Vooruitstrevende Hervormings Partij
The Vooruitstrevende Hervormings Partij (VHP; translated: Progressive Reform Party) is a political party founded in January 1949 in Suriname . It has its party headquarters, De Olifant (The Elephant) at Mr. Jagernath Lachmonstraat 130 in Paramaribo .
founding
The Vooruitstrevende Hervormings Partij (VHP) was founded in January 1949 under the name Verenigde Hindoestaanse Partij (VHP). It was a merger of three smaller Hindustan oriented parties.
The first chairman of the VHP was Jagernath Lachmon , who held this position without interruption until his death in 2001.
Name change
In 1973 it was decided to adopt its current name, Vooruitstrevende Hervormings Partij , also abbreviated VHP. With this name change one wanted to show that the party is open to all Surinamers.
independence
After the parliamentary elections of November 1973, the VHP was represented with 17 seats in the opposition . After Prime Minister Henck A. E. Arron announced to the government shortly after the elections that he wanted to achieve Suriname's independence from the Netherlands by the end of 1975, the VHP found this point in time too early. Party resignations resulted in a stalemate in parliament in mid-1975 and the governing coalition did not have a majority to pass the necessary amendment to the constitution for Suriname's independence in parliament. In this uncertain political situation, civil unrest broke out; there was arson. In order to avoid a possible civil war, a MP from the VHP decided to support the government. As a result of the changed situation, Lachmon and the rest of the VHP also decided to work with the governing coalition. The new Basic Law was passed and Suriname gained independence on November 25, 1975.
After the coup
After the military coup on February 25, 1980, parliamentary elections were not held again until 1987. As a clear winner of the election, the VHP was also involved in the government as a coalition partner.
This government participation of the VHP existed with short interruptions, u. a. from 1996 to 2000, until 2010.
Further development
After the parliamentary elections in 2010, the VHP was represented in the opposition with eight MPs in the National Assembly of Suriname .
In the elections to the National Assembly on May 25, 2015 , the VHP was part of the party alliance V 7 Combinatie . The VHP won nine seats in the newly elected parliament.
In the elections on May 25, 2020 , the VHP and its victorious presidential candidate Santokhi became the strongest force in the National Assembly and won 20 of 51 seats.
Chair of the VHP
- Jagernath Lachmon (1949 to 2001)
- Ramdien Sardjoe (2001 to 2011)
- Chan Santokhi (2011 to date)