and 33 of the Constitution. Focusing on curbing or extending the process for the dissolution of Parliament and equally that for the no-confidence vote on ministers, with the hope that this would stop the constant collapse of the government. Notwithstanding the difficulty in making changes to the Constitution, until the Kingdom government signified its agreement (See Article 44 of the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands), the amending of Articles 59 and 33 would have little to no bearing on stopping the collapse of government and motivating autonomous statehood. To the contrary, emphasis should be placed on modifying Article 59, Article 96(1) and (2), Article 98 of the Election Ordinance, and Article 2 of the National Ordinance Registration and Finances of Political Parties. And the insertion of an imperative mandate Article in the Election Ordinance, making it abundantly clear that the declaration of independence and ship-jumping shall not be permissible, in accordance with the Constitutionally mandated proportional representation composition of Parliament. On the other hand, there is much belief that the autonomous statehood of Sint Maarten is also seriously affected by its Constitutional governing structure within the Kingdom and referred to as ‘democratic deficit’. Contextually, a democratic deficit is “a situation where the governing body falls short of providing proportional representation to the governed”. At the onset, this seems to be the case for Sint Maarten and the other Dutch Caribbean parts of the Kingdom. However, taking into account the reality that approximately 98.2% of the Kingdom’s population resides in the Netherlands and only 1.8% resides in the Dutch Caribbean, with approximately only 0.2% on Sint Maarten, clearly there is no democratic deficit in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Democratically, one cannot expect a polity of 337.5 thousand people (43.9 thousand in the case of Sint Maarten) to govern a population of 18.6 million. (source: www.worldometers.info) However, there is a ‘Democratic Legitimacy’ issue, which arises “whenever the set of those involved in making democratic decisions falls short of coinciding with the set of those affected by them”. This is indicative of the Dutch Caribbean representation in the Kingdom Council of Ministers, which is the primary decision-making body for the entire Kingdom. Professor Veenendall of Leiden University proposed that by “adding 3 seats to the current 150 in the Parliament of the Netherlands (House of Representatives) would address the so-called democratic deficit. A concept also called for by the Netherlands political parties Groenlinks-PvdA and D66. This is an empty concept. Empty in its application, mainly, because by adding 3 Dutch Caribbean representatives in the (Netherlands) House of Representatives, the Dutch Caribbean parts will be faced with the insurmountable 3 to 150 odds in the influencing and passing of Legislation (that will affect them), and would have absolutely no effect in the Council of Ministers where Kingdom policies are formulated and the decision-making occurs. An alternative scenario would be to allow for the seats in the Council of Ministers to increase from 18 to 27, with the Netherlands seating 18 (67%), Curacao, Aruba, and Sint Maarten each seating 3 members (11% each), where a majority of 22 members (4/5) will be needed to make decisions for the entire Kingdom. As such, no one constituent state can dominate the decision-making process. And so, the alleged democratic deficit, more appropriately, the occurrence of the democratic legitimacy anomaly will be addressed, bringing into perspective Sint Maarten’s autonomy within the Kingdom (of the Netherlands).

PHILIPSBURG:---  Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina has announced the closure of all non-essential government offices on Friday, October 10, 2025, as a precautionary measure in anticipation of the expected impacts from Tropical Storm Jerry. This decision follows close consultation with the Meteorological Department of St. Maarten (MDS) and the Office of Disaster Management (ODM).

According to the 2:00 P.M. advisory issued by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and relayed by MDS, a Tropical Storm Warning is now in effect for St. Maarten, meaning tropical-storm-force conditions are expected within the next 24 hours.

At 2:00 PM, the center of Tropical Storm Jerry was located near latitude 16.5° N, longitude 60.0° W, moving west-northwest at 18 mph with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h). The storm’s closest point of approach is projected to be approximately 75 miles northeast of the island on Friday, bringing tropical-storm-force winds, heavy rainfall, and rough seas.

