Latest news with #Bouterse
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Suriname's ruling party, opposition nearly tied in parliamentary election
By Ank Kuipers PARAMARIBO (Reuters) -Suriname's ruling party and its top opposition rival won almost the same number of parliamentary seats in an election on Sunday, setting the stage for complex coalition negotiations that will determine who becomes the country's next president. The South American nation is on the cusp of a predicted oil boom, but campaigning for the ballot featured little debate about what the next government, which will hold power until 2030, should do with the income. With 43 polling stations yet to be counted, results showed the opposition National Democratic Party (NDP) - founded by former President Desi Bouterse, who dominated Surinamese politics for decades but died a fugitive last year - had won 18 seats, with 79,544 votes. The ruling Progressive Reform Party (VHP) of current President Chan Santokhi won 17 seats, with 75,983. Smaller parties, now potential kingmakers, won the remaining 16 of 51 total seats. An unknown number of votes from the uncounted polling stations remained to be added to the tally as of early Monday. Turnout so far was 58% of about 400,000 eligible voters. Negotiations between parties to choose a president and cabinet ministers for the former Dutch colony, independent since 1975, were already expected to take weeks even prior to the tight result. A two-thirds majority in parliament is required to elect the president. FIRST MAJOR OFFSHORE PROJECT Santokhi, a 66-year-old former police commissioner who has campaigned to remain in office, won more votes than any other lawmaker, just under 40,000. "We asked for a mandate and this is the mandate that the people have given. With that, we now have to move forward. It is up to us to have talks with other political parties based on this," Santokhi, who has not ruled out cooperation with any other party, told local newspaper the Suriname Herald. The NDP is set to back its party head Jennifer Simons, a doctor who served as parliamentary speaker for a decade until 2020, for president. Simons was second in vote tallies, winning 34,750 votes. The NDP will not work with the VHP, NDP Vice Chair Sergio Akiemboto told reporters late on Sunday. NDP founder Bouterse left office in 2020, the year after he was convicted in the 1982 murders of 15 government critics. When the conviction was upheld in 2023, Bouterse went into hiding, dying at the age of 79 at an unknown location on Christmas Eve. Suriname's first big offshore energy development, the Gran Morgu oil and gas project, is set to begin production in 2028. The project is led by TotalEnergies. Discovered reserves may allow Suriname to compete with neighbor Guyana - whose economy grew 43.6% last year - as a prominent producer.
The Star
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Suriname's ruling party, opposition nearly tied in parliamentary election
Suriname's opposition leader Jennifer Geerlings-Simons of the National Democratic Party (NDP) celebrates with supporters as she proclaims herself the winner of the presidency as counting continues during the National Assembly election, in Paramaribo, Suriname, May 26, 2025. REUTERS/Ranu Abhelakh PARAMARIBO (Reuters) -Suriname's ruling party and its top opposition rival won almost the same number of parliamentary seats in an election on Sunday, setting the stage for complex coalition negotiations that will determine who becomes the country's next president. The South American nation is on the cusp of a predicted oil boom, but campaigning for the ballot featured little debate about what the next government, which will hold power until 2030, should do with the income. With 43 polling stations yet to be counted, results showed the opposition National Democratic Party (NDP) - founded by former President Desi Bouterse, who dominated Surinamese politics for decades but died a fugitive last year - had won 18 seats, with 79,544 votes. The ruling Progressive Reform Party (VHP) of current President Chan Santokhi won 17 seats, with 75,983. Smaller parties, now potential kingmakers, won the remaining 16 of 51 total seats. An unknown number of votes from the uncounted polling stations remained to be added to the tally as of early Monday. Turnout so far was 58% of about 400,000 eligible voters. Negotiations between parties to choose a president and cabinet ministers for the former Dutch colony, independent since 1975, were already expected to take weeks even prior to the tight result. A two-thirds majority in parliament is required to elect the president. FIRST MAJOR OFFSHORE PROJECT Santokhi, a 66-year-old former police commissioner who has campaigned to remain in office, won more votes than any other lawmaker, just under 40,000. "We asked for a mandate and this is the mandate that the people have given. With that, we now have to move forward. It is up to us to have talks with other political parties based on this," Santokhi, who has not ruled out cooperation with any other party, told local newspaper the SurinameHerald. The NDP is set to back its party head Jennifer Simons, a doctor who served as parliamentary speaker for a decade until 2020, for president. Simons was second in vote tallies, winning 34,750 votes. The NDP will not work with the VHP, NDP Vice Chair Sergio Akiemboto told reporters late on Sunday. NDP founder Bouterse left office in 2020, the year after he was convicted in the 1982 murders of 15 government critics. When the conviction was upheld in 2023, Bouterse went into hiding, dying at the age of 79 at an unknown location on Christmas Eve. Suriname's first big offshore energy development, the Gran Morgu oil and gas project, is set to begin production in 2028. The project is led by TotalEnergies. Discovered reserves may allow Suriname to compete with neighbor Guyana - whose economy grew 43.6% last year - as a prominent producer. (Reporting by Ank Kuipers in Paramaribo;Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb;Editing by Helen Popper)
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Voters in Suriname to choose government to helm predicted oil boom
