Suriname is 22 days away from Election Day and the parties and combinations of parties are doing all they can to convince the electorate they deserve their votes.

In Suriname ,which became an independent republic in 1975 , the traditional racial and ethnic grouping of the population in political parties is order of the day.

During the four centuries of colonial divide and rule practice and racial discrimination Suriname was a strictly segregated country in which a white upper class had unlimited political power over thousands of enslaved African workers on sugar- , coffee - and cocoa plantations.

Dutch colonialism effectively kept indigenous, African, Asian and European population groups separated and the current elections reflect this political reality, albeit there is a modern flavor to this year's elections.

The ruling National Democratic Party and the oppositional coalition are trying hard to convince voters from all ethnic denominations that their parties plan to work for all Surinamese once elected.

The voters who need to make a choice are told to choose the candidate who is aware of what they need and can achieve results once elected.

At the same time the political debates are turning towards racial slurs and race related arguments to draw voters who know all too well how Surinamese politics used to be in the past.

It will be interesting to see which of today's political parties will succeed in getting the young voters to elect their candidates. 

Modern young Surinamese unlike their parents tend to break the ethnic and color bars. The 2015 elections on May 25th will be a test for all politicians who say their parties are not representing a specific ethnic group but all Surinamese. The election results will indicate if Hindustani voters indeed stick with the traditional Hindustani party as is expected, even though the United Hindustani Party (VHP) is in a multi-ethnic oppositional coalition. It will be a decisive victory for the ruling multi-ethnic, though creole dominated, National Democratic Party if young voters from traditionally ethnic based parties decide to vote for multi racial political candidates in one party. Suriname is a peaceful country and the electorate is well trained in following party politics, the big question is how the peace will be maintained after the ballots have been counted and a new government is formed. Ethnic politicians will still want their party members to be rewarded for their hard work and this is the political reality Any new Surinamese political leadership must deal with.

Martha Tjoe Nij