President of Suriname facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Republic of Suriname
Standard of the president of Suriname
Incumbent Chan Santokhi since 16 July 2020
Style	Mr. President (Informal) His Excellency (Diplomatic)
Residence	Presidential Palace
Seat	Paramaribo
Appointer	National Assembly
Term length	Five years, renewable indefinitely
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Suriname
Precursor	Governor-General
Inaugural holder	Johan Ferrier
Formation	25 November 1975
Deputy	Vice President
Salary	4,646,552 Surinamese dollars/133,560 USD annually
Website	[1]

The President of the Republic of Suriname is a very important leader. They are the head of state and head of government for the country of Suriname. 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. They are in charge of the country's military forces. The president also chooses a group of ministers to form the government, called a cabinet.

The current president is Chan Santokhi. He used to be a chief of police. He belongs to the Progressive Reform Party. Santokhi became president on July 16, 2020. His inauguration ceremony was held in Paramaribo. It was a quiet event because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

History of the Presidency

The job of president started when Suriname became independent from the Netherlands in 1975. At first, the president's role was mostly ceremonial. This means they had important duties but not much real power. Most of the power was held by the prime minister.

Johan Ferrier was the first president. He was a teacher and a politician. He had been the governor since 1968. He left office in 1980 after a change in government.

For a few years, leaders chosen by the army held the presidency. These presidents had less power. The real power was with the army commander, Dési Bouterse.

In 1987, a new constitution was approved. This made the president's job much more powerful. The president gained duties similar to leaders in other countries. In 1990, there was another change in government. The army again removed the president, Ramsewak Shankar.

After this, the army gave power back to civilian leaders in 1991. Since then, the president has been freely elected by the people.

How the President is Elected

The president and a vice president are chosen by the National Assembly. They need at least two-thirds of the votes to win. They serve for five years.

While in office, the president cannot hold other political or business jobs. This helps them focus on leading the country.

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. Candidates also need to be at least 30 years old.

A candidate needs to win at least two-thirds of the votes in the National Assembly. If no one gets enough votes after three tries, the decision goes to the United People's Congress. This group includes the Assembly and local government officials. In this case, a simple majority of votes is enough to win.

What the President Does

The president has many important jobs. They choose and remove ministers who run different parts of the government. They also sign new laws.

The president appoints and removes diplomats who represent Suriname in other countries. With the approval of the National Assembly, they can declare war or states of emergency. They also sign treaties and agreements with other countries.

The president also performs ceremonial duties. These include giving out awards and welcoming leaders from other nations. They can also grant pardons.

List of Presidents

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
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 (born 1941)	15 September 1996	12 August 2000	3 years, 332 days	NDP	Pretaap Radhakishun (BVD)
(6)		Ronald Venetiaan (born 1936)	12 August 2000	12 August 2010	10 years	NPS	Jules Ajodhia (VHP)
							Ramdien Sardjoe (VHP)
8		Dési Bouterse (1945–2024)	12 August 2010	16 July 2020	9 years, 339 days	NDP	Robert Ameerali (ABOP)
							Ashwin Adhin (NDP)
9		Chan Santokhi (born 1959)	16 July 2020	Incumbent	4 years, 351 days (as of July 2, 2025)	VHP	Ronnie Brunswijk (ABOP)

Timeline of Presidents

See also

• Politics of Suriname
• First Lady of Suriname
• List of colonial governors of Suriname
• Vice President of Suriname
• List of prime ministers of Suriname
• List of deputy prime ministers of Suriname