National holiday: Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
Constitution: ratified 30 September 1987
Legal system: based on Dutch legal system incorporating French penal theory
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Jules WIJDENBOSCH (since 14 September 1996); Vice President Pretaapnarian RADHAKISHUN (since 14 September 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Jules WIJDENBOSCH (since 14 September 1996); Vice President Pretaapnarian RADHAKISHUN (since 14 September 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly or, if no presidential or vice presidential candidate receives a constitutional majority vote in the National Assembly after two votes, by the larger People's Assembly (869 representatives from the national, local, and regional councils), for five-year terms; election last held 23 May 1996; runoff election held 5 September 1996 (next to be held NA May 2000) note: widespread demonstrations during the summer of 1999 led to the calling of elections a year early election results: Jules WIJDENBOSCH elected president; percent of legislative vote - NA; National Assembly failed to elect the president; results reflect votes cast by the People's Assembly - Jules WIJDENBOSCH (NDP) received 438 votes, Ronald VENETIAAN (NF) received 407 votes
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or National Assemblee (51 seats; 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