e President and
Prime Minister Jules AJODHIA (since 16 September 1991)

_#_Political parties and leaders:

traditional ethnic-based parties--The New Front (NF), Henck
ARRON, a coalition formed of four parties following the 24 December
1990 military coup--Progressive Reform Party (VHP), Jaggernath LACHMON;
National Party of Suriname (NPS), Henck ARRON;
Indonesian Peasants Party (KTPI), Willy SOEMITA; and
Suriname Labor Party (SLP), Frank DERBY;

promilitary New Democratic Party (NDP), Jules Albert WIJDENBOSCH,
Frank PLAYFAIR;

Democratic Alternative '91 (DA '91),
Gerard BRUNINGS, a coalition of five parties formed in
January 1991--Alternative Forum, Gerard BRUNINGS, Winston JESSURUN;
Reformed Progressive Party (HPP), Panalall PARMISSER;
Party for Brotherhood and Unity in Politics (BEP), Caprino ALLENDY;
Pendawalima, Marsha JAMIN; and
Independent Progressive Group, Karam RAMSUNDERSINGH;

leftists--Revolutionary People's Party (RVP), Michael NAARENDORP;
Progressive Workers and Farmers (PALU), Iwan KROLIS

_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18

_#_Elections:

President--last held 6 September 1991 (next to be held May
1996);
results--elected by the National Assembly--Ronald VENETIAAN (NF)
80% (645 votes), Jules WIJDENBOSCH (NDP) 14% (115 votes), Hans PRADE
(DA '91) 6% (49 votes)

National Assembly--last held 25 May 1991 (next to be held
May 1996);
results--percent of vote NA;
seats--(51 total) NF 30, NDP 12, DA '91 9

_#_Member of: ACP, CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, FAO, GATT, G-77, IADB,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES,
LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO,
WMO

_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Willem A. UDENHOUT; Chancery
at Suite 108, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 244-7488 or 7490 through 7492; there is a Surinamese
Consulate General in Miami;

US--Ambassador John (Jack) P. LEONARD; Embassy at Dr. Sophie
Redmonstraat 129, Paramaribo (mailing address is P. O. Box 1821,
Paramaribo); telephone [597] 72900, 77881, or 76459

_#_Flag: five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white,
red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width); there is a large
yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band

_*_Economy
_#_Overview: The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry, which
accounts for about 70% of export earnings and 40% of tax revenues. The
economy has been in troubl