Significance: President Bouterse put combating corruption near the top of his list of priorities during his inauguration ceremony on 12 August, following his re-election last May. The main opposition coalition, V7, expressed doubts about the sincerity of Bouterse’s intentions, arguing that his government turned a blind eye to corruption over the previous five years. But with the economy ailing amid falling prices for Suriname’s main exports - bauxite, gold and oil - and the opposition insisting on public spending cuts and blaming him for mounting public debt because of profligacy during his 2010-2015 term, Bouterse has decided to act early in his new term.
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