May 2015 Financial News

Suriname goes to the polls

May 25, 2015

Suriname goes to the polls today, exactly five years to the day after an election that brought to power the controversial figure of former coup leader, Desi Boutserse, his National Democratic Party (NDP) and its coalition partners.

The incumbent is contesting with the slogan “Deze overheid werk ... en het werk” — “Your Government Works … and (this) works”. Many huge billboards across the country have also declared: Deze President werkt” – This President Works.

There are 25 parties in the race for 51 parliamentary seats and postelection coalitions are the norm.

Observer missions from the Organisation of American States (OAS) and Caribbean Community (Caricom) are already on the ground and voting will begin at 7 am and close at 7 pm today.

Suriname’s unique system of proportional representation and “indirect” method of selecting a head of state, by electoral college, meant that the country had to wait almost two months in 2010 before Bouterse was able to negotiate a two-thirds majority in the country’s single chamber parliament to be installed as president.

The actual inauguration, about which there was some international concern, took almost an entire month and occurred on August 12, 2010.

Bouterse was convicted ‘in absentia’ in the Netherlands in 2000 on a charge of drug trafficking and had led a coup d’etat between 1980 and 1987 during which there was the 1982 summary execution of 15 opposition figures and journalists. In 2007, he accepted “political” but not criminal responsibility for the executions.

Bouterse’s son, Dino, was convicted earlier this year on terrorism, narcotics and firearms charged in the United States.

Bouterse confidant and Home Affairs minister, Edmund Leilis, said in an interview with the T&T Guardian that Dino’s jailing “will not have an impact on the elections”, though the issue has received constant mention on the campaign trail from the opposition platforms.

The declining state of the economy has however led campaign issues. Opposition groups have pointed to the drop in the country’s foreign reserves position from US$700 million in 2010 to US$495 million in the first quarter of 2015, according to the latest official figures.

The government has blamed challenging international gold and oil prices, but the main opposition parties have claimed the real cause has been excessive social support expenditure, corruption and mismanagement of the economy.

Three recent polls, including one by noted Dutch pollster Maurice de Hond, have predicted the race going for the NDP led Mega Combination coalition with up to 35 per cent of the country’s 353,500 electors undecided on the party of their choice.

Suriname’s district system of proportional representation requires that candidates attract a minimum number of votes in their geographical areas in order to occupy a designated number of district seats which feed into the country’s 51-seat legislature.

The capital Paramaribo, for example, contributes 17 seats to the parliament through candidates who have commanded a plurality of votes beyond established thresholds, depending on population size.

Social media campaigns have been among the emerging new approaches to the elections, together with an unprecedented number of candidates’ debates. Attempts to host a leaders’ debate however fell through.

Local political wags have noted the May 11 change in administration in neighbouring Guyana, but few are venturing the prediction that the winds of change are likely to cross the contested border between the two South American Caricom neighbours.

Source:
WESLEY GIBBINGS
Trinidad Guardian, A10
Monday May 25, 2015