Suriname - ex-dictator back as an elected president - by Ben Fox

A former coup leader, convicted drug trafficker and accused murderer swore to uphold the country's laws at his inauguration Thursday without mentioning concerns in Suriname and abroad about his return to power — this time through the democratic process.

President Desi Bouterse pledged in a speech to fight corruption and help impoverished communities in the vast rain forest hinterland of South America's smallest nation. He also said he would strengthen the resource-dependent economy and further distance the former Dutch colony from the Netherlands while forging closer ties with other nations.

But in a ceremony that was avoided by the hemisphere's leaders, Bouterse did not address his history as Suriname's two-time dictator — a past that made his election last month by parliament uncomfortable for the international community.

For more: The Associated Press: Suriname ex-dictator back as an elected president: "