Suriname 1987 Constitution (reviewed 1992)

CHAPTER XXII. REGIONAL LEGISLATION

Article 169

1. The provision of regulations and administration of the affairs of the district shall be left to the district council.
2. The district council shall make the district-ordinances which it considers necessary in the interest of the district subject to the limits of the Constitution and the laws and administrative measures of the Government. It shall be indicated by law with regard to which subjects the district councils shall have legislative powers.

Article 170

1. The district-ordinances shall be notified to the National Assembly, the Government, the Council of State in the local District Commissioner, before they become effective.
2. The population of the district shall be informed about the contents of the district ordinances through their publication in local newspapers and in the Official Journal of the Republic of Suriname and by keeping them available for reading at the office of the District Commissioner.

Article 171

After the publication as mentioned in Article 170 everyone shall have the opportunity to lodge complaints against the district ordinances with the National Assembly.

Article 172

1. If a district ordinance is contrary to the Constitution, the government programme or the existing laws, the National Assembly can annul it.
2. The district council shall have the power to commence the procedure of making the district ordinance effective and of promulgating it, in a manner that shall be decide by law, if the National Assembly has notified the district council in writing within six weeks after the district ordinance was submitted to it, that no complaints were lodged with it.

Article 173

1. The measures taken by the district council which do not contain general rules, shall and under strict supervision exercised by the Government. If those measures are considered to be in contravention of the government program or the national interest, the President shall suspend them.
2. If, after the suspension by the Council of State, the district council in question should think that there is no violation of the government program or the national interest, the dispute is submitted to the National Assembly, which makes a final binding decision.

CHAPTER XXIII. REGIONAL AUTHORITIES

Article 174

1. In every district there shall be a district administration. The district administration is the Executive organ of the district.
2. The district administration consists of the District Commissioner and the representatives of the ministerial departments in the district.

Article 175

The district administration is entrusted with the daily administration of the district.

Article 176

Repealed.

CHAPTER XXIV. ARMY AND POLICE

First Section. THE NATIONAL ARMY

Article 177

1. The National Army shall have as its task the defense of the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Suriname against foreign, military, armed aggression.
2. Without prejudice to the provisions of the previous paragraph, the army can be charged with special tasks to be defined by law.
3. The army shall carry out its tasks under the responsibility of and in subordination to the competent authority and in accordance with the prevailing legislation.
4. The organization of the National Army and the legal status of the servicemen shall be defined by law.

Second Section. THE POLICE CORPS OF SURINAME

Article 178

1. The police shall have as task:
   1. to maintain public order and domestic security, to prevent violations thereof, and to protect persons and goods.
   2. to investigate punishable acts and to enforce the observance of regulations, the breach of which shall be punishable by law.
2. Without prejudice to the provisions of the previous paragraph, the police can be charged with special tasks to be defined by law.
3. The police corps shall carry out its task under the responsibility of and in subordination to the competent authority and in accordance with the prevailing legislation.
4. The organization of the Police Corps of Suriname and the legal status of the police officers shall be defined by law.

Article 179

1. Servicemen or the police officers who become a member of one of the people’s representative bodies shall be suspended from duty by law.
2. Rules with regard to making views or feelings public, or to using the right of association, assembly and demonstration by servicemen and police officers shall be defined by law.