On May 25, 2010 the Republic of Suriname held General Elections. At stake were 51 seats in parliament and 868 seats in the local and district assemblies.

Suriname has a decentralized system for organizing and administering elections. The country is divided into 10 electoral districts, which correspond to its administrative districts. The district commissioner, appointed by the president, is the highest government official in each district and also is responsible for election administration in the district.

The National Assembly (DNA) is the highest political body in Suriname. Each district elects a specified number of members of the DNA, which is established in the constitution and not allocated based on the population of the district.

Assembly members are elected on the basis of the proportional representation, as well as preferential voting.

The Minister of Home Affairs is responsible for preparing the list of eligible voters. The CBB, a subsidiary division of the Ministry, extracts the names of persons who would be 18 by Election Day.

Suriname does not issue separate voter identification cards. A person’s national registration card, issued by the CBB, is one of the documents that potential electors must present to vote. In 2005, a decision was taken to allow the presentation of a driver’s license in the absence of a national identification card. Persons must also present a polling card to be able to vote.

The CBB sends the polling or voter card to the district commissioners, who deliver the card to the person eligible to vote. It informs potential voters of the polling station where their name should appear on the voter list.

The law provides a period of time for voters to check whether their names are on the preliminary list of voters and seek to amend incorrect information.

Suriname is a constitutional democracy based on the 1987 Constitution.

The legislative branch of government consists of a 51-member unicameral National Assembly, simultaneously and popularly elected for a five-year term. Key decisions, such as amendments to the constitution, the calling of a plebiscite and the election of the president and vice-president, must be approved by at least two-thirds of the National Assembly.

The President, who is elected for a five-year term by a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly or, failing that, by a majority of the People's Assembly, consisting of all elected officials in the country.

As head of government, the President appoints a 16-minister cabinet, but as contrary in other Caribbean countries, government ministers are not members of the National Assembly.

A vice president is elected at the same time as the President for a 5-year term. The vice president is both the leader of the cabinet and the prime minister.

A total of 20 political parties registered to contest the May 25 General Elections in Suriname. The 2010 elections had nine political parties/alliances competing for seats in the National Assembly, Ressorts and Districts.

In 2009, Suriname's population was estimated to be 481,267. It is made up of several distinct ethnic groups, including the Hindustani 37%, (descendants from northern India), Creole 31% (mixed white and black), Javanese 15% (descendants of Indonesians), Maroons 10% (descendants of West African slaves), Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, White 1%, and others 2%.

The backbone of the economy of Suriname is the export of aluminium oxide. Gold mining and hardwood extraction also represent significant exports.