PARAMARIBO - The coalition was at full strenght last Monday thanks to the official installation of 8 new legislators. The new legislators have replaced the people who have up their parliamentary seat for government posts.
The coalition was complete but unexpectedly had one vacancy after Stephan Tsang (NDP) was installed as the new minister of Public Works. The seat that belonged to Tsang will result in a new shift within the NDP faction. It is expected that Michael Marengo who is next on the list will replace Tsang in parliament. In the next couple of days MP Sergio Akiemboto (NDP) will officially become the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President. Next on the list to claim his seat in August is Rishi Mathoera. There is also a vacant seat within the VHP. This seat has been reserved for former president Chandrikapersad Santokhi but it is still unclear if he will actually join parliament because he has often give vague and even contradictory statements regarding his plans for the future. The new members who were installed on Monday are Mohamed Salarbaks (NDP), Ingrid Bink (NDP), Claudie Sabajo (NDP), Genevievre Jordan (ABOP), Stanley Betterson (ABOP), Jeffery Lau (NPS), Dorothy Hoever (NPS) and Xiaobao Zeng (PL).
