The government of Suriname has invited the Dutch ambassador to Thursday's inauguration of Desi Bouterse as president of Suriname. An official release the Dutch government said, "The ambassador...will attend the inauguration of the democratically elected president of Suriname."
It added, "The Netherlands has always striven for a businesslike and close relationship with Suriname and indicated that functional contact will be maintained with the new Surinamese government and its head of state.
"The relationship between the Netherlands and Suriname remains a special one, because of their shared history, the common language and the personal relations between people in the two countries,” the Dutch foreign ministry said.
The controversial Bouterse, 64, was elected just over two months ago.
He is a convicted drug trafficker and took part in two coups in Suriname in 1980 and 1990. He and 11 others are currently on trial in a military court on charges of murder, for the killing of 15 opponents while he was head of a military junta in 1982.
“We cannot ignore that Bouterse has been sentenced in the Netherlands to 11 years imprisonment for drug trafficking,” Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Verhagen said when Bouterse was elected.
He added, “He is only welcome in the Netherlands to serve his sentence.”
For his part the new president is putting the past behind and looking forward to a united Suriname.
“I reach out my hands to all Surinamese because we need all Surinamese together to build up this country. We Surinamese are the rightful owners of this country, not foreign nations,“ he said in reference to the Dutch, the former colonial power in Suriname.
The U.S. Ambassador to Suriname, John R. Nay, is reported to have said he is pleased Bouterse is reaching out to his opponents.
A Reuters report quoted him as saying, “We’re prepared to work with any government that shares our values and that we can work together with on our mutual interests. We have many.”
Bouterse is particularly popular among the grassroots and young people of Suriname. During his election campaign, he pledged that his party would introduce significant changes in education, develop and consolidate major industries, create employment and transform Suriname's housing sector.
He also promised major infrastructural development such as bridges leading to border countries, a highway from Suriname to Brazil, and a sea harbour.
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