View source for President of Suriname

{{Short description|Head of state and head of government of Suriname}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox official post
| post                    = President
| body                    = the Republic of Suriname
| native_name             = {{small|President van de Republiek Suriname}}
| insignia                = Flag of the President of Suriname.svg{{!}}border
| insigniasize            = 
| insigniacaption         = Standard of the president of Suriname
| insigniaalt             =
| flag                    = 
| flagsize                = 
| flagalt                 =
| flagborder              = 
| flagcaption             = 
| image                   = Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, November 2025.jpg
| imagesize               = 
| alt                     = 
| imagecaption            =
| incumbent               = [[Jennifer Geerlings-Simons]]
| acting                  = 
| incumbentsince          = 16 July 2025
| department              = 
| style                   = [[Mr. President (title)|Madam President]] (Informal) <br> [[Excellency|Her Excellency]] [[Doctor (title)|Dr.]]<ref>[https://caricom.org/tag/her-excellency-dr-jennifer-geerlings-simons/ Her Excellency Dr. Jennifer Geerlings-Simons]</ref> (Diplomatic)
| type                    = 
| status                  = [[Head of state]] <br> [[Head of government]]
| abbreviation            = 
| member_of               = 
| reports_to              = 
| residence               = [[Presidential Palace of Suriname|Presidential Palace]]
| seat                    = [[Paramaribo]]
| nominator               = 
| appointer               = [[National Assembly (Suriname)|National Assembly]]
| appointer_qualified     = 
| termlength              = Five years,
| termlength_qualified    = renewable indefinitely
| constituting_instrument = [[Constitution of Suriname]] (1987)
| precursor               = [[Governor-General of Suriname|Governor-General]]
| inaugural               = [[Johan Ferrier]]
| formation               = {{start date and age|df=y|1975|11|25}}
| founder                 =
| named_for               =
| first                   = 
| last                    = 
| abolished               = 
| succession              = 
| unofficial_names        = 
| deputy                  = [[Vice President of Suriname|Vice President]]
| salary                  = 4,646,552 [[Surinamese dollar]]s/133,560 USD annually<ref name="starnieuws.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.starnieuws.com/index.php/welcome/index/nieuwsitem/30734|title=Starnieuws – Salaris alle ministers is ruim SRD 15.000 netto|website=starnieuws.com}}</ref><ref name="bfmtv.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.bfmtv.com/international/qui-sont-les-chefs-d-etats-les-mieux-remuneres-au-monde-1059145.html|title=Qui sont les chefs d'État les mieux rémunérés au monde?|last=BFMTV|website=BFMTV |date=14 November 2016 }}</ref>
| website                 = [https://gov.sr/kabinet-van-de-president-beeindigt-dienstbetrekking-met-bissesur/ Cabinet of the President]
| footnotes               =
}}
{{Politics of Suriname}}

The '''President of the Republic of Suriname''' ({{langx|nl|President van de Republiek Suriname}}) is, in accordance with the Constitution of 1987, the [[head of state]] and [[head of government]] of [[Suriname]], and [[commander-in-chief]] of the [[Suriname National Army]] (SNL). The president also appoints a [[List of Surinamese cabinets|cabinet]].

The current president is [[Jennifer Geerlings-Simons]], a former [[List of chairmen of the National Assembly of Suriname|chairwoman of the National Assembly]]. She is affiliated with the [[National Democratic Party (Suriname)|National Democratic Party]] (NDP). Simons was elected on 6 July 2025 as president by acclamation,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/suriname-elections-coalition-santokhi-geerlings-simons-5021dee4aba90068bb7f1ba5155fa5ac|title=Suriname's parliament elects the country's first female president amid economic turmoil|website=AP News|access-date=16 July 2025|language=en}}</ref> and inaugurated on 16 July on the [[Onafhankelijkheidsplein]] in [[Paramaribo]] in a ceremony.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.surinametimes.com/artikel/buitengewone-openbare-vergadering-gestart|title=Buitengewone openbare vergadering gestart|website=Time of Suriname|access-date=16 July 2025|language=nl}}</ref>

==History==
The office of president was created upon independence from the [[Netherlands]] in 1975. Until 1987, the presidency was mostly a ceremonial post, discharging most of the functions previously vested in the [[monarchy of the Netherlands]]. For all intents and purposes, real power was vested in the [[List of prime ministers of Suriname|prime minister]].

The first officeholder was [[Johan Ferrier]], a schoolteacher and veteran politician who had served as [[List of colonial governors of Suriname|governor]] since 1968. He resigned as president in August 1980, several months after a [[1980 Surinamese coup d'état|coup d'état]]. From then until 1988, the presidents were essentially army-installed puppets of [[Commander of the Armed Forces (Suriname)|army commander]] [[Dési Bouterse]], who ruled as a ''[[de facto]]'' [[Military dictatorship|military dictator]] with few practical [[Checks and balances|checks on his power]]. 

