In the run-up to the inauguration of the new Suriname Cabinet, the contours of both the composition and transfer of power were finalized last Thursday. President Chan Santokhi and President-elect Jennifer Geerlings-Simons met at the President's Office for a first round of transition talks, followed by a separate session with DNA Chairman Ashwin Adhin. The focus was on a smooth, transparent and democratically accountable handover on July 16: urgent policy files from a variety of departments, from public health and education to spatial planning and climate policy, were handed over to the new leadership, under the coordination of handover committee chair Rabin Parmessar.
Although the focus during the talks was on continuity in crucial sectors, the distribution of ministerial posts within the new cabinet clearly stands out in terms of gender equality. Only three of the 17 ministers are women: a paltry 17.7 %, compared to a whopping 82.3 % male appointments. The big winner, the National Democratic Party (NDP), provides only one female candidate out of its six assigned portfolios. The General Liberation and Development Party (ABOP) and the National Party of Suriname (NPS) also nominate one minister each, while other groups fill the portfolios exclusively with men.
The announced gender imbalance evoked widespread disappointment, especially since Jennifer Geerlings-Simons will become the country's first female president. Many citizens had hoped that this milestone would be accompanied by a fundamental move toward more women in top positions. Critics point to the missed momentum to translate historical symbolism into a more balanced distribution of power.
Consultations with the DNA delegation led by Chairman Adhin also finalized the protocol and practical aspects of the inauguration. Both sides stressed the need for speedy consideration of urgent bills to avoid international reputational damage and reflected on the role that traditional authority figures and foreign guests will play in the festive conclusion of the transfer of power.
A background check will follow with the final announcement of all ministerial candidates - the final names of which the NPS finalized this morning. Only then will the full cabinet be officially installed. For now, the skewed split between male and female ministers remains a blemish on what should otherwise have been a historic transition.
