{{short description|Political party in Suriname}} {{Infobox political party | name = Democratic Alternative '91 | native_name = Democratisch Alternatief '91 | logo = Democratisch Alternatief '91.svg | colorcode = {{party color|Democratic Alternative '91}} | foundation = {{start date|1991|8|3|df=y}} | split = National Party | chairperson = Angelic del Castilho | ideology = Liberalism<br/>Liberal conservatism<br>Libertarianism | position = Centre to centre-right | international = International Alliance of Libertarian Parties<br>Liberal International (observer) | national = V7 (2015)<br>New Front for Democracy and Development (formerly) | country = Suriname | website = {{URL|https://da91.org/}} }} The '''Democratic Alternative '91''' ({{langx|nl|Democratisch Alternatief '91}}, '''DA'91''') is a liberal political party in Suriname.
==History== The DA '91 was founded in 1991 when it split off from the National Party of Suriname.<ref name=dsk>{{cite web |url=http://www.de-surinaamse-krant.com/2015/03/winston-jessurun-blijft-belangrijkste.html |title=Winston Jessurun blijft belangrijkste DA'91-kandiaat voor Assemblee |language=Dutch |publisher=De Surinaamse Krant |date=23 March 2015 |accessdate=15 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810211909/http://www.de-surinaamse-krant.com/2015/03/winston-jessurun-blijft-belangrijkste.html |archive-date=10 August 2017 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> The party was founded shortly before the 1991 general election. The intention had been to establish the party in 1991 but the "Telephone Coup" that removed President Ramsewak Shankar from office interfered with the planning.<ref name=parbode>{{cite web |author=Pieter van Maele |url=http://www.parbode.com/parbode-interview/item/4977-winston-jessurun |title=Winston Jessurun |language=Dutch |publisher=Parbode |date=15 January 2014 |accessdate=15 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916093237/http://www.parbode.com/parbode-interview/item/4977-winston-jessurun |archive-date=16 September 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Winston Jessurun was one of the founders, together with Gerard Brunings.<ref name=parbode/> Brunings has stated that when establishing the party they asked the Dutch embassy for programs of Dutch political parties and that of Democrats 66 appealed most to them. With the most significant change being changing Netherlands for Suriname.<ref name=parbode/>
In the 1991 elections, the party obtained 9 seats. At the 1996 elections the number of seats dropped to four. It further dropped to two in the 2000 elections and one in the 2005 elections.<ref name=parbode/> Even though the party gained only one seat it was able to join the third cabinet of President Ronald Venetiaan and had one Minister in the cabinet and received an ambassadorship.<ref name=parbode/>
For the 2010 elections, the DA'91 joined the political alliance New Front for Democracy and Development<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.waterkant.net/suriname/2010/03/05/winston-jessurun-het-is-ons-om-suriname-te-doen/ |title=Winston Jessurun: het is ons om Suriname te doen |language=Dutch |publisher=Waterkant.net |date=5 March 2010 |accessdate=15 June 2015}}</ref> that won 31.6% of the popular vote and 14 out of 51 seats in the National Assembly. Out of these 14, one seat went to DA'91.
For the 2015 elections, DA'91 entered the elections as part of the political alliance V7.<ref name="dsk" /> On 30 September 2015 Angelic del Castilho became chairperson of the party, succeeding Winston Jessurun.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.srherald.com/suriname/2015/10/01/angelic-alihusain-del-castilho-nieuwe-voorzitter-da91/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608085222/https://www.srherald.com/suriname/2015/10/01/angelic-alihusain-del-castilho-nieuwe-voorzitter-da91/ |title=Angelic Alihusain-del Castilho nieuwe voorzitter DA’91 |language=Dutch |publisher=Suriname Herald |date=1 October 2015 |archive-date=8 June 2019}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20190213143410/http://www.da91.org/ Official site (archived 13 February 2019)]}}
{{Surinamese political parties}}
Category:Liberal parties in South America Category:Political parties in Suriname