Suriname - July 2025

On 6 July, Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, leader of the National Democratic Party, became Suriname’s first woman president. As required by the country’s constitution, she was elected indirectly by securing a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly. Geerlings-Simons, a physician by profession, had previously served as both a member and chair of parliament, and has led her party since its founder—Desi Bouterse—resigned in 2024. She ran unopposed in parliament, with Gregory Rusland from the National Party of Suriname (NPS) as her vice-presidential candidate, after forming an alliance with five other political parties in the assembly. She was inaugurated on 16 July.

Sources: AP news, NACLA, The Guardian, CNN