In a dramatic parliamentary session on Monday, opposition leader Rabin Parmessar of the National Democratic Party (NDP) launched sharp accusations against the Surinamese government regarding the allocation of hundreds of hectares of land in the Nickerie region and surrounding areas.
During his address to the National Assembly, Parmessar expressed profound concern over both the scale and methodology of land distributions in Nickerie and Apoera. He revealed documentation indicating individual persons and commercial entities had received allocations ranging from approximately 230 to over 450 hectares per recipient—extraordinary allocations that far exceed normal land distribution practices.
The opposition leader presented compelling evidence to parliamentary leadership, challenging the legality of these transactions. Parmessar emphatically stated that according to Surinamese law, only the Ministry of Land Policy and Forest Management holds constitutional authority for land allocation decisions. However, he alleged that the former Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Parmanand Sewdien, had unlawfully authorized these substantial land distributions.
‘If these allegations prove accurate, these allocations must be immediately reversed without exception,’ Parmessar declared, directly challenging the government to clarify who has been blocking corrective actions and why intervention has stalled.
Adding environmental concerns to his critique, Parmessar raised alarms about potential land allocations within or adjacent to protected natural reserves, specifically mentioning a conservation area in Coronie. He questioned how such ecologically sensitive territories could even be considered for distribution.
The NDP leader concluded with an urgent appeal to government officials and responsible ministers to conduct a thorough investigation and deliver concrete results, emphasizing that this matter transcends political gamesmanship and touches fundamental issues of legality, governmental transparency, and protection of national interests.