GOVERNMENT
The Republic of Suriname is a constitutional democracy based on the 1987 constitution. The legislative branch of government consists of a 51-member unicameral National Assembly, simultaneously and popularly elected for a 5-year term.
The executive branch is headed by the president, who is elected by a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly or, failing that, by a majority of the People's Assembly for a 5-year term. If at least two-thirds of the National Assembly cannot agree to vote for one presidential candidate, a People's Assembly is formed from all National Assembly delegates and regional and municipal representatives who were elected by popular vote in the most recent national election. A vice president, normally elected at the same time as the president, needs a simple majority in the National Assembly or People's Assembly to be elected for a 5-year term. As head of government, the president appoints a cabinet of ministers, currently numbered at 17 and apportioned among the various political parties represented in the ruling coalition. There is no constitutional provision for removal or replacement of the president unless he resigns.
A 15-member State Advisory
Council advises the president in the conduct of policy. Eleven
of the 15 council seats are allotted by proportional representation
of all political parties represented in the National Assembly.
The president chairs the council, and two seats are allotted to
representatives of labor, and two are to employers' organizations.
The judiciary is headed by
the Court of Justice (Supreme Court). This court supervises the
magistrate courts. Members are appointed for life by the president
in consultation with the National Assembly, the State Advisory
Council, and the National Order of Private Attorneys.
The country is divided into
10 administrative districts, each headed by a district commissioner
appointed by the president. The commissioner is similar to the
governor of a U.S. State but serves at the president's pleasure.
NATIONAL
SECURITY
Surinamese armed forces consist of the national army, air force, navy, and military police, which are collectively referred to as the “national army,” under the control of the Minister of Defense. A smaller civil police force is under the authority of the Minister of Justice and Police. The national armed forces comprise some 2,500 personnel, the majority of whom are deployed as light infantry security forces. The Netherlands has provided limited military assistance to the Surinamese armed forces since the election of a democratic government in 1991. In recent years, the U.S. has provided training to military officers and policymakers to promote a better understanding of the role of the military in a civilian government, as well as to improve the professional capabilities of its officers and senior personnel. The U.S. also provides assistance and training for disaster preparedness and mitigation as well as significant support for humanitarian aid projects. Since the mid-1990s, the People's Republic of China has provided small amounts of military equipment and logistical material to the Surinamese armed forces. The Netherlands, France, Venezuela, and Brazil also have working relationships with the Surinamese military.
Suriname's borders are porous; largely uninhabited, unguarded, and ungoverned rain forest and rivers make up the eastern, western, and southern borders, and the navy's capability to police Suriname's northern Atlantic coast is limited. Protecting natural resources from illegal exploitation such as unlicensed gold mining is difficult, and significant tax revenue is lost. Porous borders also make Suriname a target for transshipment of drugs.
Principal
Government Officials
President--Runaldo Ronald Venetiaan
Vice President--Ramdien Sardjoe
Foreign Minister--Lygia Kraag-Keteldijk
Ambassador to U.S.--Jaques R. Kross
Ambassador to UN--Henry MacDonald
Ambassador to OAS--Jaques R. Kross
Suriname
maintains an embassy
in the United States at 4301 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 460, Washington,
DC 20008 (tel. 202-244-7488; fax 202-244-5878). There also is
a Suriname consulate general at 7235 NW 19th St., Suite A, Miami,
FL 33136 (tel. 305-593-2163).
Government Type: Constitutional
democracy.
Constitution: September 30, 1987.
Independence: November 25, 1975.
Branches: Executive--president, vice president, Council
of Ministers. Legislative--elected 51-member National Assembly
made up of representatives of political parties. Judicial--Court
of Justice.
Administrative subdivisions: 10 districts.
Political parties: Governing Coalition--National Party
of Suriname (NPS), Progressive Reform Party (VHP), Pertjaja Luhur,
Suriname Workers Party (SPA). Other parties in the National Assembly--Democratic
Alternative '91 (DA 91), Democratic National Platform (DNP) 2000,
Political Wing of the FAL (Federation of Agricultural Workers),
Progressive Workers and Farmers Union (PALU), National Democratic
Party (NDP), Democratic Party (DP), Javanese Indonesian Peasants
Party (KTPI), Independent Progressive Democratic Alternative (OPDA).
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
