Suriname goes to general elections on Monday

Last Updated on Monday, 25 May 2015, 10:57 by GxMedia

PARAMARIBO, Suriname – For the 8^th time since its independence in 1975 voters in Suriname will Monday go to the polls to elect a new parliament.

While it was expected, incumbent president Desi Bouterse at his party’s last rally Saturday night announced that he is running again to become the next president.

In a surprise move he named Minister of Education, Ashwin Adhin, as his running mate for Vice President. Besides the ten thousands supporters Adhin was visibly stunned by the announcement, which indicate that Bouterse didn’t discuss the matter with him before he made the announcement. “Even if you don’t want to, you will become the next Vice President”, Bouterse said, calling the minister who is also a candidate for his National Democratic party (NDP) to the podium.

While he is relentlessly being attacked by opponents Bouterse remains popular largely due to his social policies. Under his stewardship parliament in 2014 sanctioned a Minimum Wage Act for the first time, while also Basic Health Insurance and a General Pension Scheme were introduced. The government also canceled school tuition fees for elementary education, while medical insurance for citizens between 0 and 16 years and senior citizens from 60 years and up is paid by the government. Bouterse also initiated an ambitious housing programme seeing scores of locals allotted affordable housing and lots, increased old-age pensions and other social benefits.

The campaigns the past several months were marred by personal attacks on candidates resulting in several defamation lawsuits. Bouterse took former minister of Justice and Police, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, to court after Santokhi claimed that Bouterse introduced the drug mafia in Suriname during his dictatorship in the 80’s. Just last week Krishna Hussainali-Mathoera a former Commissioner of Police filed a suit against Bouterse’s party Vice President Rashied Doekhie, who called her a criminal and drug trafficker.

During the campaigns Bouterse administration came under fierce attack from the opposition for alleged wide-scale corruption, bad governance and wasting tax payer’s money. After losing the general elections in 2000 Bouterse’ NDP in 2010 formed a government by forging a coalition with several smaller parties. However this coalition fell apart leaving only NDP and ABOP in government which ultimately resulted into a longstanding impasse in parliament where for months the National Assembly couldn’t function since there was a lack of quorum.

In a bid to avoid blackmail tactics from coalition partners which paralysed the decision-making of his government and buoyed by strong standings in opinion polls Bouterse decided that the NDP would take part independently in today’s general elections. He needs to secure 26 of the 51-seats in parliament and at least a two-thirds majority of 34 seats, to be re-elected by the National Assembly. If parliament fails to elect the president, the Head of State will be elected in the People’s Assembly by a simple majority. Polling started at 7.00 AM local time and closes at 7.00 PM. In all, four coalitions and seven independent parties are in the race for the ballots of just over 350,000 registered voters. Partial results are expected as early as 10.00 PM and full preliminary results early Tuesday.-.