Suriname’s Independent Electoral Office (OKB) has acknowledged shortcomings in at least one polling station, but dismissed suggestions of manipulation or fraud, as voters in the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country still await the final results of the elections held on Sunday.
In a statement, the OKB said that it was important to provide further explanation regarding the situation at polling station 614 in the Brokopondo district, after one of the candidates, Ronald Pansa, said his concerns were not being taken seriously.
“The concerns expressed by candidate Ronald Pansa have been received and are not taken lightly. The OKB acknowledges that the conditions at polling station 614 were suboptimal and that this has led to understandable frustrations. At the same time, we emphasise that there are no indications that there has been deliberate manipulation or fraud.,” the OKB said in a statement.
Pansa had complained in the media about the state of affairs at the polling station about a significant delay in the voting and counting process during the early hours of Monday.
Jennifer Geerlings-Simons chairs the Parliament (DW photo)
But the OKB said, “the cause of this is primarily a lack of experience and expertise among the polling station staff, which led to logistical and procedural challenges”.
It said that in order to ensure the continuity of the process, the OKB supervisor intervened at various times.
“The count was checked and corrected several times, with the aim of arriving at a reliable and verifiable result. It is admitted that due to the combination of time pressure, fatigue and public pressure, it was decided at a certain point to publish the provisional results on a board pending the formal completion of the report.
“At around eight o’clock in the morning on Monday, the report could finally be finalised and made public, in accordance with the applicable procedures,” the OKB said, calling on all stakeholders to contribute constructively to the election process, “in the interest of our democracy”.
“The OKB will thoroughly evaluate this incident and, where necessary, make recommendations to implement future improvements in the organisation and training of polling station staff. Transparency, integrity and reliability remain core values for the OKB in the performance of its constitutional task,” it added.
Meanwhile, with the final results still pending, both the ruling Progressive Reform Party (VHP) of President Chandrikapersad “Chan” Santokhi and the main opposition National Democratic Party (NDP) that was once led by late former President Dési Bouterse, are both looking at the possibilities of forming a coalition government.
Successful conclusion
NDP Vice Chairman Ashwin Adhin says the party supports Chairwoman Jennifer Geerlings-Simons as presidential candidate.
“I had indicated that the majority of votes determines the candidate. She has the most votes, so a man is a man, a word is a word,” Adhin said, who had also indicated that he wanted to have been elected as President.
Adhin said that the focus was now on forming a coalition, and that Geerlings-Simons was leading that. The Vice Chairman indicates that he was confident that this phase, in which the party finds itself after the preliminary election results would also be brought to a successful conclusion.
Meanwhile, the NDP is calling for an investigation into the way in which the ballot box material had been delivered from the various polling stations in the Wanica district to the main polling station.
It said an investigation must be conducted into how it was possible that the delivery of the material from 148 polling stations was not completed until 09:30h the next day.
Late Monday, a group of concerned NDP members went to the main polling station calling on the Chairman of the main polling station, Bholanath Narain, for an explanation.
The preliminary figures show that the outgoing coalition government and the NDP have so far won 18 seats each in the 51-member National Assembly.
Among the successful candidates so far is Ingrid Bouterse-Waldring, the widow of the former President, who was elected with preferential votes in this election. On her Facebook page, she thanked the population for their confidence in her and the NDP.
Just under 400,000 registered voters were eligible to cast their ballots across the country and once the new parliament is seated, lawmakers will choose Suriname’s next President and Vice President in the coming weeks. (CMC)