 “Tropical Storm Jerry is expected to bring periods of heavy rain, gusty winds, and rough seas beginning tonight,” stated Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina. “While we are not expecting a direct hit, the effects of this system could still pose serious risks to public safety. Therefore, we are taking every precaution to safeguard the lives of our citizens and public servants.”

Prime Minister Mercelina emphasized that the decision to close government offices was made out of an abundance of caution, noting that tropical systems can often behave unpredictably.

“As Prime Minister, I prefer to ensure that this situation is handled in a safe and responsible manner for the people of St. Maarten,” he said. “The temporary closure of government offices allows everyone the opportunity to prepare properly, minimize movement during hazardous weather, and protect themselves and their families.”

The Meteorological Department has forecast rainfall accumulations of 2 to 4 inches, with the heaviest activity expected Friday night into Saturday. Gusty winds up to 65 mph (100 km/h) and seas reaching 12 feet are anticipated, particularly along coastal areas. These conditions may result in flash flooding, rockfalls, and localized damage, especially in low-lying and flood-prone communities.

In light of these hazards, non-essential government offices will remain closed on Friday, while essential services—including the police, fire department, medical facilities, and disaster management agencies—will remain fully operational to ensure public safety.

“Your safety is our highest priority,” Prime Minister Mercelina added. “The government is working in close coordination with emergency agencies and monitoring the storm’s development around the clock. Let us remain calm, vigilant, and united as we navigate this weather event together.”

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has not been officially activated at this time. The government continues to closely monitor weather developments, and further actions will be determined as new information becomes available.

The Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) will assess conditions and make a decision regarding the possible closure of businesses following updated forecasts later this evening.

Residents are strongly advised to:

Monitor official updates from the Meteorological Department of St. Maarten (www.meteosxm.com) and the Department of Communication of Government  (DCOMM).

Avoid unnecessary travel during adverse weather conditions.

Secure outdoor items and clear drainage areas to reduce flooding risks.

Exercise extreme caution near coastal areas, where rough seas and rip currents will be dangerous.

Further announcements will be made following the 5:00 p.m. weather update from MDS and any subsequent government advisories.

 “Together, through preparedness and care for one another, we will ensure the safety and resilience of our country,” concluded Prime Minister Dr. Mercelina.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of Justice, through the Immigration and Border Protection Services (IBPS), has successfully completed the testing phase of Sint Maarten’s new online residence permit application system, marking a major milestone in the Ministry’s ongoing digital transformation and modernization of immigration services.

Over the past week, IBPS teams carried out a series of controlled tests across all stages of the process to ensure the system’s operational readiness. Staff members were allowed to experience the process as applicants, providing valuable feedback that is now being used to refine and improve the platform ahead of its official launch.

As part of the pilot, a selected group of external users, including lawyers, government agencies, and other approved partners, also participated in testing. This targeted exercise allowed the Ministry to evaluate user experience and gather professional input from key stakeholders before broader rollout.

The successful testing phase confirms that the system is functioning as intended and positions the Ministry to move confidently into its final review and preparation stage. The online residence permit system is being implemented by Stichting Beheer ICT Rechtshandhaving (SBIR) and Advanced Computer Technologies Services (ACTS) through a joint venture.

“We are building a system that reflects the kind of public service Sint Maarten deserves, one that is fair, modern, and reliable,” stated Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling. “This new platform not only improves how we manage permit applications but also how we serve our community. Through the collaborative efforts of IBPS, SBIR and ACTS, we are creating a more secure, efficient, and user-friendly online experience that gives applicants confidence their information is well protected and their cases are handled with care.”

IBPS is now in its final review phase, incorporating feedback from both internal and external users before the system’s official launch. The Ministry will announce the launch date in the coming weeks.

This initiative forms part of the Ministry of Justice’s broader agenda to strengthen the justice system from within by equipping staff with the tools and resources needed to deliver fair, modern, and efficient public service.