Suriname: Youth vote critical in upcoming Suriname election

The South-American country Suriname will elect a new parliament next Tuesday. The youth vote is hotly contested in this young nation. Sharon Wijnaldum (23) checked out a video clip featuring popular local rap artist Laco on her Blackberry. The rapper gazed into her eyes from behind the minute screen, as a sexy singer crooned along to the lyrics in the background: 'Moro internet, moro produktie, moro doro!' Surinamese for, 'more internet, more production, more is to come!' 

These words are not the lyrics to Laco's latest hit. They are the NPS's (Surinamese National Party) electoral slogan, accompanied by a thumping beat. A remarkable choice for the party of the 73-year-old incumbent president, Ronald Venetiaan, which suffers under a somewhat dreary reputation.

In the last election, Wijnaldum, a student at the Surinamese teacher's college, voted for the NDP (National Democratic Party), the party of former junta leader Desi Bouterse. The Laco video clip took her by surprise. "I had never expected this from the NPS," she said. "They always seemed so boring. I don't know anybody who votes for them, or at least no one who will admit to it, but this is pretty cool."

Note EU-Digest: Polls show that the so called  'Mega Front' of former Suriname dictator Desi Bouterse will be the likely winner of the election on May 25. Bouterse's name is closely bound with the military regime that controlled Suriname from 1980 until the beginning of the 1990s Mr. Bouterse is presently wanted by Interpol on charges related to his involvement in Cocaine distribution and also on trial in Suriname for the murder of political foes on December 8, 1982 known today in Suriname as the "December Murders" when 15 prominent opponents of the military regime were shot dead.Suriname used to be a colony of the Netherlands before it became independent in 1975.

For the complete report: nrc.nl - International - Youth vote critical in upcoming Suriname election