Suriname is a small country on the north east coast of the south american continent with a population of about half a million most of whom are living in and around the capital Paramaribo and along the riverbanks in small villages in the interior rain forest and in the border towns Nickerie and Albina.
Paramaribo capital of Suriname
Atjoni on Suriname river
Who would have expected this small country Suriname would produce top athletes who won gold medals at the olympic games , football experts who belong to the global sports hall of fame and now politicians who show the world how to hold democratic, free and fair elections without bloodshed.
Bouterse greets NDP supporters photo: ANP
In its colonial past Suriname was brutally exploited by French, British and Dutch colonizers who used enslaved African people to produce sugar, coffee, cocoa to the benefit of the economic development of European royal families and their supporters. After slavery was abolished by the the Dutch king Willem II on July 1, 1863. indentured laborers were imported from China, India and Java to produce the sugar, coffee and cocoa, mine gold and aluminum, and cut the timber for European markets.
On November 25th, 1975, Suriname became an independent republic and is now about to install its 51st National Assembly after democratic elections were held on May 25th, 2015.
In spite of fierce opposition or should we say thanks to the opposition to his political leadership president Bouterse's government will reign for another 5 years and he will be at the helm of his National Democratic Party which won the elections.
President D. D. Bouterse
With about 75% voter turnout and majority seats for Bouterse's National Democratic party in the National Assembly, District councils and regional councils, Suriname has entered a new historic milestone in its post colonial political history.
colonial architecture in nickerie
President Bouterse will be the first Surinamese party leader whose single party has won 26 of the 51 seats in parliament. The Surinamese people gave most of their votes to one politician, Desire Delano Bouterse. This is clearly an unquestionable mandate from the electorate in free and fair elections which were praised by supervisors from both Caricom and Unasur. Even the staunchest Bouterse opponent had to admit that the elections were free and fair and that the opposing coalition of traditional ethnically based parties, had been defeated.
In fact the Surinamese people gave the region and the world a school book lesson on how to hold free and fair elections without riots, assassinations and social unrest. Bouterse's first activity as the newly re-elected president was to travel into the interior to thank his supporters living in villages along the main rivers. He next invited all party leaders who won seats in parliament to discuss issues which they would like to see realized or would like to support once the new government starts implementing the NDP political agenda.
departing government bench in the national assembly
Not only did the Surinamese people teach the region a lesson on how to organize free and fair elections but they also demonstrated that multi-racial, inter-religious and multi-ethnic cooperation is what the Surinamese people is good at, and wants the government to strengthen. The May 25th elections have made a historic break with the old colonial style divide and rule approach, which was so characteristic of the colonial era. The people who did not vote for Bouterse are faced with a new situation which forces all Surinamese politicians to evaluate their position and party approach in view of what voters want. the revolution which was led by Bouterse in october 1980 in entering a new more mature phase under his leadership with democratic rule as basic foundation. The president called on all Surinamese to burry the election hatchets and join forces in the fight against poverty, which he defined as our biggest enemy .
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