Former dictator’s political party in Suriname says it is close to forming coalition government

Former Suriname dictator’s party seeks coalition

PARAMARIBO, Suriname — The political party of a former dictator that led voting in Suriname’s legislative elections said Tuesday it is close to forming a coalition government.

A proposed agreement with another smaller party would give former military ruler Desi Bouterse and his allies a majority in the South American country’s parliament, but not the two-thirds majority needed to name a president.

“As things stand I have no doubt that we will reach an agreement,” said Claire Linger, an official with Bouterse’s National Democratic Party. She declined to provide details of the negotiations.

Bouterse told a local radio station Tuesday night that he is working to find enough coalition partners to give him two-thirds support in parliament and said he plans to seek the presidency.

“Whoever wants to come on board is welcome and whoever doesn’t is fine with me,” he told Sky Radio.

Bouterse, a two-time coup leader who was convicted in a Dutch court of drug trafficking but never served time, now faces a trial at home in the slaying of 15 political opponents during his reign in the 1980s.

His Mega Combination bloc won 23 of parliament’s 51 seats in last week’s election. Bouterse kept up a following as chairman of the largest opposition party in this former Dutch colony and boosted his support among young and poor voters with campaign promises of more jobs and affordable housing.

The other party in the negotiations is the People’s Alliance, led by the outgoing parliament chairman, Paul Somohardjo, who left the governing coalition two months before the election to form his own party. The Alliance has six seats in parliament.

Suriname’s president is not directly elected by voters. A candidate requires a two-thirds majority vote of parliament members to become president. If a leader is not chosen in two rounds, the choice goes to the People’s Assembly, comprising 868 members of regional councils across the country.