Latest news with #GeerlingsSimons
France 24
3 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Suriname elects country's first woman president amid economic crisis
Lawmakers elected Jennifer Geerlings-Simons as Suriname 's first woman president on Sunday, after her party won the most seats in legislative elections in May. The 71-year-old former opposition leader was left the sole candidate for president after her rivals decided on Thursday not to nominate anyone to lead the small country on South America's northern coast. Geerlings-Simons' National Democratic Party (NDP) won 18 of the 51 seats in the National Assembly, more than those of the centrist VHP party of outgoing president Chan Santokhi. The NDP had already entered into an agreement with five other parties with which it jointly holds 34 seats in parliament -- obtaining the two-thirds majority needed to claim the presidency. The NDP was founded by former coup leader and autocrat-turned-elected-president Desi Bouterse, who died in hiding in December 2024. Under his iron-fisted rule, Suriname was labeled a narco-state, with Bouterse convicted in the Netherlands for smuggling drugs. Santokhi's party had hoped to form a coalition to remain in power, but said in a statement that it had decided not to oppose Geerlings-Simons' election. Geerlings-Simons said she "accepted the position," in a speech to lawmakers, ahead of an inauguration due July 16. "I am acutely aware of the responsibility that now rests on our shoulders. This responsibility is made greater by the fact that I am, in fact, the first woman to hold this office," Geerlings-Simons said. "I will use all my knowledge, strength and insight to make our wealth available to all our fellow citizens, with special attention to our young people and those who have so far not had the opportunities to develop," she added. 01:51 Oil-rich The former Dutch colony of 600,000 inhabitants, one of the poorest countries in South America, has been wracked by a civil war and military coups since its independence in 1975. The government is hoping that an oil boom will follow from recently discovered offshore oil reserves. These could bring the tiny nation, where 20 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, an unprecedented windfall from 2028 -- when an offshore block begins production. During the campaign, Geerlings-Simons, former chairperson of the National Assembly, said she wanted "to be in power to ensure that the population really benefits" from the expected oil revenues. This would involve "establishing a law that requires all companies to work with Surinamese people and buy Surinamese products." Suriname, a diverse country made up of descendants of people from India, Indonesia, China, the Netherlands, Indigenous groups and Africans made to work as slaves, marks its 50th anniversary of independence from the Dutch throne this November. In recent years, it has looked increasingly toward China as a political ally and trading partner and, in 2019, became one of the first Latin American countries to join the Asian giant's Belt and Road infrastructure drive.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jennifer Geerlings-Simons becomes Suriname's first woman president
Lawmakers elected Jennifer Geerlings-Simons as Suriname's first woman president on Sunday, after her party won the most seats in legislative elections in May. The 71-year-old former opposition leader was left the sole candidate for president after her rivals decided on Thursday not to nominate anyone to lead the small country on South America's northern coast. Geerlings-Simons' National Democratic Party (NDP) won 18 of the 51 seats in congress, more than those of the centrist VHP party of outgoing president Chan Santokhi. The NDP had already entered into an agreement with five other parties with which it jointly holds 34 seats in parliament. The NDP was founded by former coup leader and autocrat-turned-elected-president Desi Bouterse, who died in hiding in December 2024. Santokhi's party had also hoped to form a coalition to remain in power, but said in a statement that it had decided not to oppose Geerlings-Simons' election. Suriname, a diverse country made up of descendants of people from India, Indonesia, China, the Netherlands, Indigenous groups and African slaves, marks its 50th anniversary of independence from the Dutch throne this November. In recent years, it has looked increasingly toward China as a political ally and trading partner and, in 2019, became one of the first Latin American countries to join the Asian giant's Belt and Road infrastructure drive. The former Dutch colony of 600,000 inhabitants, one of the poorest countries in South America, is hoping that an oil boom will bring prosperity. bur-st/dw
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Suriname's parliament elects the country's first female president amid economic turmoil
