De Ware Tijd

March 29, 1999

BVD WANICA WANTS CONGRESS WITHIN 30 DAYS

In a statement from the Wanica affiliation of the Basic Party for Democracy (BVD), matters concerning the future of the party are brought forward. They want the party to have democratically held open and free elections to appoint a new board. The main board, which has been denounced, is advised not to act any longer on behalf of the party. On Saturday, there was a meeting which resulted in the support for Marijke Djwalapersad, Asha Singh, and Achmadallie Jainullah. The affiliation is of the opinion that Ministers and other officials, who do not work for the people, should resign. This includes Ministers Tjan Gobardhan and Bies Mangal. Board members Tjan Gobardhan, Shailendra Girjasing, Dharm Mungra, and Dilip Sarjoe have also been asked to resign. There was also a meeting of the steering committee in Nickerie to discuss the situation and sometime this week contact will be made with some of the key figures of the party. A members meeting is expected with the same results. The statement from Wanica will be presented to the main board, the coalition parties, and President Wijdenbosch. During the meeting, where tensions ran high, it was decided that there was no way back. Djwalapersad's house will be the center of activities. In an interview with DWT, Djwalapersad said that an election committee should be installed. This committee should be comprised of a representative of the parliamentary party, one from the main board, and one from every district. The independent election bureau could be asked to assist. Before the weekend, Gobardhan had told journalist that he was working on a congress where party structures would be asked to render verdicts. He claims to have no problems if asked to step down but, as the elected chairperson, he also wants to work for his electorate. According to Gobardhan, the party includes more than a few loud mouths who want to have things their way. The BVD is still a young party and will thus face many crises which will need to be solved within the party. Gobardhan believes that the problems with Djwalapersad and Singh need to be discussed within the coalition since both are not only party board members but also Members of Parliament.

GOVERNMENT WILL APPOINT NEW TELESUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The government has accepted the resignation of the Board of Directors at Telesur and will appoint a new board in the near future. De Bie does not believe that the circumstances surrounding the leave of absence and discharge of Johanns are against company rules. It is something that has been going on for months and all parties involved were aware of the fact that the director's position was waiting to be filled. At a press conference on Saturday, the Minister explained that the appointment of the new Board of Directors and the new director will be discussed within the Council of Ministers. The matter of the rate adjustment will also be discussed. The TTWOS ( Telesur Employees Union ) wants a definite answer no later than today. According to the Minister, he had a talk with union chairperson Henk Shields but actions from the union had not been discussed. He, the Minister, had to learn about them through the media. De Bie does acknowledge that new rates are necessary. Telesur has come up with a final plan and this will be presented to the Council of Ministers. However, the Minister is also of the opinion that these rate increases should be done responsibly, both toward the company and the public. De Bie explained that he thought it irresponsible to leave Telesur without a leader after Johanns leaves on April 1. Therefore, he started looking for a replacement as soon as possible. Last Wednesday, the Council of Ministers gave green light to start the completion period. The Board of Directors was asked for their cooperation in the matter.

VVW DECLARES COMBÉ-MARKET TO BE DISTRIBUTOR OF 1998

On Saturday, the Association of Shop-Owners (VVW) declared Kries Kalipdewsing, owner of Combé-market, to be the distributor of the year 1998. He was awarded the Distributors Award 1998. It is the first time that such an award has been presented. According to Rudy Balak, chairperson of VVW, it is the goal to have such an award presentation every year. Shop-owners believe that the cooperation between wholesale and retail trade is indispensable. For this reason, the VVW decided to pick a distributor each year and present this person with a Distributors Award. At the selection, the following were considered: the quick processing of orders, packing of goods, delivery of goods, consumer friendliness, and after-sale service. Combé-market has always been able to handle itself quite well, in spite of some problems. A few years ago, Kalipdewsingh received the International Goldstar for Quality Award from the international organization Business Initiative Directions.

