Suriname, the only Dutch-speaking country in the Caribbean, will hold its general elections on Sunday. These elections are very important. The party that wins will lead the country into a new era. Big money from oil and gas will start flowing in 2028. This could change Suriname’s future.
More than a dozen parties want seats in the 51-member national assembly. But polls show that fewer than six will win many seats. The election will decide who runs the government and how the new oil money is shared.
The top party is the VHP Hindustani Party. It is led by President Chan Santokhi. Santokhi used to be a police chief and justice minister. His party won 20 seats in 2020. This time, polls say they will get 14 to 17 seats. That means they need to team up with others to govern.
Another big party is the National Democratic Party (NDP). It was once led by Desi Bouterse. Bouterse was a military leader. His party wants to win back power.
The National Party of Suriname (NPS) also tries to get seats. It is led by Greg Rusland, a former minister. The NPS helped Suriname become independent in 1975.
The ABOP party is led by Vice President Ronnie Brunswijk. It is popular with the Maroon community. The party has many loyal voters.
Pertjajah Luhur (PL) is another party. It mainly gets votes from people of Indonesian-Javanese descent. The party was once led by Bronto Somohardjo, a former minister.
Suriname has many ethnic groups. Its governments often work as coalitions. In 2020, the VHP led a coalition and took power from the NDP.
This time, the VHP and ABOP may join again. But two parties from the last coalition, NPS and PL, left. They said there was too much corruption and favoritism.
The new government will prepare Suriname for its oil boom. The country will celebrate 50 years of independence in November. This will be a key moment.
This year, President Santokhi started a program to share oil money. The plan aims to pay every Surinamese citizen from $750 to $1,400 yearly by 2028.
“Enough with the poverty!” Santokhi said. “This money comes from one source, Block 58. More sources are coming. Surinamese will live well.”
Some say this plan is just to get votes. Suriname has rising prices and its money is losing value. The Surinamese dollar fell from about 10 to 40 per US dollar. The country has had to follow tough rules from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The government says it may not accept another IMF deal.
Big oil companies are moving fast. Petronas from Malaysia, Total Energies from France, Shell, Chevron, and Qatar Energy plan to drill wells this year in the Suriname Basin.
Last year, Total Energies said it would spend $10.5 billion on a big oil field near Guyana’s border. This could bring a lot of money but also new challenges.
Before the election, some worry about money problems. Ashwin Adhin, former vice president and NDP candidate, spoke at a rally.
He said, “This government says the national debt is $3.7 billion. But if you add debts from state companies, it is $5.3 billion. This should worry us all.”
Prices are going up. The Surinamese dollar is weak. Voters must think hard. The new leaders will have to fix these problems while handling new oil wealth.
Sunday’s vote will decide Suriname’s future. The new leaders will get the country ready for oil money. They will also try to help people now struggling with poverty.
Surinamese voters face a big choice. They want hope and jobs. They want peace and fairness. This election will shape the country’s path for years to come.
