PARAMARIBO – “There are reports of multiple foreigners who have wrongfully been registered at the addresses of Surinamese citizens. Acts of fraud will be rampant at the coming elections,”  said Ricardo Panka, spokesman of the National Democratic Party (NDP), to Times of Suriname. Panka who is a former legislator warned that electoral fraud will be committed at the elections that are scheduled to take place on May 25th. He urged the nation to be on high alert and to make sure that foreigners are not registered at their address.

Panka made it clear that there are watchdogs that must prevent electoral fraud which is also known as voter fraud. He pointed out that the Anti Fraud Platform  (AFP) should get to work and that it will play an important role. “We hope that international observers will also be invited to keep an eye on things,” said Panka.

Meanwhile the NDP has urged its supporters to remain calm and to focus on the task at hand.

Jennifer van Dijk-Silos, lawyer and former chairwoman of the Independent Election Bureau (OKB), told this newspaper that the AFP was established to prevent voter fraud. She made it clear that people must not automatically assume that voter fraud was committed if they do not have any hard proof. Van Dijk-Silos explained that the AFP is not a government agency and that there are different ways of presenting voter fraud. If people have proof, they can file a complaint so that their complaint can be reported via the media. This will catch the attention of the minister of Home Affairs. The former chairwoman of the OKB also urged people to make sure that foreigners are not registered at their address. If they find out that this has happened, they must notify the AFP at once. The AFP, which will be chaired by Van Dijk-Silos was established by the NDP, the National Party Suriname (NPS) and the BEP.