Suriname appears to be moving to assert itself at key multilateral organizations in the hemisphere as it announced the nomination of incumbent Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin for the top post of the 34-nation Organization of American States (OAS). The organization is based in Washington DC.
Ramdin, 65, had already served as assistant secretary general from 2005-2015, but his government has this time formally nominated him for the top post. To clinch the position, Ramdin would have to get the backing of 14 of the 15 Caribbean Community member nations and votes from at least four other hemispheric nations to secure the top spot. Montserrat, still a British colony, cannot vote independently.
Announcing the nomination this week in a letter to the organization, President Chan Santokhi said authorities are confident about his chances of election in 2025, noting that indications of support from other nations are positive. “He then decided to take that step.” The current term of Santokhi’s government also ends in 2025.
