Economic risks may mount in post-election Suriname
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Subject
The post-election outlook for Suriname.
Significance
The May 25 general election saw a clear victory for President Desi Bouterse and his Nationale Democratische Partij (NDP). For the first time since Suriname achieved independence in 1975, a single party gained a majority in parliament, with the NDP winning 26 seats in the 51-seat National Assembly. The election was a vindication of Bouterse's leadership style and the reforms that his NDP-led coalition enacted during the previous five years.
Impacts
- Overdependence on gold and bauxite will put finances at risk if global commodity prices remain weak.
- High levels of public sector employment will exacerbate concerns over levels of government revenues.
- Citizens have yet to become exercised by corruption concerns, but these may dampen the investment outlook.
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