President warns against sabotage of Suriname election

by Ivan Cairo
Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent

Thursday, May 12, 2005

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: According to president and coalition leader Ronald Venetiaan the May 25 general elections in Suriname could be sabotaged. Last week he reiterated that ‘revolutionary powers’ are trying their utmost to prevent re-election of the New Front coalition. 

“But we are not afraid of guns and grenades”, the coalition leader said. Venetiaan who addressed supporters at a rally Monday night said he is alert. He is taking very seriously an ongoing controversy regarding the voters’ lists. A recent meeting of opposition parties NDP, VVV, PALU and New Suriname, according to the president, is a strategic move to discourage the New Front coalition.

In an interview with journalists, Defense Minister Ronald Assen voiced fears Wednesday of possible terrorist activities if certain opposition parties are rejected by the electorate. The Ministry of Defense anticipates possible problems with disgruntled voters after the polls, the minister said. 

Pointing to a couple of arson cases the past two years, Minister Assen said the initiators of these criminal actions are from certain political circles. The Defense Minister however could not substantiate his allegations. He told reporters that “the evidence is there but there is no judicial proof”. November last year the minister told the press that there was information pointing to subversive activities during the election period.

On Monday, opposition parties wrote the Independent Electoral Bureau (OKB) a letter to complain about a surplus of over 29,000 names on the voters’ lists. The electoral body which detected the surplus expressed its concern over this matter last week and brought the issue to the attention of the president. 

Opposition parties fear that the coalition is trying to commit fraud or postpone the elections. In a press briefing Wednesday, Vice-President Jules Ajodhia said that the polls won’t be called off. He said that president Venetiaan is looking into the matter and had two meetings with the electoral authorities and experts to resolve the problems and address the controversy. 

Former president Jules Wijdenbosch threatened to take followers to the streets if the issue regarding the surplus of voters is not resolved. Former military ruler and leader of the NDP, Desi Bouterse has set up a ‘fraud team’ to investigate the problem.

  Back...

  Most popular articles: viewed, printed and e-mailed

  Printable version