Jules Sedney (28 September 192218 June 2020) was a

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

se politician, and

Prime Minister of Suriname This article lists the prime ministers of Suriname from 1949 to 1988. In 1988 the position of Prime Minister of Suriname was abolished and replaced by a Vice President, who chairs the Council of Ministers ex officio. List of prime ministers ;P ...

from 20 November 1969 to 24 December 1973. In 1980, he became governor of the

Central Bank of Suriname The Central Bank of Suriname ( nl, Centrale Bank van Suriname) is Suriname’s highest monetary authority and the country’s governing body in monetary and economic affairs. The Central Bank’s tasks were legislated in the Bank Act of 1956. Lik ...

, but had to flee the country in 1983 after a dispute with

Dési Bouterse Desiré Delano "Dési" Bouterse (; born 13 October 1945) is a Surinamese military officer, politician, convicted murderer and drug trafficker who served as President of Suriname from 2010 to 2020. From 1980 to 1987, he was Suriname's ''de facto ...

. Sedney returned to Suriname in 1989.

Early years and education

Sedney was born in

Paramaribo Paramaribo (; ; nicknamed Par'bo) is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 241,000 people (2012 census), almost half of Suriname's ...

. In 1939, Sedney was certified as a classroom assistant, and began working. He passed the customs officer certification exam in 1942 and became a customs officer in Paramaribo. In 1948, Sedney left for Amsterdam to study economics at the

University of Amsterdam The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, nl, Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The UvA is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being ...

. During his studies, he joined the organisation ''Wie Eegie Sanie'' (Our Own Things), founded by

Eddy Bruma Eduard Johan "Eddy" Bruma (May 30, 1925 – November 6, 2000) was a Surinamese politician, lawyer and writer. Biography Bruma was imprisoned during World War II, because of his nationalistic activities. After the war, he studied law at the Free U ...

to promote

Sranan Tongo Sranan Tongo (also Sranantongo "Surinamese tongue," Sranan, Surinaams, Surinamese, Surinamese Creole) is an English-based creole language that is spoken as a ''lingua franca'' by approximately 550,000 people in Suriname. Developed originally amo ...

and Surinamese culture. He obtained his doctorate in economic sciences in 1955 at the

Political career

In 1958, Sedney became Minister of Finance for the

NPS NPS may refer to: Organizations * National Park Service, U.S. * National Pension System, India * National Pension Service, Korea * National Phobics Society, UK charity * National Piers Society, UK charity * National Poetry Slam, competition * N ...

. He later joined the breakaway Progressive National Party (PNP) founded by

Just Rens Just or JUST may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Just (surname) * Just (given name) Arts and entertainment * ''Just'', a 1998 album by Dave Lindholm * "Just" (song), a song by Radiohead * "Just", a song from the album ''Lost and Found'' by Mudvayne ...

. In the

1969 Surinamese general election General elections were held in Suriname on 24 October 1969.Dieter Nohlen (2005) ''Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I'', p614 The result was a victory for the VHP bloc (an alliance of the VHP, the Indonesian People's Party and t ...

, Sedney's party bloc took third place. They then formed a government with the first-place VHP bloc led by

Jagernath Lachmon Jagernath Lachmon, also Jaggernath Lachmon, (21 September 1916 – 19 October 2001) was a Surinamese politician. He was one of the founders of the Progressive Reform Party (VHP), an Indo-Surinamese party founded in 1947 of which he served as Pre ...

. In 1961, Sedney argued for the creation of a scientific institute in Suriname, which later developed into the University of Suriname (currently known as the

Anton de Kom University Anton de Kom University ( nl, Anton de Kom Universiteit van Suriname) is the only university in Suriname. It is located in the capital, Paramaribo, and named for Anton de Kom, an anti-colonialist activist who was killed by the Nazis while in exi ...

). From 1969 to 1973, Sedney served as Prime Minister of

. He led a multi-ethnic government that he believed to have the checks and balances necessary to grow the Surinamese economy.Suriname
US Department of State Self Study Guide, accessed 6 October 2010 In 1969, Sedney embarked on the first steps towards the

independence of Suriname The early history of Suriname dates from 3000 BCE when Native Americans first inhabited the area. The Dutch acquired Suriname from the English, and European settlement in any numbers dates from the 17th century, when it was a plantation colony ...

: he proposed a Koninkrijkscommissie (Kingdom Commission) which would set the path towards independence. The commission came into effect on 5 January 1972. However, Sedney later became a vocal critic of the same commission, arguing that the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

PvdA was acting in undue haste. From Sedney's perspective, independence should have been planned more carefully over a longer time period. He also raised concerns about ethnic tensions. In 1980, Sedney became the governor of the

. In 1983, he was fired after a dispute with

Desi Bouterse DESI may refer to * Desorption electrospray ionization * Drug Efficacy Study Implementation * Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument See also * Desi (disambiguation) Desi or Deshi is a self-referential term used by South Asian people. Desi may al ...

about a suspicious loan. In January 1983, he went into exile in the Netherlands. Sedney's

citizenship Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...

was revoked on 21 July 1983 after he testified in a Dutch court against Henk Herrenberg, the Surinamese ambassador to the Netherlands. He was allowed to return to Suriname in 1989.

Later life

Sedney was the oldest bridge player of Suriname. In 1997, he published ''De toekomst van ons verleden'' (The Future of Our Past), a political history of Suriname from 1948 onward. This book included evaluations of Suriname's parliamentary democracy prior to the

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...

and provided recommendations for strengthening democracy. Successive editions were published in 2010 and 2017. In 2016, he was awarded honorary membership by the VHP. In 2016, the New Harbour in Paramaribo was renamed '' Dr Jules Sedney – Haven van Paramaribo'' to recognize his involvement in its founding. Sedney died on 18 June 2020. He had been hospitalized just prior to his death.

Selected publications

* Jules Sedney, ''Het werkgelegenheidsaspect van het Surinaamse Tienjaren Plan'' (The Employment Aspect of the Surinamese Ten-Year Plan). (1955) Amsterdam: S. J. P. Bakker. Doctoral Dissertation. * Jules Sedney, ''Ontwerp grondwet van de Pendawa Lima'' (Concept Constitution). (1986) Amsterdam: S.V.R-Pendawa Lima * Jules Sedney, ''De Toekomst van Ons Verleden: Democratie, Etniciteit en Politieke Machtsvorming in Suriname'' (The Future of Our Past: Democracy, Ethnicity and Political Power in Suriname). (1997, 1st ed.) Paramaribo: VACO Publishers.

Honours

*: Grand Cordon (''Grootlint''),

Honorary Order of the Yellow Star The Honorary Order of the Yellow Star (Dutch language, Dutch: ''Ere-Orde van de Gele Ster'') is the highest state decoration of the Republic of Suriname. The Order was instituted in 1975 at the Suriname#Independence, independence of Suriname and r ...

(November 2008)

References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Sedney, Jules 1922 births 2020 deaths People from Paramaribo Prime Ministers of Suriname Grand Cordons of the Honorary Order of the Yellow Star Finance ministers of Suriname Surinamese bankers Surinamese economists Surinamese historians University of Amsterdam alumni Surinamese contract bridge players Surinamese exiles Governors of the Central Bank of Suriname