ts; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 23 May 1996 (next to be held NA May 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP
16, NF 14, BVD 5, KTPI 5, Pertjaja Luhur 4, The Progressive
Development Alliance 3, DA '91 2, OPDA 2
note: widespread demonstrations during the summer of 1999 led to the
calling of elections a year early

Judicial branch: Court of Justice, justices nominated for life

Political parties and leaders: Alternative Forum or AF [Rick VAN
RAVENSWAY]; Democratic Alternative '91 or DA '91 (a coalition of the
AF and BEP, formed in January 1991) ; Democratic
Party or DP ; Independent Progressive Democratic
Alternative or OPDA ; National Democratic Party
or NDP ; National Party of Suriname or NPS [Ronald
VENETIAAN]; Naya Kadam ; Party for Brotherhood
and Unity in Politics or BEP ; Party for Renewal and
Democracy or BVD ; Party of National Unity and Solidarity
or KTPI ; Party of the Federation of Land Workers or
PVF ; Pertjaja Luhur ; Progressive Reform
Party or VHP ; Progressive Workers' and Farm
Laborers' Union or PALU ; Reformed Progressive Party
or HPP ; Suriname Labor Party or SPA ;
The New Front or NF (a coalition of four parties NPS, VHP, SPA, and
Pertjaja Luhur) ; The Progressive Development
Alliance (a combination of two parties, HPP and PVF) [Harry
KISOENSINGH]

Political pressure groups and leaders: General Liberation and
Development Party or ABOP ; Mandela Bushnegro
Liberation Movement ; Tucayana Amazonica [Alex
JUBITANA, Thomas SABAJO]; Union for Liberation and Democracy [Kofi
AFONGPONG]

International organization participation: ACP, Caricom, ECLAC, FAO,
G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OIC,
OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Arnold Theodoor HALFHIDE
chancery: Suite 460, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: (202) 244-7488
FAX: (202) 244-5878
consulate(s) general: Miami

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dennis K. HAYS
embassy: Dr. Sophie Redmondstraat 129, Paramaribo
mailing address: P. O. Box 1821, American Embassy Paramaribo,
Department of State, Washington, DC, 20521-3390
telephone: 472900, 477881, 476459
FAX: 420800

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