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Source: The Daily Herald (Philipsburg)
Sint Maarten Education Minister, Rhoda Arrindell, has announced that, despite a smooth sailing through the legislative process, the draft law making July 1st a new annual public holiday, is "unlikely to go into effect this year".
The Minister then went on to announced that she had nonetheless asked the Council of Ministers to consider giving all government workers the day off on July 1, in which case July 1st, 2011, would at least be a public sector holiday in Sint Maarten.
Last summer (02-Jul-2010), before the 10-10-10 breakup of the Netherlands Antilles, the then leader of the Government of the Netherlands Antilles, Commissioner William Marlin, had been quoted as saying that "By the grace of God, July 1, 2011, will be a public holiday in the new country St. Maarten".
A couple of months ago (15-Apr-2011), the Sint Maarten Council of Ministers finally signed off on a draft law to make Emancipation Day, on July 1, a new annual public holiday in Sint Maarten and, last month (03-Jun-2011), Minister Arrindell stated that the aforementioned draft law was in its final stages before being sent to Parliament, and that she "still optimistic that July 1, 2011 will be a national public holiday".
Related links:
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Sint Maarten 2012 bank holidays and public holidays (current year)
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Sint Maarten 2013 bank holidays and public holidays (next year)
• Sint Maarten bank holidays and public holidays (news and updates)
• Worldwide
bank holidays and public holidays news updates (June 2011)
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Sint Maarten July 1st Public Holiday Update