Suriname main polling station stops work due to coronavirus | Abroad

This is necessary because it has become clear that an infected person was present in the sports hall for a few days last week. Chairman Mike Nerkust of the main polling station Paramaribo announced this in a letter at around 20:00 (Dutch time).

Nerkust says in his letter that he also wants to use the time to restore communication with the Independent Electoral Agency (OKB). This is necessary after the observers were refused entry to the sports hall on Sunday morning. In his letter, Nerkust emphasizes that the OKB is pre-eminently the body that must declare the elections binding.

Van Dijk-Silos: we are not going to do this

According to reports from civilians present, the observers of the OKB were refused because of the code red proclaimed in connection with the corona virus. Code red means that local infections are taken into account. In recent days, three new cases have been added in Suriname.

OKB chairman Jennifer van Dijk-Silos is very outraged at the return of her employees and does not intend to accept this insult, she told local news site Starnieuws. International observers have since been admitted to the sports hall.

Bouterse

Monday is a week since the Surinamese parliamentary elections took place. Formally, the result is not yet known, but because more than 98 percent of the votes have been processed, the distribution of seats can no longer change. The NDP of Desi Bouterse is the big loser, the party goes from 26 to 16 seats. Chan Santokhi’s VHP is now the largest match with 20 seats, a profit of 12. Other winners include the ABOP of Ronnie Brunswijk and the PL of Paul Somohardjo.

President Bouterse requested a recount of votes in the Paramaribo district earlier this week, but it is still unclear whether that request will be honored.

In anticipation of binding elections, the winning parties have teamed up to form a government. The intended president is Santokhi.

Despite the delay in the counting of votes, international observers are satisfied with how election day has gone.

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