THE INAUGURATION ceremony is over and it’s official: Desi Bouterse, Suriname’s 64-year-old former military commander who first seized political power in a coup 20 years ago, is again controlling the reins of state power. As of yesterday, he is functioning as the new constitutionally sworn President of that former Dutch colony
According to reports out of Paramaribo, the capital, the only Caribbean Community representative at Prime Ministerial level,to attend the inauguration would have been Prime Minister Samuel Hinds of Guyana.
President Bharrat Jagdeo, who had lost no time in congratulating Bouterse on his parliamentary endorsement on July 19 as President, was represented by Prime Minister Hinds.
Suriname and Guyana are the Caribbean Community’s two mainland states located in the continent of South America. They are, (like Trinidad and Tobago), multi-ethnic and multi-cultural.
But they are distinguished within CARICOM for their colonially-inherited territorial dispute, arising from Surinamese claim to Guyanese demarcated territory in the New River triangle area, reputedly with hydro-power potential.
Both the Secretariats of the Organisation of American States (OAS) and CARICOM were invited to have an official presence for the inauguration of Bouterse, who succeeded the three-term elected mathematician Runaldo Venetiaan.
Among CARICOM states not represented, at any level for Bouterse’s inauguration, were Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
One experienced foreign service official explained that it may have more to do with Suriname’s preference for a Latin American-style Head of State inauguration ceremony, than an attempt to ignore Community partner countries.
While there are objective factors to explain anxieties by both Suriname and Guyana to foster good neighbourly relations, the rest of CARICOM (Trinidad and Tobago) have no known pressing reason to turn up yesterday for Bouterse’s inauguration ceremony.
However, Suriname, under Bouterse’s leadership, will be on watch within CARICOM, on how it relates to Guyana. For their part, all member countries have a shared obligation to foster good relations with Suriname, irrespective of reservations some may have over the political past of its new President.
They have to keep remembering that Bouterse had secured the single largest bloc of votes and seats (23) for the 51-member parliament at last May 25 general election and, subsequently, was endorsed, through a coalition arrangement, as President with the required two thirds parliamentary majority, plus an additional two votes.
The jury, however, is still out on whether Bouterse was personally involved in the murder of 15 political opponents on December 8, 1982 while he was President.  He has accepted political responsibility but disclaims direct involvement in the executions.
A tribunal has been dealing, on and off, with the case of the murdered 15, among them five journalists, at the Fort Zeelandia military barracks, and there are unconfirmed reports that it may now suspend further “hearings” while Bouterse functions as Head of State.
The Surinamese President was also sentenced to 11 years in prison by a court in the Netherlands, in his absence, for allegedly trafficking in cocaine.
Under Surinamese law, no national can be extradited to a foreign country for a crime. For yesterday’s inauguration ceremony, the government said the Netherlands ambassador to Suriname was “not a welcome guest”.
President Bouterse has, however, promised to actively “cooperate” with the parliamentary opposition in Suriname’s “national interest”.