My Fellow Sint Maarten/Saint Martiners,
This year Saint Martin/Sint Maarten’s Day marks the first national day that we are celebrating as a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands .
Today, we celebrate togetherness with our family and friends in the North. Today, is a significant day as we work to continue to strengthen our alliance between the North and the South. Today, we have a strong sense of obligation to reaffirm the relationship that exists.
As a nation moving forward, we need to continue to build upon and strengthen our democracy and demonstrate maturity as we govern. Our achievement of country status must never be taken for granted.
The maintenance of law and order, and the constitutional way of life of our island nation must always be the vanguard that upholds our democratic principles as a nation. We must focus on how we govern ourselves and how our political practices, are used to energize and mobilize our people to achieve common goals.
The North and South sides of the island must now forge a new level of cooperation. We no longer have the bureaucratic layer of the Netherlands Antilles in Willemstad to go through in dealing with certain matters. Today, the seat of country Sint Maarten Government is Philipsburg .
We have a duty now to be more responsive and innovative in our governing and parliamentary process.
We are a diverse society, and because of this diversity, it gives us the strength and makes us the unique people whom we are. We must be respectful of our differences, but protective of that which unites us.
By developing shared goals, we will be able to accomplish much as a nation. Let us continue to take the journey together in developing our people and building bridges that fulfils the hope and aspirations of our people.
As we move forward as a nation North and South, within all the complexities of our two governmental systems, the people must always be at the center of our concerns. The development of the human capacity has to be at the top of our national agenda’s. Our people are our most precious assets.
Let us draw on the assets of our nation, strengthen, the diversity along with the unity that has existed for more than 300 years, and we will continue to enjoy the peace and prosperity that has made us what we are today. Let our common heritage continue to inspire our future.
May God Bless North and South
May God Bless the people of Sint Maarten/Saint Martin
Happy Sint Maarten/Saint Martin’s Day 2010