By Ank Kuipers PARAMARIBO, Suriname (Reuters) -Voters in Suriname, which is on the cusp of a predicted oil boom, will go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new parliament, which will later choose the South American country's next president. The contest, marked by fraud allegations, has seen little debate about what the next government, which will hold power until 2030, should do with income from the offshore oil and gas Gran Morgu project, set to begin production in 2028. The project, led by TotalEnergies, is Suriname's first major offshore effort. The former Dutch colony, independent since 1975, discovered reserves that may allow it to compete with neighbor Guyana - whose economy grew 43.6% last year - as a prominent producer. The party with the most seats will lead Suriname's next government, likely through a coalition with smaller parties, but negotiations and the choosing of a new president are expected to take weeks. Potential presidential nominees from the ruling Progressive Reform Party (VHP) include President Chan Santokhi and Defense Minister Krishna Mathoera. The National Democratic Party (NDP) - founded by former President Desi Bouterse, who died a fugitive last year - could back party head Jennifer Simons, former Vice President Ashwin Adhin or Bouterse's widow, Ingrid Bouterse. Just under 400,000 voters, from the country's coast to its jungle hinterlands, are eligible to elect 51 national lawmakers and 784 regional representatives. Voter turnout historically hovers around 75%. Santokhi, who led a 1,700-person bike ride in Paramaribo on Sunday after handing out orange bicycles emblazoned with "Chan" on the frame, has not ruled out cooperation with any party. "We cannot say: Cooperate with those, don't cooperate with those," the 66-year-old Santokhi, a former police commissioner, said on television on Wednesday. "Because ultimately the people decide what those parties are going to get in votes." COMING OIL REVENUE Opposition NDP party leader Simons, 71, has told Dutch media she believes the government is preparing a "massive fraud" and that polling showing a potential VHP lead is part of the plot. Simons, a doctor who served as speaker of parliament for a decade until 2020, has said NDP polling shows the party will win more than double the votes of the VHP, whose leaders have scoffed at the fraud allegations. A poll commissioned by the Times of Suriname showed 39.4% support for the NDP and 21.5% for the VHP, while a poll by LC Media showed the VHP three seats ahead, with 17 seats. Bouterse and the NDP dominated Surinamese politics for decades. He left office in 2020, the same year he was convicted in the 1982 murders of 15 government critics. When the conviction was upheld in 2023, Bouterse went into hiding, dying at 79 at an unknown location on Christmas Eve. His widow, Ingrid, 64, is on NDP's parliamentary list and active in campaigning, regularly polling her Facebook followers on whether she should serve in parliament or be president. Parties have made general promises to improve health, education and diversify the economy, but civil society coalition the Citizens' Initiative for Participation and Good Governance (BINI) said in a Wednesday report they have failed to offer specifics about oil revenue spending. "None of the parties has a clear and concrete plan for the revenues from the Gran Morgu project," BINI said, though it said promises may not matter much when it comes to coalition negotiations. "It is mainly about dividing the cake - who gets which positions or ministries - not about what is best for the country," BINI said.
The Star
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Voters in Suriname to choose government to helm predicted oil boom
PARAMARIBO, Suriname (Reuters) -Voters in Suriname, which is on the cusp of a predicted oil boom, will go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new parliament, which will later choose the South American country's next president. The contest, marked by fraud allegations, has seen little debate about what the next government, which will hold power until 2030, should do with income from the offshore oil and gas Gran Morgu project, set to begin production in 2028. The project, led by TotalEnergies, is Suriname's first major offshore effort. The former Dutch colony, independent since 1975, discovered reserves that may allow it to compete with neighbor Guyana - whose economy grew 43.6% last year - as a prominent producer. The party with the most seats will lead Suriname's next government, likely through a coalition with smaller parties, but negotiations and the choosing of a new president are expected to take weeks. Potential presidential nominees from the ruling Progressive Reform Party (VHP) include President Chan Santokhi and Defense Minister Krishna Mathoera. The National Democratic Party (NDP) - founded by former President Desi Bouterse, who died a fugitive last year - could back party head Jennifer Simons, former Vice President Ashwin Adhin or Bouterse's widow, Ingrid Bouterse. Just under 400,000 voters, from the country's coast to its jungle hinterlands, are eligible to elect 51 national lawmakers and 784 regional representatives. Voter turnout historically hovers around 75%. Santokhi, who led a 1,700-person bike ride in Paramaribo on Sunday after handing out orange bicycles emblazoned with "Chan" on the frame, has not ruled out cooperation with any party. "We cannot say: Cooperate with those, don't cooperate with those," the 66-year-old Santokhi, a former police commissioner, said on television on Wednesday. "Because ultimately the people decide what those parties are going to get in votes." COMING OIL REVENUE Opposition NDP party leader Simons, 71, has told Dutch media she believes the government is preparing a "massive fraud" and that polling showing a potential VHP lead is part of the plot. Simons, a doctor who served as speaker of parliament for a decade until 2020, has said NDP polling shows the party will win more than double the votes of the VHP, whose leaders have scoffed at the fraud allegations. A poll commissioned by the Times of Suriname showed 39.4% support for the NDP and 21.5% for the VHP, while a poll by LC Media showed the VHP three seats ahead, with 17 seats. Bouterse and the NDP dominated Surinamese politics for decades. He left office in 2020, the same year he was convicted in the 1982 murders of 15 government critics. When the conviction was upheld in 2023, Bouterse went into hiding, dying at 79 at an unknown location on Christmas Eve. His widow, Ingrid, 64, is on NDP's parliamentary list and active in campaigning, regularly polling her Facebook followers on whether she should serve in parliament or be president. Parties have made general promises to improve health, education and diversify the economy, but civil society coalition the Citizens' Initiative for Participation and Good Governance (BINI) said in a Wednesday report they have failed to offer specifics about oil revenue spending. "None of the parties has a clear and concrete plan for the revenues from the Gran Morgu project," BINI said, though it said promises may not matter much when it comes to coalition negotiations. "It is mainly about dividing the cake - who gets which positions or ministries - not about what is best for the country," BINI said. (Reporting by Ank Kuipers in Paramaribo; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Christian Plumb and Leslie Adler)
