Suriname electoral reform will boost re-election bid

Subject

Political and economic outlook.

Significance

President Desi Bouterse’s government has proposed a new electoral reform designed to come into effect before the presidential and legislative elections in 2020. The reform aims to ban electoral alliances between parties, which opposition groups have argued would unfairly disadvantage smaller political parties. It represents an attempt by the Bouterse administration to shore up its position going into the 2020 elections, amid an atmosphere of popular dissatisfaction with the government.

Impacts

• The reform would pave the way for a further NDP victory in 2020, when Bouterse will be 75 years old.
• The NDP will seek to maintain its legislative majority, which is likely to see a boost in social spending in the run-up to the elections.
• The dubious motivation behind the electoral reform is unlikely to deter investment; investors have largely priced in the NDP’s dominance.
• Although international influence in Suriname has waned, future interest in oil development could reverse this.