Paul Somohardjo

Paul Somohardjo
Paul Somohardjo in 2016
Member of the National Assembly
In office 1991–2020
Constituency	Paramaribo District
7th Chairman of the National Assembly of Suriname
In office 30 June 2005 – 30 June 2010
Preceded by	Ram Sardjoe
Succeeded by	Jennifer Simons
Personal details
Born	Paul Slamet Somohardjo (1943-05-02) 2 May 1943 (age 81) Paramaribo, Suriname
Nationality	Suriname
Political party	Pertjajah Luhur
Occupation	Politician

Somohardjo in 1975

Paul Slamet Somohardjo (born 2 May 1943 in Paramaribo) is a Surinamese politician of Javanese descent.^[1] Somohardjo (nickname: Sómo) has been called Paul Salam Somohardjo since childhood. Somohardjo also owns a radio and television station.^[2]

Biography

In 1973, Somohardjo was elected to the Estates of Suriname as a member of the National Party of Suriname (NPS).^[3] During the negotiations for the Independence of Suriname joined the opposition together with two other members of the government,^[4] because they considered the planned independence too hastily, and wanted a longer trajectory.^[5]

In 1977, Somohardjo was one of the founders of the Javanese party Pendawa Lima.^[3] In 1980, there was a coup d'état which brought Desi Bouterse to power.^[4] In 1982, Somohardjo was jailed for alleged involvement in a counter-coup by Surendre Rambocus which was later changed to house arrest. On 7 December 1982, he received permission to visit the funeral of his grandmother, and used the opportunity to escape to the Netherlands.^[6]

On 3 December 1984, Somohardjo participated in the Dutch television program Karel by Karel van de Graaf [nl]. It was a discussion program featuring opponents of Bouterse. During the live broadcast Evert Tjon emerged from the audience, and attacked Somohardjo. The broadcast changed to a "Please Wait" sign, and was quickly ended. After the broadcast, two shots were fired, and one person got wounded.^[7][8][9]

After an internal power struggle, the party was split, and in December 1998, Somohardjo founded Pertjajah Luhur (PL) and became the President of the party.^[3]

In 2002, a Miss Jawa competition was organized.^[10] In 2003 while serving as Minister of Social Affairs, Somohardjo was accused by one of the contestants of indecent behaviour and touching her.^[11] He was declared not guilty of the accusation due to lack of evidence, but received a conditional two months sentence for being in the dressing room, and not leaving after being asked to.^[12][13] On 20 February 2003, he resigned as Minister due to his conviction.^[11]

On 30 June 2005, Somohardjo was the Chairman of the National Assembly, and he served until June 2010.^[14] On 13 December 2007 after a heated argument, Rashied Doekhi attacked Somohardjo. Ronnie Brunswijk interfered in the altercation. After Doekhi was down, both Somohardjo and Brunswijk kicked him. The whole event was broadcast on live television and caused international disgrace.^[15][16]

In 2020, Somhardjo failed re-election to the National Assembly.^[17] He was the oldest parliamentarian in the National Assembly from 2016 to 2020.^[18] On 1 July, Paul Somohardjo, chairman of Pertjajah Luhur and coalition partner of the new government was diagnosed COVID-19 positive. He was taken to the Academic Hospital Paramaribo in the evening of 30 June.^[19] On 3 July, he was released from hospital and in a stable condition.^[20]

See also

• Politics of Suriname

References

1. English Not On Menu For Wednesday's Press Briefing
2. PL - Pertjajah Luhur starnieuws.com
3. "Javanen in de politiek: Morat Marit". Dagblad Suriname (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 July 2020.
4. "Onafhankelijkheid Suriname in 1975". Government of the Netherlands (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 July 2020.
5. "Herinneringen van de totstandkoming Onafhankelijkheidsgrondwet 1975". Star Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 July 2020.
6. "Somohardjo terug en meteen aan de slag". Star Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 July 2020.
7. "3 december Vechtpartij Karel (1984)". YouTube (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
8. "Echte vechtpartij op scherm". Het Vrije Volk via Delpher (in Dutch). 4 December 1984.
9. "Karel van de Graaf na drie arrestaties bij vecht- en schietpartij op TV "Jammer dat het uit de hand is gelopen!"". Limburgs Dagblad via Delpher (in Dutch). 5 December 1984. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
10. "Veroordeling Brunswijk hoeft geen probleem te zijn". De Ware Tijd (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 July 2020.
11. "Wat gebeurde er op 20 februari". Suriname.nu (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 July 2020.
12. "Minister Suriname stapt op na vonnis". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 July 2020.
13. "Nieuwe voorzitter Surinaamse parlement omstreden". Reformatorisch Dagblad via Digibron (in Dutch). 1 July 2005. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
14. (in Dutch)De Nationale Assemblée: Lijst van Oud-Voorzitters
15. Paramaribo (3 July 2020). "Surinaamse parlementariërs met elkaar op de vuist". Waterkant (in Dutch).
16. "Suriname:Fight in the Parlement, Somohardjo, Doekhie, Brunswijk". YouTube. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
17. "16 vrouwen gekozen in DNA; 18 oud-leden keren terug". Star Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
18. "Somohardjo: 'Als oudste gekozen DNA-lid zal ik mijn taken moeten vervullen'". Dagblad Suriname (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 July 2020.
19. "Breaking: Paul Somohardjo besmet met COVID-19". Suriname Herald (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 July 2020.
20. "Somohardjo wordt nog gemonitord, maar is stabiel". Star Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 July 2020.

Preceded by Ram Sardjoe	Speaker of the National Assembly of Suriname 2005–2010	Succeeded by Jennifer Simons
Preceded by Position established	Chairman of the Pertjajah Luhur 1998–present	Incumbent