BAD MINISTER: PRESIDENT PUBLICLY SCOLDS COALITION PARTNER

UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000222

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR - JROSHOLT, WHA/PDA - CWEST

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV NS

SUBJECT: BAD MINISTER: PRESIDENT PUBLICLY SCOLDS COALITION PARTNER


1. (U) SUMMARY. Over the weekend of May 17, President Ronald
Venetiaan publicly scolded Minister of Physical Planning, Land, and
Forest Management Michael Jong Tjien Fa for mixing party politics
with government business when he attempted to give out land deeds at
a party function. Venetiaan and Jong Tjien Fa come from different
parties within the governing coalition, and tensions rose. Although
Venetiaan's action could be interpreted as a step to fight
corruption, most likely the President's move is political, with an
eye toward achieving distance between coalition parties before the
2010 elections. SUMMARY

--------------
Land Deeds as Political Capital... but Whose?
--------------


2. (U) Minister of Planning, Land, and Forest Management Michael
Jong Tjien Fa and Speaker of the National Assembly Paul Somohardjo
planned to give out land titles to poor farmers in Suriname's
Nickerie district during a May 18 event sponsored by their political
party, Pertjaja Luhur. President Venetiaan had previously warned
Jong Tjien Fa not to mix party politics with government business.
Moreover, the ruling coalition had already agreed that these
documents, which effectively gave title to land free-of-charge,
would be handed to the farmers at a meeting hosted jointly by
several government ministers that same day in Nickerie. In the end
Jong Tjien Fa, chastened, told the farmers that he did not have the
official documents with him. The handing-over ceremony at the party
event was called off and the farmers were told that they had to go
to Paramaribo to receive their land titles.

-------------- --------------
Another Kind of Political Capital: Bashing Pertjaja Luhur
-------------- -------------- -


3. (U) On May 19, President Venetiaan, with Minister Jong Tjien Fa
standing next to him, publicly scolded the Minister for plans to
combine government and party business, told the press "this is the
last straw" and that Jong Tjien Fa "has to make sure that nothing
else happens, otherwise he will be fired." Carmelita Ferreira, a
party colleague of Venetiaan, said publicly the President should
have fired Jong Tjien Fa immediately for his disrespectful behavior.
Guno Castelen, coalition member from a third party, relayed to
Embassy staff that "this is undoubtedly one of the tricks of
Pertjaja Luhur." Castelen noted that the election campaign has
already started for Pertjaja Luhur, and they will do anything to get
seats in districts where they do not yet have a foothold (including
Nickerie).

-------------- ---
Not Sorry: Somohardjo explains, Hering complains
-------------- ---


4. (U) While Somohardjo initially said the incident "was all a big
misunderstanding," and Jong Tjien Fa did "not intend to disrespect
the President," his spokesman, Geor Hering, released an angry
statement to the press on May 23. The statement read, he "does not
understand why the Pertjaja Luhur is always accused of corrupt
practices by its coalition partners and the opposition" and that the
party will "no longer accept all these accusations." Hering said
the party will convene a high-level meeting within two weeks to
discuss the issue.


5. (SBU) COMMENT. A patronage spoils system is the hallmark of
Surinamese politics and, at best, Pertjaja Luhur's well-known
land-title shenanigans are a particularly blatant example of their
use. At worst, Pertjaja Luhur is, as most Surinamers assert and
anecdotal evidence suggests, actively corrupt. While it is tempting
to see Venetiaan's actions as a step to fight corruption, the timing
of his action indicates he is also playing party politics. The
National Party of Suriname, Venetiaan's party, needs to distance
itself from Pertjaja Luhur before the 2010 election cycle in order
to fend off voter claims that it is powerless to control renegade
coalition partners. Regardless of the President's comments, the
coalition will go on. An outright coalition break would put an end
to all of President Venetiaan's power - and all of Pertjaja Luhur's
patronage opportunities. They continue to need each other. END
COMMENT.

SCHREIBER HUGHES