Nieuw Suriname has received a good offer from both ABOP and the V7 bloc. ABOP and V7 reportedly want NS to join their ranks prior to the general elections of May 2015. The ABOP is currently a member of the ruling government while the V7 consists of opposition parties. “We still have not made a decision because we have to think things through,” said Harish Monorath from NS. Monorath pointed out that the V7 has offered NS the 11^th and the 17^th position on the list of candidates for parliament for the Paramaribo District…[+]

The Krukanan Tulodo Pranatan Inggil (KTPI) has left the V7 bloc but it is not certain if Pertjajah Luhur (PL) will get the vacant positions on the list of candidates for Parliament in the districts Commewijne and Para. The positions had initially been given to the PL which in turn gave them to the KTPI. Mahinder Rathipal, secretary of the V7, on Tuesday indicated that the matter would be discussed by the leaders at a meeting. “The PL had given these two positions to the KTPI and people assume that the PL will get them back but these ‘seats’ actually belong the entire V7 bloc so all the parties within the bloc can claim them…[+]

Nailah van Dijk, the attorney of president Desi Bouterse, recently pointed out that Chandrikapersad Santokhi and the  VHP have waited  much too long to start demanding rectification of  statements that Bouterse made eight years ago. Santohi reportedly wants Bouterse to rectify statements that were made in November 2007, December 2013 and January 2015…[+]

“An alliance between the KTPI and the National Democratic Party (NDP) during the upcoming elections has not been ruled out,” Willy Soemita, chairman of the  KTPI, told Times of Suriname. The KTPI on Sunday night formally left the V7 bloc and immediately teamed up with the PDO. Reports indicate that Waldi Nain is the chairman of the PDO. “We wanted to work together even before the V7 came in the picture and now we have finally taken the step.”…[+]

Acting Attorney General Roy Baidjnath Panday recently advised Finance Minister  Andojo Rusland to instruct the Central Audit Department (CLAD) to screen the financial records of the Energy Company Suriname (EBS). Times of Suriname managed to obtain a copy of the letter which indicates that the attorney general “deems it necessary to launch a thorough investigation.” MP Arthur Tjin A Tsoi (NF/NPS) who sounded the alarm because of possible financial irregularities at the EBS, on Monday visited the acting AG…[+]

Raoul Lobo lawyer of the soldier who is suspected of murdering Equindia Fernandes, tells the newspaper that this case has been dropped. According to him there is no evidence that the soldier, who has already been released, was involved in the murder of the woman. The charred corpse of the woman was found in a car last month.From the very start the soldier denied being guilty…[+]

A man jumped into the river to escape his arrest on Thursday night around eleven. The police of the Commewijne District are tracking him down him for assaulting two fishermen. The suspect and two victims returned from fishing on Thursday. They were having a drink in New Amsterdam, Commewijne, when they had an altercation which ended up in a fight. One of the men grabbed a piece of wood and battered his colleagues…[+]

The KTPI officially is no longer part of V7. Iwan Ganga, vice-president of KTPI, confirmed this to Times of Suriname. “I just had a meeting with Chandrikapersad Santokhi, V7 coordinator, and on behalf of my party I informed him that KTPI no longer will work with V7 during the elections. “We had two options: ‘take it or leave it’ so we decided ‘to leave it,’” said Ganga yesterday evening after a meeting with Santokhi..[+]

The Natural Resources Ministry’s Water Supply Department (Dienst Watervoorziening) on Friday started constructing the infrastructure which is needed to establish a water network in the Coronie District.

The head of the Water Supply Department, Marlon Oosterling, told Times of Suriname that the infrastructure is being constructed from km 97 until  111. He pointed out that this project will further boost development ‘projects’ in the Coronie District. He also pointed out that he wants to be done laying the water pipes within one week...[+]

Prison officials recently indicated that a growing number of smartphones are being intercepted in the nation’s prisons. Last week fifteen smartphones were intercepted during surprise inspections.  Paulus Pinas, deputy director at the Justice and Police Ministry’s Offender Care Department, told Times of Suriname that officials have noticed that the inmates have also made the switch from simple phones to smart phones. “The inmates are keeping up with the latest trends.” The smartphones give the inmates access to the internet which means that the inmates are in contact with the outside world without the supervision of the prison guards…[+]