Paramaribo (Suriname): As Suriname gets ready to have its first female President in National Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, former Vice President and academic Michael Ashwin Satyandre Adhin — a noted Hindu leader of Indian origin — is expected to hold a key cabinet position in the new government.
Born in 1953 in Paramaribo, the country’s capital and largest city, Simons would succeed sitting President Chandrikapersad Santokhi of United Reformed Party VHP after NDP’s won 18 of the 51 seats in the General Elections held on Sunday, thus ushering in a new political direction for the South American republic.
The 71-year-old, who has served in Suriname’s National Assembly since 1996, has reportedly got the backing of leaders from other political parties in the country to form a coalition and push Santokhi’s VHP, which won 17 seats, to opposition benches.
Meanwhile, Adhin, who served as the youngest Vice-President of Suriname from 2015 to 2020, is expected to join Simons’ cabinet and play a key role in the new government.
Prior to his Vice Presidency, Adhin had served as Minister of Education, Science and Culture, and was a lecturer at the Anton de Kom University of Suriname.
Bearer of the highest national award, the Order of the Yellow Star, for his contributions made to the Surinamese community in general – and those of Indian origin in particular – Adhin is known for his advocacy in education, science, intellectual innovation and contribution to over 600 development projects.
“Affordable housing, clean drinking water, quality healthcare, and education are rights of every citizen. Our children should not have to leave the country. Suriname must be their future,” he declared recently.
Lauding developments on the north-eastern coast of South America, Rajkumar Jagbandhan, a member of the Advisory Board of International Investment Bankers based in Germany’s Frankfurt, emphasised that Suriname should now adopt a self-reliant and environmentally sensitive development model without succumbing to international pressure.
“This newly-elected leadership now carries the responsibility to take the Republic of Suriname to the next level,” stated Jagbandhan who is actively involved in several initiatives under BRICS, ASEAN, the African Union, the European Union, and the United Nations.
It is under Jagbandhan’s leadership that a proposal has also been made to establish an international investment bank in Suriname, with an investment of over one billion dollars across agriculture, energy, mining, tourism, banking, fintech, crypto, manufacturing, and infrastructure sectors. The bank, asserts Jagbandhan, will operate on international technological standards in fintech banking, trade finance, smart POS systems, stocks, and micro-credit, creating new economic empowerment opportunities for the local population.
Located in the Amazon region, Suriname is rich in natural resources and both Jagbandhan and Adhin are of the view that the earlier VHP government was “trapped in the illusion of oil and gas”, while the NDP – founded in 1987 by Desi Bouterse with a mission to promote democracy, social justice, and economic development – has “already demonstrated the foresight” by establishing a State Petroleum Company.
(IASN)
