PARAMAIBO, Suriname - Suriname moved closer to having a new government after six opposition parties Sunday night signed a coalition agreement following the decision of the Central Political Body of the National Democratic Party (NDP) gave the green light for the main opposition party to proceed with signing the new accord.
Members of the new proposed coalition government in Suriname sign the agreement on Sunday night“During a well-attended meeting of the Central Political Body (CPO), the board of the National Democratic Party (NDP) unanimously received the mandate to continue the intended coalition formation with five other parties, as the winner of the elections,” the NDC, which was once headed by the late former president Desi Bouterse, said in a statement.
The elections on May 25, were held for the first time under a system of proportional representation, which necessitates the formation of coalitions. It is therefore unlikely that any single party will gain the two-thirds majority in the 51 seat Parliament required to appoint a new president, increasing the likelihood of lengthy negotiations, policy delays and potentially unstable coalitions.
The six opposition parties according the preliminary results have won 34 seats and last week, they signed an agreement in principle for the formation of a coalition government.
Unofficial results show that the NDP with 18 seats had emerged as the party with the most seats in the Parliament, while the National Party Suriname (NPS) and the General Liberation and Development Party (Abop) both have six seats, the Pertjajah Luhur (PL) took two, Brotherhood and Unity in Politics (BEP) and Alternative 2020 (A20) one seat each.
Sunday night’s signing took place in Ballroom Prince, where the party leaders jointly confirmed their commitment to national unity, political renewal and socio-economic recovery. NDP chairwoman and the presidential candidate, Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, said that her commitment is fully in the service of the people.
“I am going to promise you something. All the strength, all the intelligence, all the love that God has given me, I will put at the service of the Surinamese people. Together with me, the others who will be involved in the government have agreed to think in a new way, so that we can achieve something different than what has been done in the past,” she said at the signing ceremony.
“The NDP remains committed to its country and people, and emphasizes its responsibility to work for national development, political stability and broad cooperation.”
The CPO also agreed that the NDP would fill the positions of president, chairman of the National Assembly, and the ministries of Finance, Foreign Affairs, Public Works and Spatial Planning, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Welfare, Public Health and Labour, and Sports and Youth Affairs.
The NPS will fill the positions of the Vice Presidency, the first deputy of the chairman of the National Assembly, Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing and the Ministry of Oil, Gas and Environment
ABOP will fill the position of the Vice-Presidency of the National Assembly, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Regional Development, the Ministry of Justice and Police as well as the Ministry of the Interior, while PL representatives will head the Ministry of Land and Forest Management and the Ministry of Defense
A20 will be responsible for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the BEP is nominated to head the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Tourism.
In a joint statement, the parties state that the coalition agreement is not an end point, but a declaration of principles of shared leadership, social responsibility and national renewal.
“We opt for a government that listens, acts and connects. A government that is committed to social justice, sustainable growth and national unity. In a time of global uncertainty and local challenges, transparency, decisiveness and cooperation are indispensable.
“With the strength of our community, the wisdom of our institutions and the support of international partners, we are building a new Suriname: a country in which the elderly live in dignity, young people realize their potential and everyone feels safe, involved and valued,” they said.
Geerlings-Simons also used the occasion to urge a different kind of thinking from her collogues.
“If we do what we always did, we will get what we always got. This coalition wants to do it differently.”
A20 chairman, Steven Reyme, has also called for credible leadership, saying the “people must regain hope,” while former vice president and ABOP leader Ronnie Brunswijk called for unity and burying of the hatchet.
“A great campaign was conducted. I gave my word to Simons and I will stick to it,” the ABOP leader said, referring also to the five years he worked with the “coolest man in the country”, the late Desi Bouterse.
“The same applies to this government, even though many called for pulling the plug.” Brunswijk said he was happy that Suriname will have a female president for the first time:
“She has my full support. God has called her for this task, and there should be no jealousy. Functions are not important; the country must move forward. As a soldier, I will support the colonel.”
Gregory Rusland of the NPS, said that the country is at a crossroads, 50 years after independence.
“This is our last chance. Suriname must move forward, but that can only happen together,” he said, calling for national unity, without exclusion or polarization.
“Every citizen must be able to feel at home.”
The BEP’s Ronny Asabina spoke of a “good step forward”, but stressed that the trust of society must be earned, while the PL’s Paul Somohardjo said that the democratic process must get underway quickly and that a new parliament must be installed by June 29, at the latest.
