PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC – Opposition legislators have defended their decision to walk out on a speech being delivered by President Desi Bouterse on Monday saying he had not been showing respect to the Parliament in recent years.
Member of the NPS/New Front party, Ruth Wijdenbosch, said she participated in the walkout because it was time a clear message had been sent to Bouterse  who has made it a habit of coming to Parliament once a year instead of fulfilling his constitutional duty of giving regular accounts of his administration’s plans.
“The opposition is not a bunch of public enemies. We were chosen by the people. He should come to parliament to discuss with us, and not just to read his Annual Address from a prompter,” Wijdenbosch said, adding “time will tell if our signal reaches him.”