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| Formation | 1980 Surinamese coup d'état |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1987 Surinamese general election |
Official language | Dutch |
Chairman | Dési Bouterse |
| History of Suriname |
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 Surinameportal |
The National Military Council (Dutch : Nationale Militaire Raad, NMR) was the ruling military junta of Suriname between the 1980 Sergeants' Coup and the 1987 general election.
Formed immediately following the Sergeants' Coup, [1] the NMR initially consisted of the following eight military officers:
Sital became chairman of the NMR, although Bouterse (the new commander of the Suriname National Army) soon emerged as the strongman. Of these eight, only Horb and Bouterse had actually participated in the coup as members of the "Group of Sixteen" (Dutch : Groep van Zestien). Abrahams, Neede and Sital had been arrested for forming a military union and were at that time imprisoned in the Memre Boekoe barracks. Politicians from mainly left-wing (splinter) parties acted as advisers: Eddy Bruma, Frank Leeflang , Fred Derby (PNR), Rubin Lie Pauw Sam (VP ), Iwan Krolis (PALU) and Henk Herrenberg (SPS).
The NMR appointed Henk Chin A Sen as the new prime minister on March 15, 1980, [2] with André Haakmat appointed as the deputy prime minister on August 15, 1980. [3] Negotiations were held with the then president Johan Ferrier, resulting in the preservation of the democratic legal order and the existing constitution; Ferrier then stayed on as president, before he was eventually ousted on August 15, 1980. [4]
The NMR's course was moderate at first, although several wings developed. On September 15, 1980, the 'left wing' consisting of Mijnals (member of the RVP ), Sital and Joemman were arrested and sentenced to several years in prison on conspiracy charges. Hereafter, Bouterse also turned to the left, with the result that the three were released after a few months. Sital was appointed Minister of Health, while Mijnals and Joemman were given important posts in the army. Bouterse's change of course was partly prompted by the increasing influence of Haakmat, who was therefore relieved of his post on January 7, 1981. [5]
The NMR's socialist course, strengthening its links with Cuba, Grenada (under the PRG) and Nicaragua (under the FSLN), was one of the reasons for massive protests and strikes during 1982, which would eventually lead to the December murders. Grenada's prime minister Maurice Bishop is said to have played an important role in this, according to several sources, by inciting Bouterse to take firm action.
After the December murders, the NMR continued until general election was held on November 25, 1987. Incidentally, after the execution of Bishop and the United States invasion of Grenada in October 1983, Bouterse had abandoned his left course and expelled all Cuban advisers from the country. [6] After the 1987 general election, Bouterse remained army leader until 1988.
The early history of Suriname dates from 3000 BCE when Native Americans first inhabited the area. The Dutch acquired Suriname from the English, and European settlement in any numbers dates from the 17th century, when it was a plantation colony utilizing slavery for sugar cultivation. With abolition in the late 19th century, planters sought labor from China, Madeira, India, and Indonesia, which was also colonized by the Dutch. Dutch is Suriname's official language. Owing to its diverse population, it has also developed a creole language, Sranan Tongo.
Desiré Delano Bouterse is a Surinamese military officer, politician, convicted murderer and drug trafficker who served as President of Suriname from 2010 to 2020. From 1980 to 1987, he was Suriname's de facto leader after conducting a military coup and establishing a period of military rule. In 1987, Bouterse founded the National Democratic Party (NDP). On 25 May 2010, Bouterse's political alliance, the Megacombinatie, which included the NDP, won the parliamentary elections, and on 19 July 2010, Bouterse was elected as President of Suriname with 36 of 50 parliament votes. He was inaugurated on 12 August 2010.
The president of the Republic of Suriname is, in accordance with the Constitution of 1987, the head of state and head of government of Suriname, and commander-in-chief of the Suriname National Army (SNL). The president also appoints a cabinet.
Ramsewak Shankar is a Surinamese politician who was the 4th President of Suriname, serving from 1988 to 1990. His government was overthrown by Dési Bouterse leading a bloodless military coup. Shankar had previously served as Agriculture & Fisheries Minister from 1969 to 1971.
The 1980 Surinamese coup d'état, usually referred to as the Sergeants' Coup, was a military coup in Suriname which occurred on 25 February 1980, when a group of 16 sergeants of the Surinamese Armed Forces (SKM) led by Dési Bouterse overthrew the government of Prime Minister Henck Arron with a violent coup d'état. This marked the beginning of the military dictatorship that dominated the country from 1980 until 1991. The dictatorship featured the presence of an evening curfew, the lack of freedom of press, a ban on political parties, a restriction on the freedom of assembly, a high level of government corruption and the summary executions of political opponents.
Rudi André Kamperveen was a Surinamese football player, sports administrator, politician and businessman.
Johannes Samuel Petrus "Johan" Kraag was a Surinamese politician who served as the President of Suriname from 29 December 1990, until 16 September 1991.
Hendrick Rudolf "Henk" Chin A Sen was a Surinamese politician who served as the President of Suriname from 15 August 1980 until 4 February 1982.
Ivan Graanoogst is a Surinamese soldier and politician. He was the acting military ruler of Suriname from 24 December 1990 to 29 December 1990, after a military coup overthrew the democratic government of President Ramsewak Shankar.
Netherlands–Suriname relations refers to the current and historical relations between the Netherlands and Suriname. Both nations share historic ties and a common language (Dutch) and are members of the Dutch Language Union.
Paul Bhagwandas was a Suriname battalion commander. He was one of the sergeants who participated in a military coup in Suriname on 25 February 1980. Bhagwandas was the third man in the military dictatorship after Dési Bouterse and Roy Horb and was known as "the executioner of Fort Zeelandia".
Roy Dennis Horb was a Surinamese military officer. He was one of the sergeants who committed a military coup in Suriname on 25 February 1980, and the right hand man of army leader Dési Bouterse.
Yngwe Elstak (1927–2010) was a Surinamese military officer. He was the first commander of the Surinamese Armed Forces, from November 25, 1975, until February 25, 1980.
The Nationalist Republican Party was a political party in Suriname, existing from 1959 to 1980.
Eduard Johan "Eddy" Bruma was a Surinamese politician, lawyer and writer.
Surendre Sradhanand "Soerinder" Rambocus was a Surinamese serviceman. For a short period, he was the highest-ranking officer of the Suriname National Army. He was involved in the unsuccessful coup d'état of March 1982 against the then dictator of Suriname, Dési Bouterse, and was executed on 8 December 1982 as one of the December murders.
Henry Roëll Neijhorst is a Surinamese economist who served as Prime Minister of Suriname from 31 March to 9 December 1982. He also served as Minister of Finance from 15 March to 15 August 1980.
Diplomatic relations between Cuba and Suriname were established on 23 March 1979. Suriname has an embassy in Havana since 2003. Cuba has an embassy in Paramaribo since 1981.
