PARAMARIBO, Suriname — With just days to go before Suriname heads to the polls, a Caribbean Community (Caricom) delegation has touched down in the capital to oversee the upcoming general elections scheduled for Sunday, May 25, 2025.
The 11-member Caricom Election Observation Mission (CEOM), headed by St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Supervisor of Elections Dora James, has been dispatched at the request of the Surinamese government to ensure an impartial evaluation of the electoral process.
As the nation’s two primary parties — the incumbent National Democratic Party (NDP) and the opposition Progressive Reform Party (VHP) — battle for dominance, political analysts suggest that no clear winner is expected. With no single party likely to secure a decisive majority, coalition-building is anticipated to dominate the post-election landscape.
Suriname’s electoral structure requires a two-thirds majority in its 51-seat National Assembly to elect a president. Should that threshold not be met, the vote moves to the broader United People’s Assembly — a significantly larger body where only a simple majority is needed.
In its early engagements, the Caricom team met with Foreign Affairs Minister Albert Ramdin and visited the country’s electoral Command Centre to review security protocols for the election. Over the coming days, the observers will hold consultations with political parties, civil society groups, youth and religious organizations, Indigenous and Maroon community representatives, and anti-fraud watchdogs.
According to the Caricom Secretariat, the mission will closely monitor the entire election period — from opening to closing of polls, ballot tabulation, and final results — gathering both statistical and behavioral data to assess the transparency and credibility of the process.
Following the vote, a preliminary statement will be released by the CEOM, summarizing key observations and findings. A more detailed final report will be submitted to Caricom’s Secretary-General and shared with Surinamese government bodies, electoral authorities, and the public via Caricom’s official platforms.
