ARRIVAL STATEMENT | CARICOM ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION (CEOM) TO THE REPUBLIC OF SURINAME

Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have committed to supporting Member States, on their request, by providing an independent, impartial and honest assessment of the preparations for and conduct of General Elections. In this context, the Government of Suriname invited the Caribbean Community to deploy a CARICOM Election Observation Mission (CEOM) to observe the conduct of General Elections to be held on 25 May 2025.

In response to the invitation, the CARICOM Secretariat has deployed a nine-member team to observe the Elections in the Republic of Suriname.

The CEOM is headed by Ms. Dora James, Supervisor of Elections, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Other members of the team are:

• Mr. Alrick Daniel, Member of the Electoral Commission of Antigua and Barbuda;
• Mr. Harrison Thompson, Parliamentary Commissioner of The Bahamas;
• Ms. Debra Patricia Hughes, Member of the Electoral and Boundaries Commission of Barbados;
• Mr. Clement Rohee, Commissioner, Guyana Elections Commission;
• Ms. Rose Therese Georges, Counsellor in the Electoral Office of Haiti;
• Mr. Herman St. Helen, Chief Elections Officer of the Electoral Department of Saint Lucia;
• Ms. Brendalyn Henry, Regional Manager, Electoral Office of Jamaica; and
• Ms. Lena Champa Sahadeo, Deputy Chief Election Officer of Trinidad and Tobago.

The CEOM is supported by three (3) members of the CARICOM Secretariat:

(i)        Ms. Shae-Alicia Lewis, Programme Manager, Community Relations;

(ii)        Mr. David Allens, Project Officer, Foreign and Community Relations; and

(iii)       Ms. Denise Morgan, Stenographer II, Foreign and Community Relations.

The core team, comprising the Chief of Mission and the CARICOM Secretariat support staff, arrived in Suriname on Monday, 19 May 2025 while the remaining members of the Mission will arrive in Suriname between 21 and 22 May 2025.

Since the team’s arrival, a courtesy call has been paid on His Excellency Albert Ramdin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation. The team has also had the opportunity to familiarise itself with some of the security measures in place to ensure the safety of the elections through a visit to the Command Centre.   

Following the arrival press conference this afternoon, meetings were also held with representatives of various political parties. Engagements will continue throughout the week with other stakeholders and civil society organisations, including the Youth Council, the Inter-Religious Council (IRIS), representatives of Indigenous and Maroon communities, and the Anti-Fraud Platform, among others.

The CEOM looks forward to also engaging with the Chair of the National Assembly; Minister of Home Affairs; and the Chair of the Independent Electoral Council (OKB), and to participating in the OKB information session for international election observers on 23 May 2025.

The CEOM’s engagement over the next few days is intended to provide an understanding of the pre-election environment. The team will also monitor the Polling Day activities, including the opening, conduct, and closing of the polls through to the tabulation of the ballots and declaration of the results. Throughout the Mission, the CEOM will collect qualitative and quantitative data regarding the entire electoral process, including the actions and conduct of election officials, political actors, and other stakeholders, to assess the extent to which they contributed to the overall electoral environment.

Following the Election Day activities, there will be a press conference and the CEOM will issue a Preliminary Statement of its observations. The content will highlight the scope and the findings of the Mission. A final report will be prepared and submitted to the Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community. This Report will be shared with the Government of Suriname, the Leader of the Opposition, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Independent Electoral Council. It will also be published on the CARICOM website at https://caricom.org.

The entire CEOM will depart on 27 May 2025.

The CARICOM Election Observation Mission expresses its gratitude for the invitation extended to participate in this Observation Mission and to support the democratic process in the Republic of Suriname. The Team also extends appreciation to the Surinamese people for their support and the warm hospitality extended thus far. CARICOM wishes the Republic of Suriname a peaceful and successful election exercise.

Thank you.

Dora James

Chief of Mission

20 May 2025