The Dutch ambassador to Suriname is not welcome at the inauguration on Thursday of Desi Bouterse as president of the South American country, says prospective foreign minister Winston Lackin.

Lackin told the Dutch press that since Bouterse is not welcome in the Netherlands, then the Dutch ambassador is not welcome at the inauguration. ‘The Dutch government has no respect for the population of Suriname and our democratically elected president,’ he said.
Bouterse, a former military leader, was sentenced to jail for drugs smuggling in the Netherlands and is currently on trial for his role in killing 15 political opponents in 1982.
In May, foreign affairs minister Maxime Verhagen said Bouterse would not be allowed in to the Netherlands.
Suriname became a Dutch colony in the 17th century and gained full independence in 1975.