NPS agrees to altering voting system in 2025

The main board of the National Party Suriname (NPS) on Friday summoned the members of the party to discuss its position on the government’s plans to alter the voting system. The NPS has made it clear that changes to the voting system must be implemented in 2025 and not sooner. The party concluded that the NDP government is hastily trying to get the bill aimed at banning the formation of political blocs adopted in parliament before the general elections of 2020.

“The only proposal of the NDP is only aimed at forbidding political alliances between the political parties in Suriname prior to the elctions”, said the chairman of the NPS, Gregory Rusland who added that he gets the impression that the government is pulling out all stops to make sure that the National Democratic Party (NDP) stays in power. The NPS first got the impression during the discussions with council advisor Jules Wijdenbosch who prepared the bill after consultations with the nation’s political parties. That is why the NPS pulled out of the discussions. Other political parties reportedly put several proposals on the table. The NPS made it clear that the contents of the amendment bill must be reviewed after the elections of 2020. Rusland pointed out that now is not the time to change the voting system. The chairman of the NPS who is also a legislator explained that haste makes waste and that significant changes such as the amendment bill could have a huge impact on the general elections of 2020 which is why we must tread carefully.”