Political update - (8/13/010)

BBC Caribbean.com
13 August, 2010 - Published 12:51 GMT

Bouterse gets down to business

Suriname's new leader Desi Bouterse has begun duties for the first time as a democratically-elected leader of this Caricom nation after taking the oath of office on Thursday.

He first came to power in February 1980, when he led a coup that suspended Suriname's constitution and dissolved the Parliament five years after the former Dutch colony gained independence.

He seized power once again in 1990 after leading another coup and has remained a powerful force on the country's political landscape, even after he stopped serving as military chief in 1992.
Mr Bouterse, a convicted drug smuggler, was elected by parliament last month after his Mega Combination coalition won 23 of the 51 seats in the May election.
In his inaugural address, he called for national unity, saying that service and sacrifice will be the base of his work.

Hear BBC Caribbean Report coverage of the inauguration
"The opposition are not our opponents. We see them as co-operation partners to accomplish policy together," he said.

Caricom absence
There was a noticeable absence of his Caribbean Community (Caricom) colleagues at Thursday's inauguration.
Guyana's Prime Minister Sam Hinds was the only high level Caricom government representative present.
Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, the only head of state to say he would attend the ceremony, cancelled at the last minute.

Charges
But while Mr Bouterse has been appealing for national unity, not everyone has forgotten his past.
The international journalists group, Reporters Without Borders, commenting on Mr Bouterse's installation, said it cannot forget that he continues to be charged with the murders of five journalists in 1982, while he was dictator.

The organisation said in a statement that even if legal proceedings are suspended for the duration of Mr Bouterse's presidency, it would be unacceptable if the murders were to go unpunished indefinitely.

The former military ruler is on trial for his alleged role in the abduction and summary execution 15 people, all suspected enemies of his regime.

Mr Bouterse has always denied being directly involved in their deaths.
The victims were rounded up in the night, taken to a military base and executed.
Mr Bouterse has also been convicted by the Netherlands - Suriname's former colonial power - of cocaine trafficking and there is a warrant out for his arrest.

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Suriname ex-dictator back as elected president
AP
Friday, August 13, 2010

PARAMARIBO, Suriname (AP) — A former coup leader, convicted drug trafficker and accused murderer swore to uphold the country's laws at his inauguration Thursday without mentioning concerns in Suriname and abroad about his return to power — this time through the democratic process.

President Desi Bouterse pledged in a speech to fight corruption and help impoverished communities in the vast rain forest hinterland of South America's smallest nation. He also said he would strengthen the resource-dependent economy and further distance the former Dutch colony from the Netherlands while forging closer ties with other nations.

But in a ceremony that was avoided by the hemisphere's leaders, Bouterse did not address his history as Suriname's two-time dictator — a past that made his election last month by Parliament uncomfortable for the international community.

The closest Bouterse came to touching on such concerns was his vow to respect the views of others.

"I want to assure you that we will never abandon the principles of consultation and cooperation or make arrogant use of our majority," he said. "The opposition is not our enemy."

Bouterse's return to power in the ethnically diverse country of 500,000 has many wondering whether it will mean a return to a dark past when human rights were trampled and isolated Suriname was a major launching pad for drugs bound for the United States and Europe.
No foreign heads of state attended yesterday's inauguration at a sports arena. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had been expected to attend but cancelled at the last minute.

Bouterse, 64, has loomed over Surinamese politics for three decades. He first came to power in 1980, when he led a coup that saw the constitution suspended and Parliament dissolved just five years after independence. Under international pressure he allowed the return of civilian rule in 1987, only to launch a second coup in 1990. Even after stepping down as army chief in 1992, he has remained a powerful force.

He also has been dogged by allegations of corruption. Convicted of drug trafficking in absentia in 1999 in the Netherlands -- prosecutors said he was the leader of the "Suri Cartel" -- he was sentenced to 11 years. He avoided that punishment because Suriname doesn't have an extradition treaty with its former colonial ruler, and now he enjoys immunity as head of state during his five-year term.

"Has he changed? I hope so," said Henri Behr, whose younger brother, a journalist and violinist in Suriname's symphony orchestra, was among the 15 opposition leaders abducted and executed by soldiers in 1982. "I'd like to think he will be different, but perhaps that's being naive."
In the past, Bouterse has accepted "political responsibility" for the so-called December killings while denying a direct role in them. As president he is not required to testify, and if convicted, he could potentially engineer a pardon and avoid a 20-year sentence. Some fear he could interfere directly with the trial if testimony gets too uncomfortable.

So far there is no concrete indication that the new president will try to interfere, and his only reference to the judiciary yesterday was to a desire to reform it so that it is no longer based on the Dutch system.

Bouterse has shrugged off his conviction in the Dutch court and the criticism of his record while strengthening his political machine.

His aides declined requests for an interview, and his large security detail discouraged attempts to speak with him as he held a long meeting over drinks before the inauguration.
His son insisted the country has nothing to worry about.

"I know he will be a good president because I know what kind of man he is," Dino Bouterse said. "He will be the best."