The chairman of the VHP recently told local entrepreneurs at a meeting in Ballroom Prince that he had no other choice but to chase away the opposition that was in his administration.
Jerrel Pawiroredjo, deputy chairman of the National Party Suriname
(NPS), explained that the leader of the VHP was talking about the departure of the NPS. The NPS has had a long history of collaboration with the VHP. This collaboration was based on mutual understanding and mutual respect. But shortly after the Santokhi/ Brunswijk administration came into office it became clear that to the NPS that the historic partnership no longer mattered. The VHP decided to fly solo and did not tolerate any involvement from the coalition partners.
Scandals such as the New Surfin affair and the HPSG deal were strongly criticized by the NPS. The NPS also objected against the changes that were made to the bylaws of the State Oil Company (Staatsolie) in order to accommodate somebody from Santokhi’s home. “There was a lack of coordination because of the tensions between the VHP and the ABOP. The president and the vice president often do not see eye to eye and often made this clear in public.”
Pawiroredjo explained that the NPS made many attempts to change the situation but that after all of the failed attempts it decided to exit the coalition. “The claim that the NPS was chased away is not true and is not based on the facts,” said the deputy chairman of the NPS.
