Paramaribo – Desi Bouterse, 74, the current president of Suriname and main suspect in the protracted case of the “December killings”, was sentenced on Friday by the Surinamese martial council to twenty years in prison for committing murder.
Structure and premeditation have been sufficiently proven, according to the court martial. The court martial does not demand immediate imprisonment.
In 1982, Bouterse was the leader of the then military regime in Suriname, under which fifteen political opponents - 13 civilians and two military officers – were tortured and killed. The public prosecutor demanded twenty years in prison against Bouterse in 2017, as well as against seven other suspects.
On Friday afternoon, the Surinamese martial council unexpectedly began reading the verdicts in the December murder trial. Former battalion commander Etienne Boerenveen was acquitted, while the Surinamese Public Prosecution Service had demanded twenty years in prison. The court martial finds that it was not proven that he was present during the shooting of the victims on the night of 7 to 8 December, 1982.
The Suriname Martial Council also dealt with the cases of suspects Jimmy Stolk and Arthy Gorré on Friday. Stolk has been acquitted for lack of evidence. The Gorré case was stopped because it died in 2018.
Friday afternoon, when the court martial had not yet made a decision, a Bouterse spokesperson on the state radio said that the verdict was made by “white man conspiracies, secret services and Mark Rutte.”
Rutte said Friday afternoon during his weekly press moment that Bouterse must “answer for what he has done”.
The December murder trial has been running since 2007. Bouterse managed to delay the case for some time with an amnesty law, which was passed by the Surinamese parliament in 2012. The trial has gone on so long – 12 years – that six of the suspects have died. In 2016, the law was suspended by the Surinamese court, allowing the trial to resume.
The Surinamese president has always denied involvement. A two-time coup leader, two-term president and convicted drugs-trafficker, Bouterse has dominated Suriname’s politics since taking power in a 1980 military coup.
He was not present in court due to a state visit to China.

Port-of-Spain – The UNC made successful inroads into PNM territory following local government elections on Monday, maintaining most of its strongholds while claiming new seats from the ruling government.
Following the vote count, the UNC wrested a total of nine seats from the PNM, while giving up two. Out of a total 139 seats, the PNM won 74, while the UNC won 69. Out of the 14 corporations, the local government electoral map changed from the PNM having an 8-6 majority, to an even 7-7 tie.
However, it did not go altogether well for the PNM, as the party lost the battleground corporation of Sangre Grande, with the UNC taking five of the eight seats. The PNM won the Sangre Grande North West seat in 2016 by 40 votes, but lost it this time around to the UNC.
The PNM maintained control of San Fernando, but with slippage, its majority now reduced from 9-0 to 6-3. The margin of victory was just a vote in one of the six seats won by the PNM, which has now gone to a recount.
The PNM also saw haemorrhaging in the Tunapuna/Piarco Corporation, with its majority reduced from 12-4 to 11-5. However, it improved its position in San Juan/Laventille, moving up to 13-2 from 11-2.
The UNC maintained control in Chaguanas, increasing its majority from 5-3 to 7-1. PNM stalwart, Ronald Heera, was among those suffering losses to UNC gains.
Similarly, the UNC took the lead over the PNM in Princes Town, gaining Lengua/Indian Walk, to take full control of the Princes Town Regional Corporation. Princes Town now joins the Couva/Tabaquite/ Talparo and Penal/Debe Corporations as municipals under the UNC’s exclusive control.
In the Rio Claro/Mayaro Corporation the PNM lost the Mafeking seat, shifting the configuration from 4-2 to 5-1 in the UNC’s favour.
The PNM status quo was maintained in its traditional areas of support, with its exclusive holds on Diego Martin holding at 10-0, Port-of-Spain with 12-0, Arima with 7-0, and Point Fortin with 6-0.
However, the PNM’s objective to capture Siparia did not materialise. Not only did the UNC maintain control of Siparia, but it improved its hold with a 5-4 to 6-3 increase.