PARAMARIBO, Suriname – Suriname's parliament has amended electoral law ahead of general elections to be held in 2025.
The changes were adopted unanimously by 46 votes on Friday evening.
The elections will be held on the basis of national proportionality instead of the district system, which means that there will be only one list of candidates nationally because Suriname has become a large constituency.
Adjustment of the laws became necessary after the Constitutional Court ruled in August 2022 that certain provisions in the Electoral Act were contrary to the Surinamese Constitution and some international human rights treaties to which Suriname is a party.
Earlier this year, various political parties had submitted bills to amend the Electoral Regulations and the Constitution.
Ultimately, after intensive discussions, they found each other and submitted a joint bill, after which the individual proposals were withdrawn. On Friday, most legislators said the amendment was necessary to ensure the progress of the 2025 elections.
Under the old system, candidates in Paramaribo, then the largest constituency, needed more than 7,000 votes to be elected as a member of parliament, while candidates in Coronie, the smallest constituency, only needed 300 votes to gain a seat in parliament. to obtain.
Small political parties have long advocated the introduction of the national proportionality system. Based on the district system, only the major established political parties previously managed to win seats in parliament and to ensure a win, those parties were forced to form pre-electoral combinations.
In the 2020 elections, pre-electoral alliances were banned, further reducing their chances of being elected.
With the new system, small political parties now have a greater chance of getting into the National Assembly.
According to President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, he will start working immediately to ensure good and fair elections.
The election machine and the various election authorities must now be prepared to operate on the basis of the amended law.
The head of state noted that the electoral system has been a point of discussion for years. Various groups have pointed out the injustice of the system.
The district system for the elections of the National Assembly and the distribution of seats per district, regulated in the Constitution and the Electoral Regulations, provided a disproportionate voting weight, according to Santokhi. He added that Suriname has built up a good reputation internationally in organizing and conducting elections correctly. “We must keep it that way and improve it together where possible,” said the head of state.
