US embassy cable - 04PARAMARIBO515

UNCLAS  PARAMARIBO 000515 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR: MSEIBEL, AND FOR INR: RCARHART 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, NS, DESI BOUTERSE 
SUBJECT: FORMER MILITARY STRONGMAN DESI BOUTERSE'S PARTY 
NDP VOTES TO DISSOLVE SURINAME'S LARGEST OPPOSITION BLOC DUE TO 
INFIGHTING OVER BOUTERSE'S QUEST FOR THE PRESIDENCY 
 
REFS: (A) 03 PARAMARIBO 413, (B) 03 PARAMARIBO 77 
 
Sensitive but unclassified - please handle accordingly. 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (U)  Suriname's National Democratic Party (NDP), led by 
former military strongman Desi Bouterse, voted to dissolve 
the Millennium Combination, the country's largest opposition 
coalition, on July 12.  The move came after NDP's two 
coalition partners, Democratic Alternative (DA) and KTPI, 
publicly disparaged NDP's nomination of Bouterse for the 
presidency in the upcoming May 2005 elections.  (See Ref. 
A.) The move leaves NDP in control of seven out of the 
National Assembly's 51 seats, KTPI two, and Democratic 
Alternative one, and will have little practical effect in 
the National Assembly.  End Summary. 
 
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NDP VOTES TO DISSOLVE THE MILLENNIUM COMBINATION 
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2.  (U)  According to newspaper reports, Suriname's National 
Democratic Party (NDP), the party of former military 
strongman Desi Bouterse, voted on July 12 to dissolve the 
Millennium Combination (MC), the country's largest 
opposition group, ahead of the May 2005 elections.  Party 
representatives in the National Assembly and members of the 
NDP's steering group accepted the recommendation of local 
representatives from various districts made in an 
extraordinary meeting July 9.  This decision leaves NDP in 
control of seven of the National Assembly's 51 seats and 
former coalition partners Democratic Alternative (DA) and 
KTPI in control of one and two seats, respectively. 
 
3.  (U)  The move came after leaders of DA and KTPI publicly 
voiced opposition to NDP's nomination of Bouterse for the 
Presidency.  (See Ref. A.)  In the June 30 edition of local 
daily Dagblad Suriname, DA's chair Djagendre Ramkhelawan 
declared that the NDP did not consult with DA and KTPI about 
Bouterse's presidential candidacy.  He expressed surprise 
that NDP would support Bouterse as he had received an 11- 
year prison sentence from a Dutch court in 2000 for 
trafficking 474 kilos of cocaine and had an outstanding 
Interpol arrest warrant.  Ramkelawan also cited Bouterse's 
involvement in the December 1982 murders of 15 prominent 
community leaders, the subject of an ongoing investigation. 
(See Ref. B.)  If Bouterse were elected president, the 
international community would isolate Suriname, he said. 
KTPI chair, Willy Soemita echoed his concerns in a July 5 
Radio ABC talk show. 
 
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REACTIONS 
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4.  (U)  When asked for his reaction, Bouterse said he 
regretted NDP's decision but placed blame for the breakup of 
the coalition on Ramkhelawan and Soemita.  He reminded the 
public that the men are seasoned politicians who knew in 
advance that their actions would result in an appropriate 
response by the NDP.  Bouterse noted that the NDP would be 
speaking later with three unnamed political parties to 
explore possible alliances.  NDP Secretary Ramon Abrahams 
took a more diplomatic tact with his declaration that 
Bouterse's nomination was not a "take it or leave it" for 
the other parties in the MC while emphasizing NDP's intent 
to pursue Bouterse's nomination. 
 
5.  (U)  Abrahams cited results of a June poll conducted by 
the respected Institute for Development Oriented Studies 
(IDOS) as proof that there is growing support for the NDP. 
18% of 350 respondents in Paramaribo said they would vote 
for NDP, making it the largest party in Paramaribo. 
Abrahams claimed that the IDOS figures indicated that 
supporters of DNP 2000 led by former President Jules 
Wijdenbosch, a former Bouterse ally, are returning home to 
the NDP.  In a similar vein, he dismissed as insignificant, 
the Kankantrie movement led by NDP dissidents who are 
calling on Bouterse to renounce his presidential bid. 
 
6.  (U)  Another senior NDP representative, Henk Kotzebue, 
tempered NDP's bravado regarding the elections.  He confided 
to the Embassy that within the NDP talks are being held with 
Bouterse urging him to give way to NDP National Assembly 
Fraction leader Jenny Geerlings-Simons.  Kozebue said that, 
 
by persuading Bouterse to abandon his quest for the 
presidency, the party hopes to attract a large bloc of 
uncommitted voters.   (Note:  The latest IDOS poll indicated 
that 35.1% of respondents in Paramaribo were uncommitted. 
End Note.) 
 
7.  (U)  To date, neither Willy Soemita of KTPI or Djagendre 
Ramkhelawan could be reached for comment.  According to the 
July 12 edition of local daily De Ware Tijd, it is believed 
that these two political parties are in discussions with 
Wijdenbosch's DNP 2000 and the new coalition A1. 
 
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COMMENT 
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8.  (SBU)  NDP's decision to dissolve the Millennium 
Combination ten months ahead of the May 2005 elections shows 
the degree to which Bouterse and his supporters are willing 
to go to secure the presidency for Bouterse.  Despite his 
baggage (the December 1982 murders and the 11-year jail 
sentence in absentia), the charismatic Bouterse remains 
popular nationwide.  Bouterse failed in his attempt to 
control the Presidency through former President Jules 
Wijdenbosch in the 1996-2000 NDP government.  Tensions arose 
between the two men, which resulted in Wijdenbosch finally 
bolting from the NDP in 2000 to form his own party, DNP 
2000.  For this reason, Bouterse is not willing to make the 
same mistake again.  Some NDP insiders have told the Embassy 
that Bouterse is intent on getting a second chance at ruling 
the country since Bouterse, they claimed, had unwittingly 
allowed his first attempt at governing during the 1980-1987 
military regime to be hijacked by unruly elements.  There 
is, however, nothing in Bouterse's record since 1987 to 
suggest that he has evolved from a strongman to a democrat. 
 
9.  (SBU)  In a country where anything can happen, it is 
still too early to tell what impact the dissolution of the 
Millennium Combination will have on voters.  For now at 
least, the ruling New Front (NF) coalition appears to have 
gained a little ground from the disbanding of the most 
important opposition bloc.  Still, Surinamers are 
disillusioned with the Venetiaan administration's management 
of the economy, the slow pace toward development and reform, 
and the widespread perception that the administration has 
accomplished little during its tenure.  This is in spite of 
stabilizing the economy, which will see a 5% growth this 
year.  Surinamers yearn for tangible proof of a government's 
endeavors.  The bridges constructed during the Wijdenbosch 
administration remain a source of his continuing popularity. 
While a number of development projects are reportedly in the 
works, the NF coalition government may have waited too long 
to deliver the goods to woo voters in the run up to the 2005 
elections.  End Comment. 
 
BARNES 
 
 
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