Elections Suriname May 2020

First elections in Latin America at the time of COVID-19

Director of Election Solutions for the Americas at Minsait

In the context of a health emergency in the country, last Monday, May 25, the first elections were held in Latin America during the time of COVID-19. The government order of partial confinement, decreed to curb the progress of the epidemic, was suspended for two days during which the population elected 51 members to the National Assembly, who will elect the new president of the Republic of Suriname by a two-thirds majority. Surinamese also voted for 118 district and 772 local representatives, with 17 parties and more than 5,700 candidates on the ballot.

Hernán Araya

Director of Election Solutions for the Americas at Minsait

Pandemic Elections Technology Democracy

The elections were marked by reports of long queues at polling stations, some mishaps and the extension of the election day by two hours until the closing of polling stations.

According to Americas News, the president of Suriname's Independent Electoral Bureau (OKB), Jennifer van Dijk-Silos, said the agency had been the subject of complaints since voting began at 7 a.m. Monday, even at polling stations in the capital, Paramaribo, where ballots with errors were received.

Due to the significant number of electoral irregularities detected, the closing time was extended two hours, in the 623 polling stations.

As a consequence of the security protocols caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in what has been called in the country "the mother of all elections", voters, who had to respect a distance of one and a half meters between each other, stood in line for hours to cast their votes on a day marked by high temperatures.

The #OASinSuriname Election Observation Mission observed the elections on Monday as did a mission from CARICOM (Caribbean Community).

Suriname continues to count the votes in the electoral districts in order to announce the results of the general elections within 10 days.

After the recount of more than 80% of the votes, it would be the Progressive Reform Party (VHP) of former justice minister Chan Santokhi who prevails by achieving, so far, 20 of the 51 seats at stake, although 26 are needed to form a government.

The opposition has already initiated the first contacts to create a coalition government to prevent a third term of the current head of state.