Two parties out of Suriname ruling coalition

(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – VHP legislator Asiskumar Gajadien is not surprised the coalition has fewer members now, as this was to be expected. During a coalition conference Monday evening, it was decided to discard partners BEP and Nieuw Suriname, so the governing coalition now has 32 instead of 36 seats in Parliament.

NPS Parliamentarian Ruth Wijdenbosch does not want to comment on the recent developments within the coalition, telling the paper it is an internal matter and she would rather await further developments. Winston Jessurun (DA’91) had speculated earlier that the reshuffling was used as a threat to coalition members to get the Amnesty Act through Parliament. “And now this turns out to be true. Those who did not agree have been cast aside,” he concludes. Gajadien believes everyone within the coalition should agree with the vision and ideas of “one person.” He thinks even more coalition members will be discarded, as “there is no respect for members’ individual opinions.” He suspects it is a direct consequence of the four legislators’ decision to walk away during the vote on the Amnesty Act.