PARAMARIBO, Suriname (AP) — Suriname 's parliament Sunday elected physician Jennifer Geerlings-Simons as the troubled country's first female president. The South American country's National Assembly chooses the president by a two-thirds vote. Geerlings-Simons, a congresswoman, ran unopposed after her party formed a coalition aimed at ousting the country's current leader following a May election with no clear winner. The coalition was formed as the troubled country prepares for an influx of wealth following the discovery of major offshore oil deposits, with the first production expected by 2028. Geerlings-Simons, who leads the National Democratic Party, will be inaugurated as president of the Dutch-speaking country of more than 646,000 people on July 16. 'I am aware that the heavy task I have taken on is further aggravated by the fact that I am the first woman to serve the country in this position,' she said after the election. The five-year term of President Chandrikapersad Santokhi has been riddled with corruption scandals, and he was forced to call on the International Monetary Fund to get Suriname's economy back on track. As a result, the country's public debt was largely restructured and government subsidies significantly reduced. Macroeconomically, Santokhi achieved success, but people groaned under the austerity measures, which sparked violent protests. Geerlings-Simons, 71, and her running mate, Gregory Rusland, on Sunday told reporters they will prioritize stabilizing the country's finances. She had previously indicated an interest in increasing state revenues by, among other things, improving tax collections, including in the small-scale gold-mining sector. Winston Ramautarsingh, former chairman of Suriname's Association of Economists, said Geerlings-Simons will face serious challenges in the years before the country produces its first barrels of oil, in part because it must repay about $400 million annually in loans and interest. 'Suriname does not have that money,' he said. 'The previous government rescheduled the debts, but that was only a postponement.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jennifer Geerlings-Simons becomes Suriname's first woman president
Lawmakers elected Jennifer Geerlings-Simons as Suriname's first woman president on Sunday, after her party won the most seats in legislative elections in May. The 71-year-old former opposition leader was left the sole candidate for president after her rivals decided on Thursday not to nominate anyone to lead the small country on South America's northern coast. Geerlings-Simons' National Democratic Party (NDP) won 18 of the 51 seats in congress, more than those of the centrist VHP party of outgoing president Chan Santokhi. The NDP had already entered into an agreement with five other parties with which it jointly holds 34 seats in parliament. The NDP was founded by former coup leader and autocrat-turned-elected-president Desi Bouterse, who died in hiding in December 2024. Santokhi's party had also hoped to form a coalition to remain in power, but said in a statement that it had decided not to oppose Geerlings-Simons' election. Suriname, a diverse country made up of descendants of people from India, Indonesia, China, the Netherlands, Indigenous groups and African slaves, marks its 50th anniversary of independence from the Dutch throne this November. In recent years, it has looked increasingly toward China as a political ally and trading partner and, in 2019, became one of the first Latin American countries to join the Asian giant's Belt and Road infrastructure drive. The former Dutch colony of 600,000 inhabitants, one of the poorest countries in South America, is hoping that an oil boom will bring prosperity. bur-st/dw
France 24
4 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Jennifer Geerlings-Simons becomes Suriname's first woman president
The 71-year-old former opposition leader was left the sole candidate for president after her rivals decided on Thursday not to nominate anyone to lead the small country on South America's northern coast. Geerlings-Simons' National Democratic Party (NDP) won 18 of the 51 seats in congress, more than those of the centrist VHP party of outgoing president Chan Santokhi. The NDP had already entered into an agreement with five other parties with which it jointly holds 34 seats in parliament. The NDP was founded by former coup leader and autocrat-turned-elected-president Desi Bouterse, who died in hiding in December 2024. Santokhi's party had also hoped to form a coalition to remain in power, but said in a statement that it had decided not to oppose Geerlings-Simons' election. Suriname, a diverse country made up of descendants of people from India, Indonesia, China, the Netherlands, Indigenous groups and African slaves, marks its 50th anniversary of independence from the Dutch throne this November. In recent years, it has looked increasingly toward China as a political ally and trading partner and, in 2019, became one of the first Latin American countries to join the Asian giant's Belt and Road infrastructure drive.
