Emile Wijntuin
Emile Wijntuin in 1975
Chairperson of the National Assembly of Suriname
In office
25 November 1975  15 August 1980[1]
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byAssembly dismissed until 1986
Ulrich Aron
Chairperson of the Estates of Suriname
In office
28 December 1973  25 November 1975[1]
Preceded byOlton van Genderen
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Personal details
Born
Emile Linus Alfred Wijntuin

(1924-09-22)22 September 1924
Totness, Surinam (now Suriname)
Died7 May 2020(2020-05-07) (aged 95)
Paramaribo, Suriname
NationalitySuriname
Political partyPSV
OccupationPolitician

Emile Linus Alfred Wijntuin (22 September 1924 – 7 May 2020)[2] was a Surinamese politician who served as Chairman of the National Assembly of Suriname from 1975 until the aftermath of the 1980 Surinamese coup d'état.[3][4] Wijntuin was a member of the Progressive Surinamese People's Party (PSV).

Biography

Wijntuin was born in the Coronie District on 22 September 1924 in a family of farmers.[5] At age 12, he was sent to Paramaribo for high school education. In 1943, he became an assistant teacher and received his teaching degree in 1947. During this period, he befriended father Jozef Weidmann and became interested in politics.[6]

In August 1926, Weidmann was one of the founders of PSV, a Christian democratic party.[6] Wijntuin joined the PSV shortly after its foundation.[7] He first ran for office in 1955, but lost to Johan Kraag.[6] From 1958 to 1967 and 1968 to 1980, he was a member of the National Assembly.[7] Wijntuin became chairman of PSV in 1971.[6] He served as the Chairman of the Estates of Suriname from 1973 to 1975.[3]

After the 1980 coup d'etat, Wijntuin was placed under house arrest.[8] In 1982, he left Suriname, and lived in diaspora in the Netherlands. He tried to gather support from the European and South American Christian democrats but found himself increasingly isolated. Wijntuin returned after the restoration of democracy in 1991 but refrained from politics, and started to focus on writing books.[7]

Wijntuin died on 7 May 2020 at the age of 95.[2]

Other activities

In 1962, the Father Weidmann Foundation, was established. The foundation operates a home for stray children, and was chaired by Wijntuin until his death.[9]

In 1994, he published his autobiography Reflekties uit een politiek verleden.[7]

In 1998, Wijntuin wrote Louis Doedel, martelaar voor het Surinaamse volk,[10] about Louis Doedel, a union leader who was involuntary committed in psychiatric hospital Wolfenbüttel on 28 May 1937 by Governor Kielstra. Doedel was forgotten and presumed dead. It wasn't until 1980, that he was released.[11][12]

Honours

References

  1. 1 2 "SURINAAMS PARLEMENT DIT JAAR 155 JAAR". United News (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Marica: Suriname heeft grote zoon verloren". Suriname Herald (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  3. 1 2 "De Nationale Assemblée: Lijst van Oud-Voorzitters" (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 14 July 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  4. "The Year of the Sergeants" by Edward Dew in the Caribbean Review
  5. "Emile Wijntuin viert 90ste verjaardag" (in Dutch). Suriname Herald. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Het leven van Emile Wijntuin in een notendop. Door dr. Hans Breeveld". Omhoog (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "OSO. Tijdschrift voor Surinaamse taalkunde, letterkunde en geschiedenis. Jaargang 14". Digital Library for Dutch Literature (in Dutch). 1975. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  8. "In memoriam: Emile Linus Alfred Wijntuin". Werkgroup Caraïbische Letteren (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  9. "Eerste parlementsvoorzitter onafhankelijk Suriname overleden". Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  10. "Louis Doedel, martelaar voor het Surinaamse volk". Royal Dutch Library (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  11. "Borstbeeld, eerste stap naar eerherstel Louis Doedel". Star Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  12. "Louis Doedel (1905-1980)". Vakbonds Historie (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  13. 1 2 "Hoogste pauselijke onderscheiding voor wijlen Emile Wijntuin". GFC Nieuws (in Dutch). 19 October 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  14. "Het heeft ook nu weer lintjes geregend". Leidsche Courant (in Dutch). 28 April 1967. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  15. "Onderscheidingen". Trouw via Delpher (in Dutch). 24 November 1975. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
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