On October 28, Suriname’s Hervormings- en Vernieuwingsbeweging (HVB, or Reform and Renewal Movement) celebrated its ninth year of operation, nearly a decade after a collective of young, forward-thinking intellectuals founded the party in 2017 with a deliberate mission to overhaul Suriname’s long-dysfunctional political and governance systems. Rooted in the core slogan “Kenki a systeem” (Shift the system), the movement was born out of widespread frustration with endemic political patronage and a pervasive culture where personal and partisan interests routinely took precedence over collective public good.
Unlike many new political factions that dismiss all existing state structures as entirely worthless, the HVB’s founding cohort framed their mission as building more effective, inclusive governance that unlocks Suriname’s vast national resources to benefit every segment of the population, rather than framing political engagement as nothing more than a ruthless scramble for power and elite positions. From its earliest days, the party drew cross-cutting support from diverse social and ethnic communities across the country, reflecting its foundational belief that national progress cannot be driven by a single demographic or narrow special interest group.
Nine years on, the HVB has secured a seat in Suriname’s ruling coalition government, a milestone that transforms its long-held ideological advocacy into tangible, shared responsibility for national policy design, implementation and long-term development. Party leader Raymond Sapoen emphasized that this transition from an outsider movement advocating for change to a governing party delivering results brings non-negotiable obligations: reforming deeply entrenched bureaucratic and political norms cannot happen overnight, and requires deliberate collaboration, pragmatic policy tradeoffs, careful stewardship of limited public resources, and consistent critical evaluation of long-standing, inefficient operational practices.
Sapoen stressed that participation in government can never be treated as an end in itself, but must be leveraged as a tool to deliver the improved, citizen-centric governance the party promised from its launch. The HVB’s governing agenda prioritizes more systematic, data-driven public administration, more targeted and accountable allocation of public funds, and faster, more responsive public services for ordinary Surinamese residents. This translates to concrete, everyday improvements: merit-based hiring for public sector roles, streamlined inter-agency coordination, faster processing of citizen permit and service applications, full transparency around public spending, and clear, measurable links between stated policy goals and real-world delivered outcomes. The party has also pledged sustained focus on supporting small and medium-sized entrepreneurship, driving across-the-board productivity gains in key economic sectors, and expanding tangible future opportunities for Suriname’s large youth population, with a clear mandate to build a regulatory environment that removes barriers for ordinary residents and local businesses to leverage the country’s rich natural and economic potential.
Sapoen noted that these sweeping systemic changes cannot be delivered via a single piece of legislation or one high-profile policy announcement: they require clearly defined priorities, consistent long-term effort, and sustained collaboration between the ruling coalition, civil society groups, the private sector, and ordinary citizens. Even as it works within a multi-party coalition, the HVB has committed to retaining its distinct reform-focused identity, rather than compromising its core founding principles for the sake of short-term political stability. The party argues that the success of a governing coalition should never be measured solely by its ability to stay in power, but by the measurable public benefits it delivers to the population it serves.
As the HVB marks its ninth anniversary, Sapoen emphasized that the movement’s credibility will ultimately be judged not by its past ideological statements, but by how clearly its founding pro-public values are reflected in every government decision it supports, every policy proposal it advances, and every tangible improvement it helps deliver for Surinamese communities. He added that systemic reform is not a one-time event, but a continuous, long-term process that demands consistent dedication, regular self-reflection, and unwavering political resolve, ensuring the “Kenki a systeem” slogan evolves from a nostalgic reminder of the party’s 2017 founding ideals into a daily guiding principle for its work in government.
Negen jaar HVB: Van ‘Kenki a systeem’ naar verantwoordelijkheid in de regering
