Historic election for Suriname’s underserved Maroons
By Bert Wilkinson
A new government will take
control of the Dutch-speaking,
finance-starved, Caribbean Community
nation of Suriname from
this week, but for the country’s
23 percent Maroon population,
the May 25 general elections
have thrown up some major historic
firsts for the nation’s largely
underserved people.
For the first time since independence
from The Netherlands
in late 1975, a Maroon, descendants
of fierce runaway slaves who
had escaped brutal Dutch slavery
and colonialism, has been elected
to the second most powerful
political office in the country
and another to head the 51-seat
national assembly.
Former guerilla fighter, turned
gold and timber magnate and
now in the seat of the vice presidency
in the 17-person cabinet,
Ronnie Brunswijk was sworn in
this week to serve under President
Chandra Santokhi as the
new multiparty, coalition government
takes office after winning
a combined 33 of the 51
parliamentary seats in elections
held nearly two months ago.
Brunswijk, 59, also made
history by becoming the first
Maroon to be elected as speaker
of the assembly on June 29, but
who relinquished the gavel to
become the first Maroon VP this
week, passing it on to fellow
ABOP Party big wig, Marinus
Bee after only three weeks.
Maroons who live mostly in
the southeastern regions near
French Guiana and in the interior,
Caribbean L 18 ife, July 17-23, 2020
consider themselves and
are listed as a separate ethnic
grouping from urban Blacks. For
Brunswijk and Bee, their push to
become VP and house speaker
respectively was a no brainer
as both see it as a political and
developmental door opener for
younger Maroons to follow. The
ABOP party won nine seats,
almost doubling its share in the
previous parliament. It is the
second largest and most powerful
outfit in the administration
after President Santokhi’s Indodominated
VHP Party with 20.
“There is nothing else in your
mind than to go for the highest
office in the country. And I have
fought for that and I have given
that the Almighty has assisted
me that today I was president
of the highest college of state a
few weeks ago, “Brunswijk said
after his photo was mounted in
the halls of parliament earlier in
the week.
Brunswijk, a former bodyguard
to 1980s military strongman
Desi Bouterse, broke away
from Bouterse and became a
guerilla fighter against the military
dictatorship, helping to end
a near decades-long dictatorship
and bush war that claimed
more than 500 lives including
the army massacres of dozens
of Maroons. He was funded and
supported by The Dutch and
the French in efforts to oust
Bouterese.
But once civilian rule was
restored, The Dutch no longer
had any use for him and slapped
him with an international drug
conviction that still stands
today. He was also convicted of
armed bank robbery in 1984 in
the height of the civil war. Bouterse,
who was just dumped by
the electorate as president, also
carries a 1999 drug conviction
at the hands of The Dutch.
Despite Brunswijk’s record,
Maroons have nevertheless
voted overwhelmingly for ABOP.
Party Vice President Joel Martinus
told Star News online service
this week that the aim is
for an ABOP president in 2025.
The new VP said a week ago
that he did detect some racial
and ethnic hostility to a Maroon
becoming the VP, noting that
it appears that it” is difficult
to accept a Maroon. The people
have spoken and we must
respect that. In 2010 it was also
felt that Desi Bouterse (former
military dictator and civilian
president sentenced to 20 years
for mass murder) could not
become president. But it has
been 10 years. And everyone was
silent. So the acceptance of a
Maroon is difficult in this community.
I see that. That is it but
we must respect the will of the
people.”
Ronnie Brunswijk speaks during a news conference after
being elected as Suriname’s new Vice-President, at the
National Assembly, in Paramaribo, Suriname July 13, 2020.
REUTERS / Ranu Abhelakh