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QUICK FACTS: SURINAME Size: 163,270 square kilometers Population: 470,784 Religions: Hindu, 27.4 percent; Muslim; Roman Catholic; Protestant; indigenous beliefs Languages: Dutch (official), English, Sranang Tongo, Hindustani, and Javanese Population below poverty line: 70 percent Average annual income: $3,200 USD Ethnic groups: Hindustani, 37 percent; Creole; Javanese; Amerindian; Chinese; white; others Life expectancy: 73 years (Source: U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook 2008; The World Bank 2006) |
Suriname
Waging Peace Monitoring Elections In May 1991, representatives of The Carter Center monitored the election in Suriname as part of a mission sponsored by the Organization of American States. This mission was well-received by the people of Suriname and by the political organizations there. In accordance with Suriname's constitution, Dr. Jules Ajodhia and Ronald Venetiaan, both of the New Freedom Coalition Party, were elected vice president and president of Suriname, respectively. An independent audit conducted by the OAS mission concluded there was no fraud in the tabulation of official results. Delegates from The Carter Center represented the Council of Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Americas, an informal group of current and former heads of government from throughout the Western Hemisphere who promote democracy and the peaceful resolution of the region's conflicts. Well-known for mediating and observing elections, the council has monitored voting in Jamaica, Panama, Nicaragua, Haiti, Suriname, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, the United States, Paraguay, Mexico, and Venezuela. The council also has played an important role in promoting solutions to the region's debt crisis and in encouraging freer trade, including the North American Free Trade Agreement and a wider Free Trade Area of the Americas. |
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