Chamber:
	Nationale Assemblee
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	23 May 1996
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all the seats in Parliament on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.
Background and outcome of elections:
	The 1996 elections pitted incumbent President of the Republic Runaldo Venetiaan and the ruling New Front (NF) coalition against Mr. Desi Bouterse and his National Democratic Party (NDP). Much of the latter's campaign debate concerned the economic austerity measures of the structural adjustment programme of the Venetiaan administration. When polling results gave the most seats to the governing alliance, Mr. Bouterse - who headed Suriname's military regime in the 1980's - alleged fraud and a lack of free and fair conditions. Subsequently, the New Front disintegrated and realignments by other alliances produced a new breakdown of Assembly seats, with 29 under the control of the coalition led by the right-wing NDP. On 6 September, Mr. Jules Wijdenbosch (NDP) was elected President of the Republic by the National Assembly. He appointed a new coalition Government on 20 September; it is headed by the Vice-President, Mr. P. Radhakishun.

STATISTICS

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total	Gain/Loss
New Front alliance	24	-6
National Democratic Party (NDP)	16	+4
Democratic Alternative '91	4	-5
Pendawalima	4	n.a.
Progressive Development Alliance	3	n.a.

Comments:
	The above-mentioned distribution of seats refer to the results after the elections, prior to realignments

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	43
Women:	8