Editing Suriname (section)

== Politics ==
{{main|Politics of Suriname}}
[[File:De Nationale Assemblée, nieuwbouw (Paramaribo), 2022 - 10.jpg|thumb|[[National Assembly (Suriname)|National Assembly of Suriname]] reconstructed building]]
[[File:Hof van Justitie (Suriname), 2022 - 2.jpg|thumb|Court of Justice]]
The Republic of Suriname is a [[Representative democracy|representative democratic]] republic, based on the [[Constitution of Suriname|Constitution of 1987]]. The legislative branch of government consists of a 51-member [[unicameral]] [[National Assembly of Suriname|National Assembly]], simultaneously and popularly elected for a five-year term.

In the elections held on Tuesday 25 May 2010, the ''Megacombinatie'' won 23 of the National Assembly seats, followed by ''Nationale Front'' with 20 seats. A much smaller number, important for coalition-building, went to the "A-combinatie" and to the ''Volksalliantie.'' The parties held negotiations to form coalitions. Elections were held on 25 May 2015, and the National Assembly again elected Dési Bouterse as president.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/suriname/|title=Suriname: Government|work=The World Factbook|year=2018|access-date=6 May 2018}}</ref>

The [[president of Suriname]] is elected for a five-year term by a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly. If at least two-thirds of the National Assembly cannot agree to vote for one presidential candidate, a People's Assembly is formed from all National Assembly delegates and regional and municipal representatives who were elected by popular vote in the most recent national election. The president may be elected by a majority of the People's Assembly called for the special election.
[[File:President@JM.jpg|thumb|[[Presidential Palace of Suriname]]]]
As head of government, the president appoints a sixteen-minister cabinet. A vice president is normally elected for a five-year term at the same time as the president, by a simple majority in the National Assembly or People's Assembly. There is no constitutional provision for removal or replacement of the president, except in the case of resignation.

The judiciary is headed by the [[High Court of Justice of Suriname]] (Supreme Court). This court supervises the magistrate courts. Members are appointed for life by the president in consultation with the National Assembly, the State Advisory Council, and the National Order of Private Attorneys.

===Foreign relations===
{{main|Foreign relations of Suriname}}
[[File:Hoekstra visits Suriname - 53019637854.jpg|thumb|President [[Chan Santokhi]] (right) with Dutch politician [[Wopke Hoekstra]], visiting to celebrate [[Ketikoti]] 2023 in [[Paramaribo]]]]
[[File:Diplomatic relations of Suriname.svg|thumb|Diplomatic relations of Suriname]]
Due to Suriname's Dutch colonial history, Suriname had a long-standing special relationship with the Netherlands.

In 1999, Dési Bouterse was convicted and sentenced ''in absentia'' in the Netherlands to 11 years of imprisonment for drug trafficking. He was the main suspect in the court case concerning the December murders, the 1982 assassination of opponents of military rule in [[Fort Zeelandia (Paramaribo)|Fort Zeelandia]], Paramaribo. He served as president between 2010 and 2020. These two cases still strain relations between the Netherlands and Suriname.<ref name="minbuza" />

The Dutch government stated during that time that it would maintain limited contact with the president.<ref name="minbuza">{{cite web|url=http://www.minbuza.nl/en/news/2011/11/the-netherlands-and-suriname-are-closely-linked.html|title=The Netherlands and Suriname are closely linked|publisher=MinBuZa.nl|date=18 November 2011|access-date=13 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714163522/http://www.minbuza.nl/en/news/2011/11/the-netherlands-and-suriname-are-closely-linked.html|archive-date=14 July 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Bouterse was elected as president of Suriname in 2010. The Netherlands in July 2014 dropped Suriname as a member of its development program.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20110323/business/business81.html|title=Holland to redefine relationship with Suriname|work= Jamaica Gleaner|date=23 March 2011|access-date=13 July 2014}}</ref>

Since 1991, the United States has maintained positive relations with Suriname. The two countries work together through the [[Caribbean Basin Security Initiative]] (CBSI) and the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Suriname also receives military funding from the U.S. Department of Defense.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1893.htm|title=Suriname|publisher=US Department of State|date=3 September 2013|access-date=13 July 2014}}</ref>

Suriname has been a member of [[The Forum of Small States (FOSS)]] since the group's founding in 1992.<ref name="singaporebook">{{Cite book|title=50 Years of Singapore and the United Nations |publisher=World Scientific |isbn=978-981-4713-03-0 |year=2015 }}access-date=28 March 2024</ref>

[[European Union]] relations and cooperation with Suriname are carried out both on a bilateral and a regional basis. There are ongoing EU-[[Community of Latin American and Caribbean States]] (CELAC) and EU-[[CARIFORUM]] dialogues. Suriname is party to the [[Cotonou Agreement]], the partnership agreement among the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and the European Union.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eeas.europa.eu/suriname/index_en.htm|title=European Union – EEAS (European External Action Service) {{pipe}} EU Relations with Suriname|publisher=Europa (web portal)|date=19 June 2014|access-date=13 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="Suriname country profile"/>

On 17 February 2005, the leaders of [[Barbados]] and Suriname signed the "Agreement for the deepening of bilateral cooperation between the Government of Barbados and the Government of the Republic of Suriname."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.caricom.org/jsp/speeches/bilateralcoop_barbados_suriname_arthur.jsp|title=STATEMENT BY THE RIGHT HONOURABLE OWEN S. ARTHUR, PRIME MINISTER, BARBADOS, ON THE OCCASION OF THE SIGNING OF THE AGREEMENT FOR THE DEEPENING OF BILATERAL COOPERATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF BARBADOS AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SURINAME, 17 FEBRUARY 2005, PARAMARIBO, SURINAME|date=17 February 2005|publisher=Caribbean Community (CARICOM)|access-date=6 March 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120803040613/http://www.caricom.org/jsp/speeches/bilateralcoop_barbados_suriname_arthur.jsp|archive-date=3 August 2012}}</ref> On 23–24 April 2009, both nations formed a Joint Commission in [[Paramaribo]], Suriname, to improve relations and to expand into various areas of cooperation.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110706132148/http://foreign.gov.bb/Userfiles/File/suriname%20and%20bados%20jc.pdf Agreement for the Suriname-Barbados Joint Commission]. foreign.gov.bb. 13 March 2009</ref> They held a second meeting toward this goal on 3–4 March 2011, in Dover, Barbados. Their representatives reviewed issues of agriculture, trade, investment, as well as international transport.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gisbarbados.gov.bb/index.php?categoryid=13&p2_articleid=5380|title=BGIS Media – Press Releases – Second Meeting of the Barbados/Suriname Joint Commission|publisher=Gisbarbados.gov.bb|access-date=13 July 2014}}</ref>

In the late 2000s, Suriname intensified development cooperation with other developing countries. China's South-South cooperation with Suriname has included a number of large-scale infrastructure projects, including port rehabilitation and road construction. Brazil signed agreements to cooperate with Suriname in education, health, agriculture, and energy production.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.iadb.org/intal/intalcdi/integracion_comercio/i_INTAL_IYT_36_2013_Abdenur.pdf|title=South-South Cooperation in Suriname: New Prospects for Infrastructure Integration?|pages=95–104|journal=Integration and Trade|volume=36|year=2013|issue=17|author=Erthal Abdenur, Adriana|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108023826/http://www.iadb.org/intal/intalcdi/integracion_comercio/i_INTAL_IYT_36_2013_Abdenur.pdf|archive-date=8 January 2014}}</ref>

=== Military ===
{{main|Military of Suriname}}
The Armed Forces of Suriname have three branches: the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy. The president of the Republic is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces (''Opperbevelhebber van de Strijdkrachten''). The president is assisted by the minister of defence. Beneath the president and minister of defence is the commander of the armed forces (''Bevelhebber van de Strijdkrachten''). The military branches and regional military commands report to the commander.

After the creation of the [[Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands]], the [[Royal Netherlands Army]] was entrusted with the defense of Suriname, while the defense of the [[Netherlands Antilles]] was the responsibility of the [[Royal Netherlands Navy]]. The army set up a separate ''Troepenmacht in Suriname'' (Forces in Suriname, TRIS). Upon independence in 1975, this force was turned into the ''Surinaamse Krijgsmacht'' (SKM):, Surinamese Armed Forces. After the 1980 overthrow of the government, the SKM was rebranded as the ''Nationaal Leger'' (NL), National Army.

In 1965, the Dutch and Americans used Suriname's Coronie site for multiple Nike Apache [[sounding rocket]] launches.<ref>{{cite web|author=Discover Suriname|title=About Suriname {{pipe}} Discover Suriname|url=http://www.discover-suriname.com/about-suriname|website=www.discover-suriname.com}}</ref>

===Administrative divisions===
{{main|Districts of Suriname|Resorts of Suriname}}
[[File:Suriname, administrative divisions - Nmbrs - colored.svg|225px|right|Districts of Suriname]]
The country is divided into ten administrative districts, each headed by a district commissioner appointed by the president, who also has the power of dismissal. Suriname is further subdivided into 62 resorts (ressorten).

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! #|
! District 
! Capital 
! Area (km<sup>2</sup>) 
! Area (%)
! Population <br /> (2012 census)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geohive.com/cntry/suriname.aspx|title=Suriname at GeoHive|publisher=Geohive.com|access-date=13 July 2014}}</ref>
! Population (%)
! Pop. dens. (inhabitants/km<sup>2</sup>)
|-
| '''1'''|| [[Nickerie District|Nickerie]]|| [[Nieuw Nickerie]]||align=right| 5,353||align=right|3.3||align=right| 34,233||align=right|6.3||align=right|6.4
|-
| '''2'''|| [[Coronie District|Coronie]]|| [[Totness, Suriname|Totness]]||align=right| 3,902||align=right|2.4||align=right| 3,391||align=right|0.6||align=right|0.9
|-
| '''3'''|| [[Saramacca District|Saramacca]]|| [[Groningen, Suriname|Groningen]]||align=right| 3,636||align=right| 2.2||align=right| 17,480||align=right|3.2||align=right|4.8
|-
| '''4'''|| [[Wanica District|Wanica]]|| [[Lelydorp]]||align=right| 443||align=right|0.3||align=right| 118,222||align=right|21.8||align=right|266.9
|-
| '''5'''|| [[Paramaribo District|Paramaribo]]|| [[Paramaribo]]||align=right| 182||align=right| 0.1||align=right| 240,924||align=right|44.5||align=right|1323.8
|-
| '''6'''|| [[Commewijne District|Commewijne]]|| [[Nieuw Amsterdam, Suriname|Nieuw-Amsterdam]]||align=right| 2,353||align=right|1.4||align="right"| 31,420||align=right|5.8||align=right|13.4
|-
| '''7'''|| [[Marowijne District|Marowijne]]|| [[Albina, Suriname|Albina]]||align=right| 4,627||align=right|2.8||align=right| 18,294||align=right|3.4||align=right|4.0
|-
| '''8'''|| [[Para District|Para]]|| [[Onverwacht, Suriname|Onverwacht]]||align=right| 5,393||align=right|3.3||align=right| 24,700||align=right|4.6||align=right|4.6
|-
| '''9'''|| [[Sipaliwini District|Sipaliwini]]|| none||align=right| 130,567||align=right|79.7||align=right| 37,065||align=right|6.8||align=right|0.3
|-
| '''10'''|| [[Brokopondo District|Brokopondo]]|| [[Brokopondo]]||align=right| 7,364||align=right|4.5||align=right| 15,909||align=right| 2.9||align=right|2.2
|- class="sortbottom"
||| '''SURINAME'''|| '''Paramaribo'''||align="right"|'''163,820'''||align="right"| '''100.0'''||align="right"|'''541,638'''||align="right"|'''100.0'''||align=right|'''3.3'''
|}