Ruling Party Falls Short of Legislative Majority
President Ronald Venetiaan’s New Front coalition won the most seats in parliamentary elections but failed to gain the majority needed to elect a new president, preliminary results showed in Suriname.
Wednesday’s peaceful elections in the former Dutch colony strengthened the hand of Venetiaan’s rival, former military strongman and convicted drug dealer Desi Bouterse, whose party more than doubled its number of seats.
The divided vote heralded tough negotiations to muster the two-thirds majority, or 34 votes, needed in the new 51-member National Assembly to elect a president.
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