The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has officially deployed a nine-member Election Observation Mission (CEOM) to Suriname, following an invitation from the Government of Suriname to observe the country’s General Elections scheduled for May 25, 2025.
This move is in line with CARICOM’s ongoing commitment to support its Member States by providing independent, impartial, and honest assessments of electoral processes upon request.
The CEOM is led by Ms. Dora James, Supervisor of Elections in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The other members of the observation team are:
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Mr. Alrick Daniel, Electoral Commission of Antigua and Barbuda
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Mr. Harrison Thompson, Parliamentary Commissioner of The Bahamas
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Ms. Debra Patricia Hughes, Electoral and Boundaries Commission of Barbados
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Mr. Clement Rohee, Guyana Elections Commission
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Ms. Rose Therese Georges, Electoral Office of Haiti
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Mr. Herman St. Helen, Chief Elections Officer, Electoral Department of Saint Lucia
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Ms. Brendalyn Henry, Regional Manager, Electoral Office of Jamaica
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Ms. Lena Champa Sahadeo, Deputy Chief Election Officer, Trinidad and Tobago
Supporting the CEOM are three representatives from the CARICOM Secretariat: Ms. Shae-Alicia Lewis (Programme Manager, Community Relations), Mr. David Allens (Project Officer, Foreign and Community Relations), and Ms. Denise Morgan (Stenographer II, Foreign and Community Relations).
The core team, including the Chief of Mission and CARICOM Secretariat staff, arrived in Suriname on May 19. The remaining members of the Mission are expected to arrive between May 21 and 22.
Since arriving, the Mission has paid a courtesy call on His Excellency Albert Ramdin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation. The team has also visited the election Command Centre to familiarize themselves with the security measures in place and held meetings with political party representatives.
Further engagements are scheduled throughout the week with a range of stakeholders and civil society groups, including the Youth Council, the Inter-Religious Council (IRIS), Indigenous and Maroon community representatives, and the Anti-Fraud Platform.
The CEOM will also meet with the Chair of the National Assembly, the Minister of Home Affairs, and the Chair of the Independent Electoral Council (OKB). The Mission is expected to attend the OKB’s information session for international observers on May 23.
On Election Day, the CEOM will monitor activities including the opening, voting, closing of the polls, and the tabulation and announcement of results. The Mission will assess the overall electoral environment by collecting both qualitative and quantitative data on the conduct of election officials, political actors, and other stakeholders.
Following the election, the CEOM will host a press conference and release a Preliminary Statement detailing their findings. A comprehensive final report will later be submitted to the CARICOM Secretary-General and shared with the Government of Suriname, the Opposition Leader, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Independent Electoral Council. It will also be made available to the public via the CARICOM website at https://caricom.org.
The Mission is scheduled to conclude its activities and depart Suriname on May 27, 2025.
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