SURINAME · POLITICS
Key Facts
- What is happening A lawmaker from the opposition VHP party is pressing Suriname’s justice minister over a 2021 contract for the director of the telecom regulator, TAS.
- Why it matters The minister oversees police and security as Suriname prepares for its first offshore oil, so investors watch its politics closely.
- The numbers The contract dates from 1 November 2021 and has no end date. The Court of Justice ruled on Friday, 30 October.
- Who is who Harish Monorath is Minister of Justice and Security. The VHP, Progressive Reform Party, holds 17 of 51 seats and is the main opposition party.
- What to watch Whether the VHP files a motion of no confidence, which has not been confirmed, and how President Jennifer Simons responds.
- What it means for you The row tests the governing coalition and the ministry that oversees Suriname’s police. Investors and foreign partners will watch how the president responds.
A court says the telecom regulator director’s term is over, and the contract Suriname’s justice minister signed for her is in doubt. The opposition wants answers in parliament.
Suriname’s justice minister, Harish Monorath, faces political pressure over a 2021 contract he signed for the telecom regulator’s director. Courts have since suspended that contract.
The Court of Justice ruled that the director’s five-year term ended on 19 October. A lawmaker from the opposition VHP party is now asking the National Assembly for answers.
What the Courts Decided
Wendy Jap-A-Joe was director of the Telecommunicatie Autoriteit Suriname, known as TAS, the country’s telecom regulator. The Court of Justice ruled on Friday, 30 October, that her five-year appointment ended on Monday, 19 October.
It rejected all her objections to a first ruling made on Monday, 26 October. She must hand over TAS documents, vehicles, keys and other property to the company’s supervisory board.
The first-instance judge found her contract likely broke the telecom law and suspended it until a full trial rules. The contract has no end date, while the law sets a five-year term.
Monorath’s Role
Monorath signed the contract on 1 November 2021 as chair (president-commissaris) of the TAS supervisory board, before he became a minister. The court found that the legal procedure for setting the director’s employment terms was not followed.
Monorath has said the 2021 procedure was followed. He was not a party to the appeal, and no court has ruled on his personal responsibility.
Opposition Pressure
Mahinder Jogi, a lawmaker for the opposition VHP, questioned the government on Wednesday, 4 November, about the contract. He says Monorath was not authorized to sign it, which Monorath disputes.
The VHP holds 17 of the National Assembly’s 51 seats and is the main opposition party. The governing coalition, led by President Jennifer Simons, holds the other 34.
In Plain English
A president-commissaris chairs the supervisory board of a state-linked company, and the board oversees its director. The telecom law sets a five-year term for the director and a legal procedure for fixing the terms.
A motion of no confidence is a vote in which lawmakers say they no longer trust a minister. Talk of one against Monorath circulated on Tuesday, 3 November, but we could not confirm that it has been filed.
What It Means for You
Monorath runs the ministry that oversees Suriname’s police and security, so a prolonged row could slow its work. Suriname is preparing for its first offshore oil, so investors and foreign partners watch its politics closely.
More on how power works is in our Suriname power structure explainer and politics guide, and on the Suriname hub. Earlier coverage includes the Mennonite expulsion, where Monorath gave the government’s account, and a delayed vote on a US drug-plane deal.
What Is Not Known
It is not known whether the VHP has filed or will file a motion of no confidence. We could not confirm a filing by Wednesday morning, 4 November.
No court has found Monorath personally at fault, and his full reply to the Assembly is not known. Jap-A-Joe’s own account after the ruling was not available to us.
Jogi has also suggested that TAS paid money for other work, which is his claim and is unverified. A full trial must still rule on the contract, and we found no announced decision by President Simons on his post.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Harish Monorath?
He is Suriname’s Minister of Justice and Security. In 2021 he chaired the supervisory board of the telecom regulator TAS.
What did the court decide about the TAS director?
The Court of Justice ruled on 30 October that her five-year term ended on 19 October. Her contract is suspended pending a full trial.
Has a no-confidence motion been filed?
That has not been confirmed. Talk of a motion by the VHP surfaced on Tuesday, 3 November.
What is the VHP?
The VHP, or Progressive Reform Party, is Suriname’s main opposition party. It holds 17 of the National Assembly’s 51 seats.
Why does this matter outside Suriname?
Monorath oversees police and security as Suriname prepares for its first offshore oil. Political crises can shape how investors judge a country.
Sources: National Assembly of Suriname (De Nationale Assemblée), plenary schedule of 3 November 2026; Suriname judiciary, Court of Justice ruling in the case of Wendy Jap-A-Joe against the State and the TAS supervisory board, 30 October 2026 (all accessed 4 November 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief