Mission

The Independent Electoral Council Suriname safeguards the rule of law and the experience of democracy for every Surinamese by ensuring that the entire electoral process of pre-election, electoral and post-election is fair, accurate and accessible. The Independent Electoral Council Suriname guarantees optimal protection of the right to vote by ensuring that general, free and secret elections are organized.

Vision

The Independent Electoral Council Suriname strives to be the best authority on election supervision in the Caribbean and South America, operating professionally, independently, and autonomously.

Trustworthiness

For the Independent Electoral Council Suriname, public trust, stakeholders’ confidence, objective oversight of all facets of the electoral process and the acceptance of the election results are the most important assets.

Professionaliteit

The Independent Electoral Council Suriname is a professional body that meets the highest international standards in terms of code of conduct and best practices.

Integrity

The Independent Electoral Council Suriname places honesty and transparency at the heart of all its actions.

Democratic

The Independent Electoral Council Suriname bases its decision-making on democratic principles.

Impartial

The Independent Electoral Council Suriname is impartial and above parties in all its actions and communications.

Supervisory Function

The OKB supervises the general free and secret elections in Suriname. This supervision covers all activities within the election cycle (pre-electoral, electoral, post- electoral). The supervision extends, among other things, to the regular maintenance and updating of the voters' register, the careful compilation of the voters' lists, the provision and creation of the possibility of collecting poll cards, the nomination of candidates and the associated other legal procedures, the training and uniform instructions to polling stations and everything related to the functioning of polling stations in accordance with legal regulations, all activities related to the creation, transport, storage and distribution of ballot papers.

Research Function

The OKB is authorized to examine the electoral rolls and make a judgment on their reliability. Among other things, it examines whether the electoral rolls have been updated in accordance with improvements and additions found to be necessary or ordered by the court, the electoral register has been established, maintained and updated daily in accordance with the law, all eligible voters have been entered in the electoral register in accordance with the manner prescribed by law, the establishment of the electoral rolls has taken place by the Minister of Home Affairs for the conduct of elections.

Guarantee Function

Through the accurate exercise of its supervision and control functions, the OKB provides a guarantee to society about the veracity of the organization of elections, the votes cast, the vote count and about the results of the elections. The OKB determines the results of elections binding on society. It further ensures that all legal regulations governing elections are observed, that the right to vote is guaranteed and that elections are free, fair and transparent.

Enforcement Function

The legislature has entrusted the OKB with the enforcement function. The OKB can perform this function throughout the election cycle without any interference from third parties. It has the power to take immediate action on complaints of improper functioning of the Central Chief Electoral Bureau, a Chief Electoral Bureau or a Polling Station which it deems necessary.

Registration Function

The OKB is responsible for registering or re-registering political organizations in the public register kept for that purpose by the OKB. Before proceeding with registration, it tests whether the political organizations comply with the democratic principles as enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Suriname and in lower regulations.

Code of Conduct

The Independent Electoral Council Suriname follows a strict code of conduct.