Suriname's parliament elects the country's first female president amid economic turmoil

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Suriname will have a female president for the first time

ByGEROLD ROZENBLAD Associated Press

PARAMARIBO, Suriname -- 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.”