By Mark McGowan
Controversial Leader of the Mega Combination Coalition Desi Bouterse has begun to engage other political parties about the possibility of forming a coalition government following Tuesday’s national election, in which his party secured the most seats, according to preliminary results.
Despite capturing some 23 of the 51 seats in the Parliament, the Mega Combination falls short of the two-thirds majority needed to name a new president and vice-president and three seats short of the majority that would have enabled it to pass laws on its own.
Reports coming out of Suriname yesterday stated that Bouterse, a former president of Suriname, was “personally talking with all the parties who have seats” but that nothing concrete had been decided as yet. It was said too that Bouterse has historically liked to work with the VHP, a predominantly East Indian party, which is currently part of the New Front Alliance, led by the incumbent Ronald Venetiaan. Venetiaan, however, has reportedly ruled out the possibility of forming a coalition with Bouterse.
According to the preliminary results released on Wednesday, the New Front Alliance (NFA) secured 14 seats; the A Combination (AC), a Maroon party led by Ronnie Brunswijk, captured seven seats; the Javanese party Volks Alliance led by Paul Somohardjo won six seats and Carl Breeveld’s Democracy, Development and Unity party, a Christian religious group, secured the remaining seat.
Based on these results, no two-thirds majority could be achieved in the Parliament without the involvement of the Mega Combination Alliance. This alliance consists of Bouterse’s National Democratic Party (NDP) and three other parties.
However, analysts have pointed out that it is also possible for the Mega Combination Alliance to assume office, should the vote be put to the People’s Assembly where the party can use its simple majority to become the next government. The People’s Assembly is a combination of the 51 Parliamentary representatives and the 868 regional and municipal representatives.
In Tuesday’s election, the Mega Combination Alliance captured 567 seats, the NFA 170 seats, the AC 150 and the Volks Alliance 21 seats at the regional and municipal level. The Democracy, Development and Unity party secured 12 seats.
The vote only goes to the People’s Assembly if after two rounds of voting in the National Assembly, no presidential candidate is chosen. Some analysts have said that Bouterse may insist on a vote in the People’s Assembly where his party’s simple majority can be used to elect a president and vice president and establish a government. Observers suggested that after doing this, the party will then move to merge with another group so that it could have a majority in the National Assembly. Failure to achieve this majority, would lead to a minority government being in place, which could be problematic especially during budget debates, observers have noted.
Bouterse, a convicted drug trafficker, is particularly popular among the grass roots and young people of Suriname. He and 11 others are currently being tried in a military court on charges of murder, for the killing of 15 opponents while he was head of a military junta in 1982.
However, it is not clear whether Bouterse will choose to become president. He has stayed clear of pronouncing definitively on this during his campaign, though in recent years he had spoken openly about wanting to be president again.
Bouterse, a former military sergeant, overthrew the government in 1980 and ruled until 1987 when he stepped down because of international pressure. He briefly seized power again in 1990.
During his campaign, Bouterse pledged that his party would bring significant change to the country’s education system, push the ICT sector, develop and consolidate the country’s major industries, create employment and transform the housing sector. He also promised major infrastructural development such as bridges leading to border countries, a highway from Suriname to Brazil, and a sea harbour.
In a brief exchange with this newspaper shortly after casting his ballot on Tuesday, Bouterse said should his government assume office one of the first agenda items would be to begin dialogue with neighbouring countries to see how they could co-operate and work in the best interest of both countries. Regarding Guyana, Bouterse said the governments of Guyana and Suriname had shared good relationships in the past, and he referred specifically to the 1980s.
He spoke about building a bridge across the Corentyne River but declined to elaborate on the controversial New River Triangle, which has been the source of a longstanding territorial dispute between Guyana and Suriname. New River is internationally recognized as being Guyana’s.
