Frank Essed

Franklin Edgar Essed (21 April 1919 – 22 December 1988) was a Surinamese forest scientist and politician. He served as Minister of Development from 1958 until 1963, and 1969 until 1973. Essed initiated Operation Grasshopper which build airstrips in the interior to map natural resources.

Biography Essed was born on 21 April 1919 in Paramaribo. He went to high school, and started to work as a geodist. In 1949, he received the opportunity to study at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. He graduated in forestry in 1955, and received his doctorate in 1957. and in 1958, he was elected to the Estates of Suriname with the most votes for a single candidate. He first served as Minister without Portfolio for 14 days, before being appointed to the newly formed Ministry of Development. The same year, he commissioned Trefossa to rewrite the national anthem. He also initiated changing the electoral system from a district system into a mixed system. An internal conflict with Jopie Pengel led to Essed resigning from the NPS, and not participating in the 1963 elections and again served as Minister of Development until 1973. He was one of the proponents of the West Suriname Plan which aimed to develop the bauxite in the Bakhuis Mountains.

In 1980, Desi Bouterse committed a coup d'état resulting in the cancellation of the West Suriname Plan. Even though he was accused corruption, he was never charged or went to trial. In 1987, Essed announced his candidacy for President of Suriname, however Ramsewak Shankar was elected in 1988. In 1995, a bust was revealed in front of the Ministry of Land and Forest Management, the current name of the Ministry of Development.