VHP leadership sparks debate: Jogi questions support for Gajadien

The discussion about the VHP chairmanship is taking increasingly clear shape as prominent party members speak out about possible candidates. VHP parliamentarian and executive board member Mahinder Jogi advises vice-chairman Asiskumar Gajadien not to stand for the party’s highest office. According to Jogi, the future chairman must not only enjoy support within party structures, but also have broad trust in society.

Jogi made his remarks on the programme ABC Actueel. He stressed that, in his view, the choice should not revolve around personal ambitions, but around the position and future of the VHP. “I would advise him not to do so, because I believe he does not have that support in society,” Jogi said about a possible candidacy by Gajadien.

According to the parliamentarian, it is insufficient for a candidate to be supported by only a limited group. In his view, a party leader must be able to count on the support of a much larger group of voters and party structures. Jogi therefore emphasises public support as one of the key conditions for the VHP chairmanship.

Gajadien considers VHP chairmanship

The remarks follow after Gajadien announced that various electors within the party had urged him to make himself available for the chairmanship. Gajadien has not yet announced a definitive candidacy and is holding discussions before making a decision on the matter.

Gajadien is currently the VHP parliamentary group leader in De Nationale Assemblée (DNA) and is among the party’s prominent faces. However, Jogi makes clear that political visibility does not automatically mean that someone has sufficiently broad support to lead the entire party.

Leadership elections planned for 2027

The discussion is taking place against the backdrop of the upcoming leadership elections. Glenn Oehlers took over the leadership of the VHP in May 2026 following the death of Chandrikapersad Santokhi. Oehlers will lead the party until no later than 29 May 2027, when the regular executive board elections must take place. Key News previously reported on Oehlers’ temporary appointment and the process leading up to the party congress.

“You lead a party when its structures stand behind you voluntarily.”

Jogi wants consensus within the VHP

Jogi believes that the VHP should focus primarily on internal consultations in the coming period. According to him, it must be prevented that the contest for the chairmanship leads to division. Ultimately, one person will become chairman, while other prominent members must, in his view, be willing to work with the chosen leader.

He therefore says he supports consensus. The party should jointly consider which candidate inspires the most confidence, both within its own structures and beyond them. Jogi warns that the VHP should not choose people who are associated in society with certain capital groups or around whom a negative perception exists.

Vision and party history important conditions

In addition to public support, Jogi cites substantive knowledge and political vision as important conditions for the VHP chairmanship. According to him, a future chairman must know what the party has historically stood for and at the same time be able to chart a clear course for Suriname’s further development.

The official VHP website states that the party was founded on 16 January 1949 and has been continuously represented in the Surinamese parliament ever since. The party lists social development, healthcare, education, economic development, the environment and the democratic rule of law among its core principles. Jogi believes that a future chairman must know the organisation’s history and principles.

Kandhai a suitable candidate according to Jogi

Jogi explicitly names former minister Ganeshkoemar Kandhai as someone he believes is suitable to lead the VHP. He points in particular to the administrative and political experience Kandhai has built up in various positions. According to Jogi, Kandhai has the strongest résumé for the position under the current circumstances.

On ABC Actueel, he listed several positions Kandhai has held over the years. According to Jogi, Kandhai worked for about five years at the Public Prosecution Service and then served for about five years as director of the Central Bureau for Civil Affairs. He subsequently served as Minister of Public Works and later as a parliamentarian.

Jogi points to Kandhai’s long record of service

In addition, according to Jogi, Kandhai was active at the Council of State and at MI-GLIS. He also served as VHP secretary for a long period. Based on these positions, Jogi calculates that Kandhai has nearly thirty years of service in various disciplines and sees this as an important strength for a possible party leader.

Whether Kandhai himself intends to stand as a candidate is not clear from Jogi’s statements. The parliamentarian is primarily expressing his personal assessment of who he believes would be suitable under the current circumstances.

Internal relations come more sharply into focus

The statements make clear that the succession discussion within the VHP is not only focused on names, but also on the question of what type of leadership the party needs. Public support, administrative experience, internal cooperation and public perception appear likely to become important themes ahead of the 2027 executive board elections.

In recent months, discussions have already taken place within the VHP on renewal, internal democracy and the relationship between the executive board and various initiatives within and around the party. The contest for the chairmanship could therefore also become a broader discussion about the direction the VHP wants to take after the Santokhi period.

Gajadien has not yet made a final decision

For the time being, Gajadien has not finalised his candidacy. Discussions with electors and other stakeholders are continuing. It therefore remains possible that he will ultimately stand as a candidate, despite Jogi’s public advice not to do so.

Jogi has meanwhile made clear that his preference lies elsewhere and that he sees broad support as the decisive condition. This has opened up the debate about the VHP chairmanship well ahead of the leadership elections. The coming months will have to show which other candidates come forward and whether the party can reach a broadly supported choice through consultations.