Since taking office as president of Suriname, president Chandrikapersad Santokhi has failed time after time and again during his foreign state visits, except in his own country.
His first state visit to the Netherlands in September 2021 was an unmitigated nightmare, culminating in an angry mob that primitively rejected his corrupt and ethnic policies.
In a Dutch TV program called ‘College Tour’ by Twan Huys, Santokhi was also put to the test in such a way that his uncomfortable and caught attitude, in front of an audience of millions, only aroused pity.
During other foreign trips that followed, poor Santokhi repeatedly showed a shamelessly display of irresponsibility and very low analytical skills.
At state expense, entire groups of family and friends are flown around in luxury and gassed in expensive hotels and triumphant photos are posted on social media, while the Surinamese people struggle with poverty and other social problems.
Peter M. Wolff To this day, no result has ever come from all these journeys. The man cannot even keep his dominantly present wife in line during his official foreign state visits. The cringe worthy scenes in Dubai, Los Angeles and during the UN conference in New York are well known, in which Mrs. Melissa Santokhi claimed a leading role among world leaders. This shows a total lack of leadership and authority and painfully typifies how unsuitable and weak Santokhi really is as leader of Suriname.
After King Willem Alexander’s apologies on July 1, 2023, Santokhi has once again gathered all his courage and has visited Europe like a thief in the night to beg for money again.
With his holistic approach, this was nothing more than a transparent attempt to come and beg for money in the Netherlands, in order to get the Hindustani population – now also fed up with him – on his side. Santokhi is just looking for an easy way to earn money to save his own skin.
He clearly has no relevant competence to lead the country in a responsible manner and to make Suriname an economic powerhouse. Santokhi must understand that his involvement with the slavery past and possible reparations is a few sizes too big for him and that he is not doing the cause any good if he asks for money in such a childish way.
The reactions to his recent begging tour in the Dutch newspaper “De Telegraaf” were therefore not tender. Santokhi was literally killed by Dutch readers in his attempt for more financial support from the Netherlands and was even put away as a begging caricature in the largest newspaper in the Netherlands.
In any case, Santokhi no longer has to knock on the door of the Netherlands. What a shame again for Suriname with its many natural resources. Santokhi must understand that the slavery past is a supranational issue and that this issue transcends his level and position. It could be years before any reparations are made and the ethnically inclined Santokhi is simply not the right person to get involved in this matter. In the Netherlands and in Suriname, various organizations are cautiously shaping what must now follow the apologies from the Kingdom of the Netherlands. And especially the Caribbean countries are working in Caricom context to substantiate this case legally and historically in order to enforce political acceptance, so that this complex and sensitive issue of reparations can be handled responsibly.
Surinamese leadership
And it is not only Santokhi who ridicules Suriname in the world. His megalomaniac and attention-seeking vice-president also makes a huge contribution. Suriname’s current leadership suffers from intellectual dwarfism.
They are unable to address the challenges of the country and abandon the people and engage in unprofessional practices that have nothing to do with developing the country. The Surinamese people deserve better than this.
We need leaders who are decisive and capable, not these upstart “leaders” who act so backward. It is high time that the Surinamese people speak up and demand accountability for all these scandalous displays. The country needs leaders who genuinely put the welfare of the people first and are not just looking for personal gain. It’s time for change, and that starts with sending Santokhi and his incompetent team away. The people of Suriname deserve leadership worthy of their country.
