GREAT BAY--In a candid and reflective address marking Constitution Day 2025, Member of Parliament Egbert J. Doran, Faction Leader of the National Alliance (NA), urged St. Maarteners to view the day not just as a celebration of status, but as a moment for sober reflection on the true state of autonomy and nationhood.
“Constitution Day is not merely a date on the calendar,” Doran said during the solemn public meeting of Parliament on Monday. “It is the foundation of our autonomy, the legal and symbolic birth of Country St. Maarten.”
But, he continued, the celebrations must also make space for honesty. “When I walk through our communities, when I sit and listen to our people, many say we are no better off today than we were 15 years ago,” Doran said. “And I cannot ignore this sentiment, because behind those words are real frustrations — with slow progress, bureaucracy, with promises and sentiments that feel so far out of reach.”
He made clear, however, that acknowledging those realities does not diminish the meaning of the Constitution. “Our Constitution gave us ourselves,” he noted. “It gave us the right to govern ourselves, to make our own decisions, our own mistakes, and our own path on the way forward. It gave us the power to choose, but also the responsibility to do better with the choices we make.”
Still, Doran posed a critical question to the Parliament and people of St. Maarten: “Did it really?”
“While we carry the title of autonomous country, the reality often reminds us that autonomy on paper does not translate to autonomy in practice,” he said. “We still operate within a framework where external influence weighs heavily on our internal progress, where major decisions seem to come with strings attached, and where assistance is sometimes accompanied by limitations that challenge our ability to grow and stand on our own feet.”
He described this tension as “the paradox of 10/10/10, where we were given wings, yet still have to ask for permission to fly.”
Doran urged that Constitution Day be seen as both a celebration and a reckoning. “We must do so with clear eyes and honest reflection,” he said. “Because the Constitution, as powerful as it is, cannot fulfill its promises unless the people and the leaders have the freedom and the courage to live and fulfill it.”
Despite his critique, Doran expressed hope grounded in the resilience of the St. Maarten people. “Even with these constraints, we have shown resilience,” he said. “We have rebuilt after devastation, we have governed through crises, and we continue to find strength within the spirit of our people.”
He drew inspiration from the younger generation, who also participated in the Constitution Day proceedings. “The next generation gives me hope because there is no success without a successor,” Doran said. “That is a message for all of us here in this room.”
Doran emphasized that true autonomy must be earned and protected daily, not taken for granted. “Constitution Day should remind us that true autonomy is not simply declared, it is earned, it is protected, and it is exercised daily,” he said. “It pushes us to continue striving for the kind of St. Maarten that 10/10/10 promised but has not yet fully delivered on.”
He called on the nation’s leaders to make Constitution Day not only a time for speeches but for introspection and commitment. “May this also be a day of reckoning,” he said, “a day when we ask ourselves the hard questions and recommit to building the country that we truly want for our people, a country where everyone who calls this land home can have a better future.”
Doran concluded his remarks with a pledge of service and faith. “I remain committed to you, my people, as your humble servant. So truly help me, God Almighty. Thank you.”
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