Bouterse defends pardoning of foster son

(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – President Desi Bouterse says that pardoning his foster son Romano Meriba was justified. The President thinks that some social aspects are confused, but that people should not forget that we live in Suriname and are used to other kinds of family relations. What people are trying to do is shifting the focus on other things through political jousting. Bouterse says that addressing someone with aunty does not necessarily mean that the person is related to his parents. The head of state will take another week to find a solution for the complex problem of the music copyrights. ‘I’d hoped to have solved this matter before the week was over, but now I see that I’ll need at least another week.’ The President hopes to find a solution that will suit all interested parties, including the Association of Radio and Television Corporations VRTS and the Association of Show Organizers on the one hand and Sasur on the other. Bouterse says that he has been holding hearings with all stakeholders and that he needs the peace to solve this matter in the right way. ‘We know what we’re doing, but we want a national feeling to have things go the right way. There are a few bottlenecks that still need to be taken care of.’ The President informed journalists on this issue after decorating staff from the Bureau for Statistics.