Surinamese legislative election, 2005

The 2005 Surinamese legislative elections were held in Suriname on 25 May 2005. The governing New Front for Democracy and Development of president Ronald Venetiaan lost seats, remaining the largest party but failing to get a majority in the National Assembly of Suriname. Despite this Venetiaan was re-elected as president after obtaining sufficient support to win a majority in the election for president.

Suriname became independent from the Netherlands in 1975 and in 1980 a coup brought the military to power. By 1982 Desi Bouterse had become head of state and remained in effective control of Suriname until international pressure led to a return to democracy in 1991. The 1991 election saw the opposition New Front for Democracy and Development win the election and Ronald Venetiaan became president for the first time.

In the 1996 election Venetiaan and the New Front were defeated by National Democratic Party (NDP) led by a former aide to Bouterse, Jules Wijdenbosch. However soaring inflation meant a new election was called one year early in 2000. The New Front won a big victory in the 2000 election winning 33 of the 51 seats, compared to 7 for the NDP, and 5 for the People's Alliance for Progress of Jules Wijdenbosch who had broken away from the NDP. As a result, Venetiaan became president for a second time.

383 candidates spread over ten parties and alliances contested the election, with opinion polls and political analysts in the run up to the election showing that approximately 30% of voters were unsure of whom to vote for. The governing New Front was expected to lose seats in the election despite incumbent Ronald Venetiaan being seen as the most popular candidate for president. The New Front campaigned on their economic record for the previous five years in power.

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