…as Guyana’s defeated Caretaker President clings to power
Neighbouring Suriname is moving ahead with putting its new governance structure in place with the swearing-in, on Monday, of its President-in-Office of the National Assembly, while Guyana is still caught up in a fierce political battle due to the incumbent Government refusing to concede defeat and make way for the newly-elected Administration to take its place.

Suriname’s Minister of Labour, Soewarto Mustadja, was sworn in by outgoing President Desi Bouterse as President-in-Office of the National Assembly.
The role of the President-in-Office is to swear in and admit the newly elected Assembly Members and to lead the election of President and Vice-President of Parliament.
After these actions, the work of the President-in-Office is completed and he takes a seat in the hall with the other representatives of the people. At that moment, the elected President takes over the leadership of the Parliament.

Moses Nagamootoo
The opposition parties – Progressive Reform Party, Algemene Bevrijdings- en Ontwikkelingspartij, The National Party of Suriname, and the Pertjajah Luhur, and the Brotherhood and Unity in politics – together will control 35 of the 51 seats in the National Assembly, while Bouterse’s NDP won the remaining 16 seats.
President Bouterse wished the President-in-Office the very best and success in carrying out the forthcoming acts in the country’s meeting room, according to media reports out of Suriname.
The General Elections in Suriname were held on May 25, and the results were declared and accepted by all stakeholders mere days after.
Suriname’s Bouterse had conceded defeat for the sake of allowing his country to move forward, but it is the opposite for his counterpart in Guyana. Embattled President David Granger has tightened his grip on power even though the results of a National Recount have confirmed that his ruling party was massively defeated by over 15,000 votes.

David Granger