Bouterse’s Speech to the New Cabinet Ministers

F-2012-32749

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E.O. 12065: GDS 04/02/88 (La Roche, Richard R.) OR-M
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Subject: Bouterse’s Speech to the New Cabinet Ministers

  1. (U) Summary: In his speech to the new cabinet ministers on March 31, 1982, prior to the swearing-in ceremony, Army Commander Desi Bouterse explained the basic role of the Council of Ministers within the government, assigned the ministers two specific tasks, and clarified certain questions of ministry jurisdiction over specific issues. End summary.
  2. (U) Role of the Council of Ministers: Bouterse explained that under Decree A-9, the government of Suriname is composed of two bodies, the Policy Center (PC) and the Council of Ministers (CM). The first of these, as before, is intended as the policy-defining body, while the Council is designed for policy execution. Comment: Composition of the PC has not been made public. End comment.
  3. (U) Tasks: Bouterse assigned the ministers two urgent tasks:
    A) By April 28, 1982, each ministry must submit to the PC, via the Minister-President (Prime Minister), a “Departmental Policy Plan” based on the guidelines of the “Main Points of the Government Program.” The departmental plans, once approved, will form the basis of the “Government Program” and the “Government Declaration.”

B) Bouterse said, further, that ministers of the Chin A Sen government had been asked to act in a demissionaire capacity until the new CM was named and to limit themselves to routine ministry activities. Some ministers went beyond their authority and filled position vacancies, authorized promotions and transfers, and made other important decisions. All such actions taken between February 4 and March 31, without the written authority of the Military Authority (MA), are to be nullified and the affected persons informed. Each minister is required to report by the end of this week (April 3) all such cases and to explain the method by which the unauthorized initiative was corrected.

  1. (U) Questions of Ministry Jurisdiction: In order to avoid confusion concerning jurisdiction over various important issues under the new cabinet structure, the Army Commander announced that the MA had made certain allocations of jurisdiction. All issues concerning hydroelectric power (including the Jai Creek/Phedra Foundation) would fall under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, as would the existing Energy Bureau. The Foundation for People’s Housing has been eliminated and all housing matters will be dealt with by the Ministry for Public Works, Telecommunications and Construction. The Plan Bureau will be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance and Planning. The Land Policy Reform Project will remain the responsibility of the MA, under the leadership of Maj Roy Horb.
  2. (U) In his closing words, Bouterse urged the new ministers to set aside personal passions and rancor; to establish open and trusting dialogue with one another; to become mutually supportive to avoid forming factions; and always to view each issue with an eye to the interests of the nation rather than to friendship with the proponents of either side.
  3. (C) Comment: The “Main Points of the Government Program” is not yet available, but we will try to obtain a copy as soon as possible. Since the departmental plans will not be completed before the end of April, a final government program cannot be expected before May. Certain activities by some of the demissionaire ministers, particularly transfers and promotions by Vreden of Agriculture, had generated considerable comment, and it was expected that certain changes would be made once the new cabinet was in place. However, across-the-board nullification of all such activities by the demissionaire ministers is surprising. During the Chin A Sen government, the Plan Bureau, headed by Winston Caldeira, was an autonomous body which reported to no specific ministry. Now it falls under the jurisdiction of Prime Minister Neyhorst, in his role as Minister of Finance and Planning. This may allow Caldeira, a leading PALU figure, less freedom to implement his populist/socialist theories concerning Suriname’s development policy.

La Roche

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https://surinamepress.com/wp-content/uploads/1982/04/Bouterses-Speech-to-the-New-Cabinet-Ministers-April-1982-C05267145.pdf

Date:
April 2, 1982
Categories:
Desi Bouterse, Foiled Coups & Plots, Planned Suriname Invasion
Tags:
Boxes:
F-2012-32749
Years:
1982
Persons:
Desi Bouterse, La Roche, Roy Horb
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