President of Suriname Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Republic of Suriname
Standard of the president of Suriname
Incumbent Jennifer Geerlings-Simons since 16 July 2025
Style	Madam President (Informal) Her Excellency (Diplomatic)
Residence	Presidential Palace
Seat	Paramaribo
Appointer	National Assembly
Term length	Five years, renewable indefinitely
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Suriname (1987)
Precursor	Governor-General
Inaugural holder	Johan Ferrier
Formation	25 November 1975; 49 years ago (1975-11-25)
Deputy	Vice President
Salary	4,646,552 Surinamese dollars/133,560 USD annually
Website	Cabinet of the President

The President of the Republic of Suriname is a very important leader in the country of Suriname. According to the country's rulebook, called the Constitution (from 1987), the President is both the head of state and the head of government. This means they are the main representative of the country and also lead the government. The President is also the commander-in-chief of the Suriname National Army, which means they are in charge of the country's military. They also choose a group of ministers, called a cabinet, to help them run the country.

The current President is Jennifer Geerlings-Simons. She used to be the leader of the National Assembly, which is like Suriname's parliament. She is part of the National Democratic Party (NDP). Jennifer Geerlings-Simons became President on July 16, 2025. She was chosen without anyone voting against her on July 6, 2025. Her inauguration, which is a special ceremony to officially start her job, happened in Paramaribo at the Onafhankelijkheidsplein.

History of the Presidency
How the President is Elected
Who Can Be President?
What the President Does
List of Presidents
Timeline of Presidents
More About Suriname's Government
See also

History of the Presidency

The job of President was created when Suriname became an independent country in 1975. Before that, Suriname was controlled by the Netherlands. From 1975 until 1987, the President's job was mostly ceremonial. This means they had important duties like representing the country, but the real power was held by the prime minister.

The first person to be President was Johan Ferrier. He was a teacher and a politician who had been a governor since 1968. He left his job as President in August 1980 after a military takeover. After that, until 1988, the Presidents were chosen by the army commander, Dési Bouterse. He had a lot of power and made most of the decisions.

In 1987, Bouterse allowed elections to happen. This was after a new constitution was approved by the people. The President's job then became much more powerful, similar to presidents in countries where the president leads the government. On December 24, 1990, the army again removed the President, Ramsewak Shankar, and his cabinet from office. This was another military takeover. A police chief named Ivan Graanoogst became the acting President for a short time. Then, on December 27, 1990, Johan Kraag became President. The army gave power back to civilian leaders in 1991. Since then, the President has been chosen by free elections.

How the President is Elected

The President and a Vice President are chosen by the National Assembly. To win, a candidate needs at least two-thirds of the votes from the Assembly members. They serve for five years. While they are President, they cannot hold other political or business jobs.

Who Can Be President?

To become President, a person must be a citizen of Suriname. They must have lived in the country for at least six years and be at least 30 years old. If no candidate gets two-thirds of the votes in the Assembly after three tries, the decision goes to a larger group called the United People's Congress. This group includes the Assembly members and local government officials. In this case, a candidate only needs more than half of the votes to win.

What the President Does

The President has many important jobs and powers. They choose and remove ministers who help run different parts of the government. They also sign new laws and choose and remove people who work as diplomats for Suriname in other countries.

The President can declare war or a state of emergency, but the National Assembly must agree. They also make agreements and treaties with other countries, again with the Assembly's approval. The President also performs ceremonial duties, like giving out awards, welcoming leaders from other countries, and granting pardons (forgiving people for crimes).

List of Presidents

Here is a list of the people who have been President of Suriname:

Political parties

National Party of Suriname (NPS) Nationalist Republican Party (PNR) Progressive Reform Party (VHP) National Democratic Party (NDP) Independent

President			Term of office			Political party	Vice president(s)
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party	Vice president(s)
1		Johan Ferrier (1910–2010)	25 November 1975	13 August 1980	4 years, 262 days	NPS	Position not established
2		Henk Chin A Sen (1934–1999)	15 August 1980	4 February 1982	1 year, 173 days	PNR
3		Fred Ramdat Misier (1926–2004)	8 February 1982	25 January 1988	5 years, 351 days	Independent
4		Ramsewak Shankar (born 1937)	25 January 1988	24 December 1990	2 years, 333 days	VHP	Henck Arron (NPS)
5		Johan Kraag (1913–1996)	29 December 1990	16 September 1991	261 days	NPS	Jules Wijdenbosch (NDP)
6		Ronald Venetiaan (born 1936)	16 September 1991	15 September 1996	4 years, 365 days	NPS	Jules Ajodhia (VHP)
7		Jules Wijdenbosch (1941–2025)	15 September 1996	12 August 2000	3 years, 332 days	NDP	Pretaap Radhakishun (BVD)
8		Ronald Venetiaan (born 1936)	12 August 2000	12 August 2010	10 years	NPS	Jules Ajodhia (VHP)
8		Ronald Venetiaan (born 1936)	12 August 2000	12 August 2010	10 years	NPS	Ramdien Sardjoe (VHP)
9		Dési Bouterse (1945–2024)	12 August 2010	16 July 2020	9 years, 339 days	NDP	Robert Ameerali (ABOP)
9		Dési Bouterse (1945–2024)	12 August 2010	16 July 2020	9 years, 339 days	NDP	Ashwin Adhin (NDP)
10		Chan Santokhi (born 1959)	16 July 2020	16 July 2025	5 years	VHP	Ronnie Brunswijk (ABOP)
11		Jennifer Geerlings-Simons (born 1953)	16 July 2025	Incumbent	24 days (as of 23 July 2025)	NDP	Gregory Rusland (NPS)