IN CONTRAST to an earlier reported diplomatic snub by President Barack Obama of President Desi Bouterse in New York last week, the leader of superpower USA and the Head of State of the ex-Dutch colony of Suriname shook hands earlier this week at a luncheon event hosted by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
News of the ‘handshake’ was sourced to Suriname’s Foreign Ministry in Paramaribo and confirmed by independent diplomatic sources.
Last weekend this correspondent had exclusively reported how Bouterse was the only CARICOM Head of Government to have been strangely excluded from a reception hosted by Obama for world leaders attending the current 65th session of the UN General Assembly.
On Wednesday, after experiencing difficulties in reaching the Suriname Foreign Ministry on the Obama-Bouterse handshake, a request was made to the Georgetown-based Surinamese ambassador to Guyana, Manorma Soeknandan, for a response from her Foreign Minister on that diplomatic gesture.
Whatever the circumstances surrounding Bouterse’s non-appearance at the US Museum of National History for Obama’s reception last week, as made known to other CARICOM leaders in attendance–the subsequent hand shake gesture is viewed as reflecting “mature diplomacy” by Washington.
The gesture would be consistent with an earlier position by the US State Department stating “recognition” of the Surinamese President as a “democratically elected” Head of State.
On the other hand, the Netherlands government in Amsterdam is maintaining a hostile attitude against the controversial former military coup leader.
A Dutch court had sentenced Bouterse 11 years ago to prison for alleged cocaine trafficking. But following the May general election, the US State Department had told the media that it “supports democratic elections and processes” and, therefore, was looking forward to maintaining “good ties with the people of Suriname”.
Further, that the US administration expects President Bouterse to “stand firm against corruption and respect democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law.
Since his majority victory at last May’s election for the 51-seat parliament and subsequent popular endorsement in August as Suriname’s new Head of State, Bouterse has publicly assured that he has no intention of “interfering” in the current military court trial on murder charges against him in connection with the killings of 15 political opponents in 1982 while he was in control of state power.
The on-and-off trial is headed by a judge of the national court, but hearings have been proceeding at a slow pace due to reluctance by some witnesses, both for the prosecution and defence, to participate as expected.
Meanwhile, as Bouterse strives to improve his public image at home, and continues to sneer at a Dutch court’s decision 11 years ago to sentence him to prison, in his absence, on allegations of cocaine trafficking, the Suriname President has been engaging with fellow CARICOM Heads of government.
Following his participation with CARICOM Heads at a caucus session in New York, last week, Bouterse is scheduled to attend the Community’s first Inter-Sessional Meeting for 2011 scheduled for next February in Grenada.
Suriname is due to host the 2012 annual CARICOM Summit.