Latest news with #Suriname
Washington Post
28-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
A new coalition challenges Suriname's president after a close election
PARAMARIBO, Suriname — Suriname could soon have its first female president after a party led by a medical doctor formed a coalition aimed at ousting the South American country's current leader following a weekend election with no clear winner. Dr. Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, of the National Democratic Party, formed a coalition with five other parties late Tuesday as workers still tallied votes from Sunday's National Assembly election. The chamber chooses the president by a two-thirds vote.
Associated Press
28-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
A new coalition challenges Suriname's president after a close election
PARAMARIBO, Suriname (AP) — Suriname could soon have its first female president after a party led by a medical doctor formed a coalition aimed at ousting the South American country's current leader following a weekend election with no clear winner. Dr. Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, of the National Democratic Party, formed a coalition with five other parties late Tuesday as workers still tallied votes from Sunday's National Assembly election. The chamber chooses the president by a two-thirds vote. The coalition was formed as the troubled country prepares for an influx of wealth following the discovery of major offshore oil deposits, with the first production expected by 2028. The National Democratic Party has so far secured 18 seats in the 51-member National Assembly, while the Progressive Reform Party of President Chandrikapersad Santokhi clinched 17, losing three seats in the election. However, votes at some polling stations were still being counted, and recounts in some places were already underway in the Dutch-speaking country of more than 646,000 people. Once preliminary results are confirmed, the National Assembly would then meet to choose a president. The coalition headed by Geerlings-Simons so far appears to hold 34 seats, which would be just enough to muster a two-thirds majority. Geerlings-Simons took leadership of the National Democratic Party from Desi Bouterse, a former dictator convicted of murder who left the country in financial ruin. He died last year. Joining her to form a coalition was the Alternative 2020 party; the Brotherhood and Unity in Politics party; the General Liberation and Development Party founded by vice president and former rebel leader Ronnie Brunswijk; the National Party of Suriname; and the Pertjajah Luhur Party. The last three parties used to back Suriname's president in a coalition but recently have dropped their support, accusing him of not involving them in policy creation. Santokhi's five-year presidency also was riddled with corruption scandals, and he was forced to call on the International Monetary Fund to get Suriname's economy back on track. As a result, the country's nearly $4 million public debt was largely restructured and government subsidies reduced. Macroeconomically, Santokhi achieved success, but people groaned under the austerity measures, which sparked violent protests.
Bloomberg
28-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Suriname Election Deadlocks With Newfound Oil Bonanza at Stake
Suriname's political future hangs in the balance after the two main parties were virtually tied in Sunday's election, triggering intense coalition talks to determine who will get to manage the upcoming oil bonanza. Final results show the opposition National Democratic Party (NDP) clinching 18 seats, narrowly edging out the ruling Progressive Reform Party (VHP), which secured 17, according to the official count.
Bloomberg
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Election Deadlock Puts Suriname's Oil Bonanza in Play
Suriname's political future hangs in the balance after the two main parties were virtually tied in Sunday's election, triggering intense coalition talks to determine who will get to manage the upcoming oil bonanza. Final results show the opposition National Democratic Party (NDP) clinching 18 seats, narrowly edging out the ruling Progressive Reform Party (VHP), which secured 17, according to the official count.
Reuters
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Suriname's ruling party, opposition nearly tied in parliamentary election
PARAMARIBO, May 26 (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. 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 ( opens new tab. Discovered reserves may allow Suriname to compete with neighbor Guyana - whose economy grew 43.6% last year - as a prominent producer.