UNION OF SECURITY PERSONNEL DEFERS ACTIONS

The Union of Security Personnel at Justice and Police (BPBJP) has decided to defer its actions for now. This because of the death of union leader Hendrik Sylvester. The decision came after a request from the secretary-general of the Central of Civil servants' Organizations (CLO) Ronald Hooghart. The actions will resume after the funeral of Sylvester. The request from Hooghart came after the union had gone to the Minister of Justice and Police to hand over a petition. The Minister was not present and the handing over did not go through. It will take place on a yet to be determined date. The union wants the Minister to honor a list of decisions which were agreed upon in 1997.

BOUTERSE JOINS IN SPIRITUAL REVOLUTION

Desi Bouterse, Advisor of State and chairperson of the NDP, has joined the spiritual revolution. This revolution must result in the changing of the life pattern of youngsters, leading to the restoration of morals in Suriname. Government leaders must fulfill a leading role in the process. Drugs, alcohol, prostitution, and mis education are some of the things that young ones will have to leave behind. All these things were discussed last weekend during a Christian youth happening. It was organized by the Christ Revival Ministries. The theme of the weekend was 'Join the Spiritual Revolution in Suriname'. One of the orders from the spiritual revolutionaries is to pray for the government and especially the President of Suriname. Bouterse says that all of Suriname may know that he is a proud member of the Pentecostal Churches. He agrees wholeheartedly with Christ Revival Ministries that the spiritual revolution is the only way to change the direction of the lives of youngsters.

STATISTICS BUREAU DOES RESEARCH IN HOUSEHOLD BUDGETS

In two months' time, the General Bureau of Statistics (ABS) will conduct a research into household budgets, one of the prime tasks of the bureau. It will also be the first time in thirty years that such a research will take place again. The importance of the research is that it will provide a picture of the consumption pattern of the Surinamese. The results of the research will help create a price list of goods and services which will be followed on a regular basis. This will help decide the price development (inflation). The Inter-American Development Bank is assisting in the project. For this purpose, a specialist, the American Brian Hannon, is presently visiting. He will be in Suriname for at least eight more weeks and has a plan ready to start the research sometime mid-June. At present, the ABS is making use of date from the last research which dates back as far as 1968/69. According to Iwan Sno, director of the ABS, a research like this should be done every ten years. However, if there are developments within the community which might influence the lifestyle of the citizens, Hannon says that this should be done more frequently. Suriname has certainly seen its share of such developments in the past thirty years. Some of them are: the independence, the flight of thousands of Surinamese to Holland, the interior war, and hyperinflation in 1995. Hannon explains that the research, which will last a year, should reveal the way Surinamese spent their money. Sno says that it is the aim to have a new list of goods present on January 1, 2001. The results will be visible in the consumers price index.

ENTIRE LOT OF SODAS FROM UNITED BEVERAGES REJECTED

As of April 1, the entire lot of sodas from United Beverages, part of the Cirkel Group of Companies, will be rejected, confiscated, and destroyed. This includes the lot of March 29 and 31 which were destined for KFC and Pizza hut. Because the responsibility for the contents is, until the expiration date, for the manufacturer, the Bureau of Public Health (BOG) will not take any action as of yet. According to a BOG senior official, a pathology test has shown no sign of fungus growth yet. A week ago, the company was caught red handed while being fraudulent with the expiration date. If the products had been a danger to the public, the perpetrators would have faced a jail sentence of at least five and at the most fifteen years. According to the BOG, the test are not 100% certain since the expiration dates have been tampered with. This makes it hard for them to be certain which lot was tested. United Beverages will be charged with fraud and will have to pay a hefty fine. Health experts have denounced the actions from United Beverages and call it life threatening. According to them, expiration dates are no guarantee but they do give a sense of security.

NPS CALLS ON GOVERNMENT AND SURALCO TO NEGOTIATE

The National Party Suriname (NPS) calls upon the government and the Suralco to negotiate about the impending closure of the aluminum smelter. The closure will cost the state treasury US$ 40 million, while between two hundred and four hundred families will be without an income. The tax department will also lose a regular income. The families of the dismissed laborers will no longer be able to make use of the fringe benefits of the company, such as free medical service, pension, and study financing for children. The NPS is concerned about the situation. The closure will take place without a future date for a re-start. With the closing of the smelter, Suriname is taking a few steps back in the industrial and technological area. Suriname will also be deleted from the list of metal producing countries. The government should bring this matter to the attention of the National Assembly.

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