Nine register for May elections in Suriname

These are the major players in the May 2005 elections in Suriname: (L-R) President Ronald Venetiaan, former president Jules Wijdenbosch, and former dictator and army commander, Desi Bouterse

by Ivan Cairo
Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Nine political parties and party coalitions have registered for the parliamentary elections in Suriname due on May 25, 2005.

Monday was the last day for political organizations to submit their documents to the Central Polling Bureau (CHS). New Suriname (NS) which withdrew last week from the A1-combination, a new coalition group, was the last party to register on Monday, one hour before the deadline.

Although only nine organizations will participate in the elections if their submissions are accepted, actually some 24 political parties will be in the race for the 51 seats in the National Assembly (DNA).

Since most parties recognize that individually they probably won’t win enough votes to claim seats, they have formed coalitions. Meanwhile to participate in such a bloc, parties have to register individually with the authorities and have to hand over a members list with at least 1 percent of the electorate as a legitimate party member.

Again, opposition party NDP, headed by former dictator and army commander, Desi Bouterse, turns out to be the biggest political party in Suriname. Last Saturday the NDP registered with 62.000 members, almost twice as large as the New Front coalition (NF).

The NF-combination, comprised of the NPS, SPA, Pertjaja Luhur and VHP, registered with a total of 33.000 party members.

According to information from the Central Polling Bureau, the NDP’s members list in comparison with the 2000 elections grew by about 20.000 people, while that of New Front is approximately the same.

New Front, NDP and the People’s Alliance for Prosperity (VVV) of former president, Jules Wijdenbosch, are perceived to be the major participants in the May elections. In all the opinion polls held since he lost the 2000 elections former president Wijdenbosch turned out to be the most popular candidate for the presidency although his party, DNP-2000 is less popular.

NDP’s charismatic leader Bouterse is appointed to run for his party and most likely incumbent president Ronald Venetiaan will run for a third time.

In an apparent attempt to win voters of the ethnic maroon tribes living in Suriname’s remote interior president Venetiaan last weekend paid the chief of the N’Dyuka maroon tribe a visit in his residence in the eastern part of the country. It is the first time since Venetiaan was elected president in 2000 that he has paid a visit to the interior.

Speaking to journalists, the head of state, also chairman of coalition party NPS, noted that his visit wasn’t politically motivated. The president said that since there were other pressing matters he had to focus his attention on, he was not in the position to travel to the interior before. Since elections are due in May and his term as head of state is ending, he pointed out it is more than appropriate to visit the tribal leaders. As planned, the president will visit all the other tribal chiefs in the country in the weeks ahead.

In the days ahead the Central Polling Bureau will examine the documents of the individual parties to see if everything is in accordance with the law. When this process is finished the organizations will get the go ahead to present candidates for parliament, districts and provincial councils.

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