Countries of the World/COUNTRYS.BIN/dp/0344/03443.txt

Text File | 1991-06-25 | 16KB | 453 lines

$Unique_ID{COW03443}
$Pretitle{439}
$Title{Suriname
Fact Sheet}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Ministry of Foreign Affairs}
$Affiliation{Embassy of Suriname, Washington DC}
$Subject{suriname
government
district
council
president
tel
country
embassy
national
species}
$Date{1990}
$Log{}
Country:     Suriname
Book:        Background Notes on Suriname
Author:      Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Affiliation: Embassy of Suriname, Washington DC
Date:        1990

Fact Sheet

     * Government and Constitution

     * Directory

     * The Government

     * Legislature

     * Political Organisations

The President

     The President of the Republic of Suriname is the Head of State, Leader of
Government, the Chairman of the State Council, and Commander in Chief of the
Armed Forces. The President directs our foreign policy, the implementation of
which forms the responsibilities of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. On the
basis of the election results, the President from the Government. In him
reposes the executive power and he is accountable to the National Assembly.

The Vice President

     The Vice-President of Suriname is the Chairman of the Cabinet of
Ministers (R.v.M.). In case of death, dismissal, absence from Suriname or
illness of the President, the Vice-President takes his place. The
Vice-President coordinates government policy.

The Council of State

     The President leads the State Council. This body monitors and evaluates
the operation of the Government. It has the power to rescind a cabinet
decision which violates the constitution. The President however, has the final
word. Similarly the Government can consult the State Council about draft laws
and cabinet decisions.

     The State council comprises of 14 representatives from the:

     a) political parties possessing parliamentary places - 10 seats

     b) combined labour movement - 2 seats

     c) combined business community - 1 seat

     d) national army - 1 seat

The Cabinet of Ministers

     The President appoints and dismisses the members of the ministerial
cabinet, the highest executive body of the Government. The cabinet takes
collective decisions to govern the entire country. In certain cases junior
ministers have been named in order to strengthen the political leadership.

     Our constitution  deals with the concept of "The separation of Powers".
The Legislative, the Executive and the Judiciary must constitutionally be
separate and distinct. In every case must the power repose in different
persons. In this way our country is more efficiently governed. Similarly this
political system eschews dictatorship. The Court of Justice is the highest
judicial institution responsible for administration of justice. The Judiciary
is made up of the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of the Judiciary. Justices
of the Court, the Attorney General and Officers attached to the Director of
Public Prosecutions. The Judiciary carries the onus of guaranteeing legal
justice in our country. The Court of Justice comprises independent judges
appointed by the Government, and its task is to check on the systematic
sitting for the hearing and settling of cases. The constitutional Court is
another judicial institution prescribed by our constitution. It is competent
to rule in cases involving violations of the Constitution.

Regional Councils

     Besides the National Assembly, the institution for the highest level of
popular representation in our country, the people have representatives at two
additional levels. These are at the levels of the Community or Village
Councils and the District Councils.

The Community of Village Council

     All districts are divided into local government communities according to
the number of persons residing in that district. Via secret balloting at free
general elections, the inhabitants elect representatives to the local
community council. These elected councillors champion the wishes of their
constituents at the meeting of the District Council.

The District Council

     The District Council is the highest political institution in a district.
The number of places on it is decided upon according to a set of norms. The
District Council is also an elected body and is empowered to pass legally
binding measures for the communities falling within that district. The
District Councillors keep the Community/Village councillors informed of
measures passed and positions taken at the district level. The District
Council is responsible for running the district under the leadership of the
District Commissioner, the D.C.

     The new Government takes a serious approach to the financial-economic
crisis situation which the country is now in, and has been for some years
now. It is attempting to reduce the financial deficit to an acceptable level
by dropping expenditure and raising income. The rehabilitation of the office
of the Director of Public Audit is a government move to give substance to its
package of measures in this direction. A structural norm for disbursements
and a long-term budget are in the offing. These measures target a more
efficient link-up between the government budget and the national development
plan.

The Long-term Development Programme

     The drafting of a long-term development plan has a triple goal:

     * make a bid to engender stable growth in the economy

     * reduce the internal and international debt of our country to a
reasonable level

     * relate import-as far as possible to export

     At the moment, the general picture is geared toward arresting the
economic down-turn and gradually restoring growth. We can, therefore divide
the long-term development programme into three phases : emergency,
reconstruction and growth.

     The Emergency Phase : Here the tasks will be to stop the raise in
unemployment, and similarly call a halt to the impoverishment of the
population.

     The Reconstruction Phase: The tasks here will be to aim at
reconstructing the economy and creating job opportunities.

     The Long-Term Growth Phase: Here the task is to achieve a clear increase
in national income, job opportunities and the volume of investments.

     In order to engender total development, the Government is planning to
have the massive West Suriname Project evaluated anew. This step forms part
of a package of moves involving policy and implementation. In all this an
important role has been assigned to the National Planning Bureau. Government
has abandoned centralisation as a policy-model aiming to force a
break-through in the stagnation existing in the national production.

     More scope is offered to the business community, naturally under the
supervision of the Government.

Suriname heart of pure nature

     Suriname is often called "A paradise for lovers of nature and culture.

     It was Alonso de Ojeda, a captain in Columbus' fleet, who first sighted
the original inhabitants of Suriname, the Amerindians. Afterwards there were
foreign rules such as the British, the French and the Dutch, and Suriname
changed hands many a time until the country became independent in 1975. Today,
Suriname is headed by a President who is elected by a 51-member National
Assembly.

     The variegated population- a colonial heritage- is comprised of
Amerindians, Negroes, Hindustani (Eastindians), Javanese, Chinese and Whites.

     The official language is Dutch. English is widely spoken. The major
native languages are: Sranan Tongo (the lingua franca), Sarnami Hindustani,
Surinamese Javanese and Chinese.

Climate

     The climate is tropical and there are two rainy seasons: the main one
from April to July and a shorter one during December and January. The most
pleasant time of the year is the short dry season between February and April
and the dry months of September and October.

     Temperatures are high throughout the year, between 70 degrees and 90F,
(21 degrees and 32C) with very little seasonal change. The humidity degree
varies between 75 and 87.

     Suriname lies outside