Jennifer Simons Becomes Suriname’s First Female President After Historic Election

Jennifer Simons has been elected as the first female president of Suriname, marking a historic milestone in the country’s political history.

Her election comes six weeks after a tightly contested parliamentary vote held on May 25. Simons’ opposition party, the National Democratic Party (NDP), secured 18 seats—narrowly beating the ruling Progressive Reform Party (VHP) of incumbent President Chan Santokhi, which won 17. Smaller parties claimed the remaining 16 seats in the 51-member National Assembly.

Suriname’s president is chosen indirectly through a parliamentary vote, requiring a two-thirds majority for victory. Simons, 71, emerged as the consensus candidate through a six-party coalition formed shortly after the vote.

In her acceptance speech, Simons pledged to be a president for all Surinamese, with a strong focus on empowering youth and marginalized communities.

“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.”

President Santokhi, 66, who faced backlash over his handling of poverty and inequality, congratulated Simons and took responsibility for his administration’s shortcomings. He confirmed that he would remain active in parliament following his exit from the presidency.

Simons’ formal inauguration is set for July 16. Parliament confirmed her election by acclamation and also named Gregory Rusland, leader of the National Party of Suriname, as her vice president.

A veteran politician, Simons previously served as Speaker of the National Assembly for ten years until 2020. She leads the NDP, a party founded by the late former President Desi Bouterse—a controversial figure who dominated Surinamese politics for decades. Bouterse, convicted in 2019 for the 1982 execution of 15 political opponents, fled into hiding when his sentence was upheld in 2023. He died on Christmas Eve 2024 at the age of 79.

Simons assumes office as Suriname stands on the brink of an economic transformation, with its first major offshore oil and gas project—Gran Morgu—set to begin production by 2028. The project, led by TotalEnergies, has raised hopes of replicating the economic boom seen in neighboring Guyana. However, the recent campaign saw little public debate on how the country plans to manage this expected windfall.