National Democratic Party (Suriname)
The National Democratic Party (Dutch: Nationale Democratische Partij, NDP) is a political party in Suriname. It was founded on 4 July 1987 by Surinamese leader Dési Bouterse, and was one of the first parties in the country to have a stable base of support across different ethnic groups. In the 2015 general election the party scored 45.56% of the vote and 26 of 51 seats in parliament.[1]
National Democratic Party Nationale Democratische Partij | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | NDP |
| President | Dési Bouterse |
| Founder | Dési Bouterse |
| Founded | 4 July 1987 |
| Ideology | Social democracy[citation needed] Left-wing nationalism[citation needed] Left-wing populism[citation needed] Historical: Socialism[citation needed] |
| Political position | Centre-left[citation needed] to left-wing[citation needed] |
| Seats in the National Assembly | 16 / 51 |
| Website | |
| ndpsuriname.com/ | |
NDP chairman Bouterse was elected President of Suriname on 19 July 2010, after he won the 2010 elections with his Mega Combination of which the NDP was the dominant party. The party won the 2015 elections as well, winning 26 seats against an alliance of 7 (later 6) opposition parties.
In the 2020 elections, the NDP won 16 of the 51 seats. Dési Bouterse lost the presidency and he was succeeded by opposition leader Chan Santokhi. The opposition parties formed a new coalition government. The NDP subsequently became the main opposition party.[2]
Foundation edit
The NDP was formed from a reorganisation of the Vijfentwintig Februari Beweging (VFB, February Twenty-Five Movement),[3] a political movement established on 24 November 1983 by Dési Bouterse and the ruling military junta.[4]
Electoral results edit
| Election | Votes | +/– votes | % of votes | No. of overall seats won | +/– seats | % of seats | Districts won | Government | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 16,000 | new | 9% | 3 / 51 | 3 | 5% | Opposition | ||
| 1991 | 34,429 | 18,429 | 22% | 12 / 51 | 8 | 23% | Opposition | ||
| 1996 | 45,466 | 11,037 | 26% | 16 / 51 | 4 | 31% | Coalition | ||
| 2000 | 27,657 | 17,809 | 15% | 7 / 51 | 9 | 13% | Opposition | Millenium Combinatie alliance | |
| 2005 | 48,879 | 21,222 | 23% | 15 / 51 | 8 | 29% | Opposition | ||
| 2010 | 95,543 | 46,664 | 40% | 18 / 51 | 4 | 37% | Coalition | Mega Combinatie alliance | |
| 2015 | 117,205 | 21,662 | 45% | 26 / 51 | 7 | 50% |
| Majority | |
| 2020 | 65,862 | 51,343 | 24% | 16 / 51 | 10 | 31% |
| Opposition |
References edit
- ^ Star Nieuws retrieved 28 May 2015
- ^ "Suriname election: Convicted murderer Dési Bouterse is replaced by ex-police chief - BBC News". BBC News. 14 July 2020.
- ^ Janssen, Roger (2011). In Search of a Path: An Analysis of the Foreign Policy of Suriname from 1975 to 1991. Leiden: Brill. p. 203. ISBN 978-90-04-25367-4. JSTOR 10.1163/j.ctt1w8h0wm.
- ^ Janssen 2011, p. 174.