❎🌐President Santokhi looks forward to the next election

President and VHP Party leader Chan Santokhi looks forward to next year’s election

The president and VHP (Vooruitstrevende Hervormings Partij) leader Chan Santokhi acknowledges the upcoming election campaign will be challenging but believes his party has a strong foundation for success. He has emphasized that the government has made bold moves to achieve stability and restore international trust, stressing that Suriname must avoid returning to past issues like poverty, mismanagement, and corruption after the May 2025 elections.

At a VHP meeting, the president highlighted accomplishments such as deficit reduction, IMF program implementation, subsidy reductions, the Final Investment Decision for offshore oil development, election system reforms, and debt restructuring that have improved the country's creditworthiness.

Santokhi has acknowledged that communication with the public could have been better and that various community issues still need attention. He has outlined his plans for neighborhood meetings to address and resolve local problems. In looking to the future, his goals are focused on strengthening institutions.

Santokhi has reiterated the importance of each vote and stated that stability has been achieved. The next phase will focus on growth, job creation, increased exports, and attracting investors to foster prosperity and expand VHP’s influence.

The President has also called on the IMF to ease restrictions on Suriname.

President Chan Santokhi has called on the IMF to ease certain restrictions on Suriname, noting that the government has met nearly all IMF targets, except for strengthening some institutions. He highlighted that projected revenues from the offshore oil industry provide increased financial security, and he expects the IMF to grant more flexibility.

Santokhi stressed that all recovery plan targets have been met, contributing to a stable economy that still requires institutional reinforcement, especially within the police, defense, customs, and tax departments.

Speaking to journalists, Santokhi noted he’s awaiting updates from Suriname's IMF delegation, led by Finance Minister Stanley Raghoebarsing and Central Bank Governor Maurice Roemer. He hopes the IMF will relax certain limitations, such as strict budget controls and restrictions on capital borrowing. Given the country’s stronger revenue outlook, Santokhi believes Suriname should have more flexibility under the IMF framework, with the potential for additional financial support from organizations like the IDB and World Bank.

The President aims to secure 150,000 votes and win next year’s election outright.

VHP chairman and president Chan Santokhi wants to secure over 150,000 votes and more than 26 seats, an increase from the VHP's 108,000 votes and 20 seats in the last election. Parmanand Sewdien, Minister of Agriculture and campaign manager has acknowledged problems but has emphasized the need for unity within the party.

The President will travel to COP 16 and COP 29 soon.

After visiting Aruba and Curaçao, President Chan Santokhi also traveled to Cali, Colombia, to attend the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity on October 29-30. He will be joined by Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin and Minister Marciano Dasai (Spatial Planning and Environment) to discuss biodiversity and sustainable development, especially in the Caribbean region.

COP16, with its focus on biodiversity, provides a platform for addressing global environmental challenges. Minister Ramdin has emphasized Suriname’s vital role in the Amazon due to its unique biodiversity. This participation allows Suriname to advocate for the protection of its rich natural resources, as biodiversity is crucial not only for the environment but also for economic and social development. Unlike previous COP meetings, which centered on climate change, COP16 offers an opportunity to prioritize biodiversity, which Ramdin views as equally essential, supporting food security and economic resilience.

During the conference, President Santokhi will also hold bilateral talks, including a meeting with Colombian President Gustavo Petro to further strengthen collaboration on trade, environmental protection, and security.

At COP 29, President Santokhi will discuss Suriname’s climate and carbon-negative status.

President Chan Santokhi will travel to Azerbaijan for the 29th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin noted that it is customary for the president to attend COP29 and emphasized the importance of conveying Suriname’s position on climate issues. He stated that Suriname prioritizes remaining carbon-negative, a status that has not been compromised despite over a century of mining activity.

In Baku, the president will highlight Suriname's commitment to environmentally friendly resource development in line with international management standards, including ongoing efforts to implement advanced technology for oil extraction that prioritizes environmental considerations.

Ramdin has criticized wealthier nations for creating regulations that disproportionately affect developing countries, claiming that these actions would be discriminatory and unjust. He argued that significant climate change efforts must come from developed nations and pointed out that Suriname contributes to reducing carbon emissions.

Additionally, Suriname plans to launch a new alliance with Bhutan and Panama, other countries that are carbon-negative, alongside carbon-neutral nations like Madagascar and the Comoros. The aim is to support these nations in maintaining their carbon status.

Indigenous communities have called on the international community to pay attention to Indigenous rights in Suriname.

Jennifer Vreedzaam, a member of the National Assembly (NDP) and part of the Indigenous community, has called on the international community to pay attention to recent violations of Indigenous people's rights in Suriname, including a proposed law that the government intends to submit.

During the First Peoples Heritage Week from October 10-17, 2024, in Trinidad and Tobago, Vreedzaam took the opportunity to raise awareness about these rights violations with the President of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. She emphasized the need for international awareness as Indigenous communities face land theft, criminalization, and violence in Suriname.

She criticized the current government for facilitating invasions of Indigenous living areas, claiming that the protection of Indigenous peoples is under pressure due to a policy that resembles a dictatorial approach characterized by unilateral information dissemination, a lack of transparency, and displays of power. She has stated that Indigenous communities continue to face land allocations to third parties near their communities. President Santokhi recently assured the public that the proposed "land rights" law will be processed through parliament, but Vreedzaam argues that this proposal ignores the original rights of Indigenous peoples and contradicts the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

She has criticized the government's failure to use the principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) to enhance participation and communication regarding the proposed law. Vreedzaam is seeking international support to remind the government to protect Indigenous rights as established in international UN treaties, particularly concerning the Kalina and Lokono ruling, where Suriname was condemned by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in 2015.