Caribbean & Central America - October 2019

On 15 August, the CEO of Suriname’s state-owned oil company Staatsolie, Rudolf Elias, pronounced that the company would make its first significant oil discovery within three weeks. He was wrong. The Kankantrie well proved dry. And after the disappointment at Kankantrie, Elias said: “The chance of success for Suriname and Staatsolie has never been greater. Partly because of the oil discoveries in Guyana. We are in the same basin with the same parent rock where the oil was made. The chance that we or one of our partners will find oil is simply very high.” That seems likely to be right, but it won’t be in time to help President Desi Bouterse or the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) with its re-election bid in May 2020.

Nevertheless, despite its poor fiscal position, the government is stepping up its pre-election spending, especially in deprived areas, seeking to strengthen its position in these areas with spending on such things as roads and drinking water. Ministers, and the president himself, have been visiting the interior.

The NDP appears to be fearful that the Maroon-oriented General Liberation and Development Party (ABOP) of former rebel leader Ronnie Brunswijk is gaining ground in the interior. And it seems that ABOP and the National Party of Suriname (NPS) may be contemplating an electoral collaboration, although this might be to the detriment of the NPS in the city and coastal areas.

Bouterse’s main opponent remains Chan Santokhi of the Progressive Reform Party (VHP). Under Santokhi’s leadership, the VHP is trying to shed its ethnic-East Indian image and is also becoming active in the interior, which until now had been the exclusive domain of African-Surinamese parties. However, the multi-ethnic approach may put off some of its natural supporters of East Indian descent. Meanwhile, the State Press Office, which is completely staffed by NDP supporters, is increasingly openly playing the race card and warning against East Indian influence. The NDP has no candidates who will appeal to Hindu voters.