President Chan Santokhi was informed by the political head of the Reform and Renewal Movement, Raymond Sapoen, that it would have been preferable if extra-parliamentary parties had been actively involved in diffusing the situation. According to him, the riots on February 17 would not have taken place if this had occurred. One of the political groups that has been welcomed on the path to the national discussion is the Reform and Renewal Movement.
Sapoen thinks that since all of the crisis measures will harm, more support should be sought for them. When the ship is almost off course, according to Sapoen, you cannot begin searching for assistance. He also believes that you should consider ways to increase your income and decrease your spending. He added that although we in Suriname discuss the course on a daily basis, there is a deeper reason for it. Going to the cambios, as the vice president had done, will not help fix this.
According to Sapoen, society is aware that action must be made, but the president must put himself in their shoes because people are struggling. He believes that resources should be used carefully. If that doesn’t happen, he underlines, it will have a negative impact since the populace will no longer view you as the example of how things should be done in politics.
When anything is critiqued, it’s crucial, in Sapoen’s opinion, to also develop specific action plans aimed at increasing revenue and cutting costs. Because there isn’t a lot of money, we must set priorities. As a society, we need to be confident that funding will always be there for things like security, education, and healthcare.
During the interview, the subject of changing the electoral system was also raised. Representatives of the Reform and Renewal Movement were informed by President Chan Santokhi that the panel looking into the electoral system and led by Hans Lim A Po had until the end of March to submit its report. An interim report was presented on which feedback has already been given. The president assured that the new electoral system will be submitted for approval this year because there must be a good preparation for the next elections, the Suriname Communication Service reports.
