Monday, July 7, 2025 - Suriname’s parliament has elected Jennifer Simons as the country’s first female president, setting the veteran lawmaker and physician on course to lead the South American nation just as it anticipates a major oil boom.
Lawmakers backed Simons six weeks after closely contested
parliamentary elections on May 25, which saw her opposition National Democratic
Party (NDP) secure 18 seats, narrowly edging out incumbent President Chan
Santokhi’s Progressive Reform Party, which won 17. Smaller parties claimed the
remaining 16 seats.
Suriname’s president is chosen indirectly, with members of
the National Assembly voting to elect the head of state. A candidate must
secure a two-thirds majority to win
Accepting the office, Simons, 71, pledged to serve all
Surinamese people and focus on youth and marginalized groups.
“I come into
this office to serve, and I will use all my knowledge, strength, and insight to
make our wealth available to all of our people,” she said. “I am very aware of
the responsibility now placed on our shoulders; a responsibility compounded for
me by the fact that I am the first woman to hold this office. My thanks, and we
will get to work.”
Incumbent President Santokhi, 66, who faced criticism for
failing to protect poorer communities, congratulated Simons on her election. He
accepted responsibility for his administration’s shortcomings and vowed to
continue serving in parliament after stepping down.
Suriname, a former Dutch colony that gained independence in
1975, is poised for significant economic growth thanks to its first major
offshore oil and gas development, led by TotalEnergies. The Gran Morgu project,
expected to start production in 2028, could transform Suriname into a rival
producer alongside neighboring Guyana, which posted an economic growth rate of
over 43% last year.
Despite this, the recent election campaign saw little debate
over how the country should manage the anticipated windfall. Simons’ presidency
was secured through a six-party coalition agreement reached shortly after the
parliamentary vote, and her formal inauguration is scheduled for July 16.
Parliament confirmed Simons’ election by acclamation, also
selecting National Party of Suriname leader Gregory Rusland as her vice
president.
Simons previously served as parliamentary speaker for a
decade until 2020. She leads the NDP, a party founded by former President Desi
Bouterse, who was a dominant figure in Surinamese politics for decades before
dying last year while on the run. Bouterse left office in 2020, a year after
being convicted over the 1982 killings of 15 government critics. When the
conviction was upheld in 2023, he went into hiding and died at 79 on Christmas
Eve at an undisclosed location.
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