Surinamese legislative election, 2005
Encyclopedia
The 2005 Surinamese legislative elections were held in Suriname
on 25 May 2005. The governing New Front for Democracy and Development
of president
Ronald Venetiaan
lost seats, remaining the largest party but failing to get a majority in the National Assembly of Suriname
. Despite this Venetiaan was re-elected as president after obtaining sufficient support to win a majority in the election for president.
in 1975 and in 1980 a coup
brought the military to power. By 1982 Desi Bouterse
had become head of state and remained in effective control of Suriname until international pressure led to a return to democracy in 1991. The 1991 election saw the opposition New Front for Democracy and Development win the election and Ronald Venetiaan became president for the first time.
In the 1996 election Venetiaan and the New Front were defeated by National Democratic Party
(NDP) led by a former aide to Bouterse, Jules Wijdenbosch
. However soaring inflation
meant a new election was called one year early in 2000. The New Front won a big victory in the 2000 election winning 33 of the 51 seats, compared to 7 for the NDP, and 5 for the People's Alliance for Progress
of Jules Wijdenbosch who had broken away from the NDP. As a result Venetiaan became president for a second time.
Ronald Venetiaan being seen as the most popular candidate for president. The New Front campaigned on their economic record for the previous five years in power.
Both the Netherlands, the former colonial ruler of Suriname, and the United States
said that relations with Suriname would suffer if the main opposition party, the National Democratic Party
, led by Desi Bouterse came back to power. Bouterse had been convicted in the Netherlands for drug smuggling
and was accused of involvement in the killing of 15 people in 1982 when he was the military ruler of Suriname. Bouterse, however denied the charges and accused the United States of interfering in the election. Bouterse was popular among many poorer and young voters who had not benefited from the economic changes made by Ronald Venetiaan's government. His campaign slogan was "Des for Pres".
Two parties of international election monitors
from the Organization of American States
(OAS) and the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM) were sent to observe the election. The observers from CARICOM congratulated Suriname on the conduct of the election and described the behaviour of the people of Suriname as an example for the Caribbean
. The OAS observers also described the election as having been peaceful and having taken place in a friendly atmosphere.
of former president Jules Wijdenbosch. Two political parties made allegations of fraud in the election but the Independent Election Authority did not find them to be justified.
In the first two rounds of the presidential election 27 members of the parliament voted for the New Front candidate, incumbent president Ronald Venetiaan, while 20 voted for Rabin Parmessar. As neither candidate received a two-thirds majority, the election was taken to the People’s Assembly. In the People’s Assembly, which was composed of members of parliament, provincial and district councils, a simple majority was required to be elected president. In the election on 3 August 2005 Venetiaan won 560 votes as against 315 for Parmessar and so was re-elected as president of Suriname.
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
on 25 May 2005. The governing New Front for Democracy and Development
New Front for Democracy and Development
The New Front for Democracy and Development is a Social democratic political alliance in Suriname....
of president
President of Suriname
The President of the Republic of Suriname is, in accordance with the Constitution of 1987, the head of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of Suriname....
Ronald Venetiaan
Ronald Venetiaan
Ronald Runaldo Venetiaan served as the 6th and 8th President of Suriname. His first term as president ran from 1991 to 1996 after which he lost in the elections to Jules Wijdenbosch...
lost seats, remaining the largest party but failing to get a majority in the National Assembly of Suriname
National Assembly of Suriname
The National Assembly is the Parliament, representing the legislative branch of government in the Republic of Suriname. It is a unicameral legislature...
. Despite this Venetiaan was re-elected as president after obtaining sufficient support to win a majority in the election for president.
Background
Suriname became independent from the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in 1975 and in 1980 a coup
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
brought the military to power. By 1982 Desi Bouterse
Dési Bouterse
Desiré Delano "Dési" Bouterse is the 9th and current President of Suriname.As an army officer, he was the de facto leader of Suriname through most of the 1980s, serving as Chairman of the National Military Council...
had become head of state and remained in effective control of Suriname until international pressure led to a return to democracy in 1991. The 1991 election saw the opposition New Front for Democracy and Development win the election and Ronald Venetiaan became president for the first time.
In the 1996 election Venetiaan and the New Front were defeated by National Democratic Party
National Democratic Party (Suriname)
The National Democratic Party is a political party in Suriname. It was founded in 1987 shortly before the downfall of military dictator Dési Bouterse....
(NDP) led by a former aide to Bouterse, Jules Wijdenbosch
Jules Wijdenbosch
Jules Albert Wijdenbosch is a politician in Suriname. He was a member of the National Democratic Party, which held absolute power in Suriname during the 1980s. He was Prime Minister from April 1987 until January 1988, Vice President from January 1991 until September 1991, and President from...
. However soaring inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
meant a new election was called one year early in 2000. The New Front won a big victory in the 2000 election winning 33 of the 51 seats, compared to 7 for the NDP, and 5 for the People's Alliance for Progress
People's Alliance for Progress
The People's Alliance for Progress is a political alliance in Suriname, led by Jules Wijdenbosch.At the last legislative elections , the alliance won 14.5% of the popular vote and 5 out of 51 seats in the National Assembly.The alliance is formed by:*Democratic National Platform 2000 *Basic Party...
of Jules Wijdenbosch who had broken away from the NDP. As a result Venetiaan became president for a second time.
Campaign
383 candidates spread over ten parties and alliances contested the election, with opinion polls and political analysts in the run up to the election showing that approximately 30% of voters were unsure of whom to vote for. The governing New Front was expected to lose seats in the election despite incumbentIncumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Ronald Venetiaan being seen as the most popular candidate for president. The New Front campaigned on their economic record for the previous five years in power.
Both the Netherlands, the former colonial ruler of Suriname, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
said that relations with Suriname would suffer if the main opposition party, the National Democratic Party
National Democratic Party (Suriname)
The National Democratic Party is a political party in Suriname. It was founded in 1987 shortly before the downfall of military dictator Dési Bouterse....
, led by Desi Bouterse came back to power. Bouterse had been convicted in the Netherlands for drug smuggling
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
and was accused of involvement in the killing of 15 people in 1982 when he was the military ruler of Suriname. Bouterse, however denied the charges and accused the United States of interfering in the election. Bouterse was popular among many poorer and young voters who had not benefited from the economic changes made by Ronald Venetiaan's government. His campaign slogan was "Des for Pres".
Two parties of international election monitors
Election monitoring
Election monitoring is the observation of an election by one or more independent parties, typically from another country or a non-governmental organization , primarily to assess the conduct of an election process on the basis of national legislation and international standards. There are national...
from the Organization of American States
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
(OAS) and the Caribbean Community
Caribbean Community
The Caribbean Community is an organisation of 15 Caribbean nations and dependencies. CARICOM's main purposes are to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, to ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and to coordinate foreign policy...
(CARICOM) were sent to observe the election. The observers from CARICOM congratulated Suriname on the conduct of the election and described the behaviour of the people of Suriname as an example for the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. The OAS observers also described the election as having been peaceful and having taken place in a friendly atmosphere.
Results
No party or alliance won a majority of the seats in the election and none came close to getting the two-thirds of seats required to elect a new president. The New Front for Democracy and Development won 23 seats a drop of 10 from the previous parliament, while the opposition National Democratic Party over doubled their number of seats to 15. There was surprise at the performance of the new A-Combination alliance which won 5 seats, the same number as the People's Alliance for ProgressPeople's Alliance for Progress
The People's Alliance for Progress is a political alliance in Suriname, led by Jules Wijdenbosch.At the last legislative elections , the alliance won 14.5% of the popular vote and 5 out of 51 seats in the National Assembly.The alliance is formed by:*Democratic National Platform 2000 *Basic Party...
of former president Jules Wijdenbosch. Two political parties made allegations of fraud in the election but the Independent Election Authority did not find them to be justified.
Aftermath
Following the election the National Assembly had two months to elect a president who would then appoint a government. The New Front party reached an agreement at the beginning of June to bring the A Combination alliance into government giving them a majority in parliament but still short of the two-thirds required to elect a president. The leader of the National Democratic Party, Bouterse, did not stand in the presidential election after reaching an agreement with the People's Alliance for Progress to back Rabin Parmessar.In the first two rounds of the presidential election 27 members of the parliament voted for the New Front candidate, incumbent president Ronald Venetiaan, while 20 voted for Rabin Parmessar. As neither candidate received a two-thirds majority, the election was taken to the People’s Assembly. In the People’s Assembly, which was composed of members of parliament, provincial and district councils, a simple majority was required to be elected president. In the election on 3 August 2005 Venetiaan won 560 votes as against 315 for Parmessar and so was re-elected as president of Suriname.