Bouterse allowed multiparty elections in [[1987 Surinamese general election|1987]], shortly after the current [[constitution of Suriname|constitution]] was approved in a [[1987 Surinamese constitutional referendum|referendum]]. The presidency became an executive post, with duties and responsibilities similar to those of presidents in [[semi-presidential republic]]s. On 24 December 1990, two days after Bouterse's resignation as [[Commander of the Armed Forces (Suriname)|army commander]], the army called president [[Ramsewak Shankar]] to inform him that he and his cabinet were removed from office, in another [[1990 Surinamese coup d'état|coup d'état]]; police chief and acting army commander [[Ivan Graanoogst]] was appointed acting president. On 27 December 1990, Johannes Kraag became the president. The army returned power to civilians in 1991, and the president has been freely elected ever since.

==Election==
The president and a vice president are elected by no less than a two-thirds [[supermajority]] of members in the [[National Assembly (Suriname)|National Assembly]] to a five-year mandate and are accountable to the Assembly. During their time in office, the president must forfeit any additional posts in politics or business.

==Qualification==
A candidate must be a Surinamese national (resident in the country for at least six years) who is at least 30 years of age.  A candidate must win at least two-thirds of the votes in the Assembly to be elected.  If no candidate wins two-thirds after three rounds, the vote then goes to the United People's Congress, composed of the Assembly and local government officials. In this case, a simple majority is required.

==Powers and duties==
The president is vested with extensive functional powers. The president names and dismisses ministers, signs bills, and names and dismisses diplomatic staff. She declares war and states of emergency with the ratification of the National Assembly. She concludes foreign treaties and agreements, again with the assent of the Assembly. She also exercises ceremonial duties such as conferring awards, receiving foreign diplomats, and granting pardons.

==List of presidents==
<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://gov.sr/ministeries/kabinet-van-de-president/historie/ |title=Kabinet van de President - Historie |access-date=2018-05-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241202174710/https://gov.sr/ministeries/kabinet-van-de-president/historie/ |archive-date=2024-12-02 |url-status=live }}</ref>

;Political parties
{{legend|{{party color|National Party of Suriname}}|[[National Party of Suriname]] (NPS)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|{{party color|Nationalist Republican Party (Suriname)}}|[[Nationalist Republican Party (Suriname)|Nationalist Republican Party]] (PNR)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|{{party color|Progressive Reform Party (Suriname)}}|[[Progressive Reform Party (Suriname)|Progressive Reform Party]] (VHP)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|{{party color|National Democratic Party (Suriname)}}|[[National Democratic Party (Suriname)|National Democratic Party]] (NDP)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|{{party color|Independent politician}}|[[Independent politician|Independent]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan=3|President
! colspan=3|Term of office
! rowspan=2|Political party
! rowspan=2|[[Vice President of Suriname|Vice president(s)]]
|-
! {{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! Portrait
! Name<br />{{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
! style="background:{{party color|National Party of Suriname}}; color:white"|1
| [[File:Johan Ferrier 928-2995 (cropped).jpg|60px]]
| [[Johan Ferrier]]<br />{{small|(1910–2010)}}
| {{nowrap|25 November}} 1975
| {{nowrap|13 August}} 1980<br />{{efn|Forced to resign by [[Dési Bouterse|Bouterse]] in the aftermath of the [[1980 Surinamese coup d'état|Sergeants' Coup]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1980/08/15/archives/suriname-president-ousted-in-armybacked-coup-us-says-capital-is.html|title=Suriname President Ousted in Army-Backed Coup; U.S. Says Capital Is Calm|date=15 August 1980|work=The New York Times|access-date=19 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=De Vries|first=Paul|date=15 August 1980|title=President Afgezet|language=nl|page=1|work=Limburgs Dagblad|url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010570689:mpeg21:p001|via=Delpher}}</ref>}}
| {{Age in years and days|1975|11|25|1980|8|13}}
| [[National Party of Suriname|NPS]]
| rowspan=3|''Position not established''
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Nationalist Republican Party (Suriname)}}; color:white"|2
| [[File:Henk Chin a Sen 934-1376 (cropped).jpg|60px]]
| [[Henk Chin A Sen]]<br />{{small|(1934–1999)}}
| {{nowrap|15 August}} 1980<ref>{{Cite news|date=14 August 1980|title=Chin A Sen is nu de dubbele leider|language=nl|work=Limburgs Dagblad|url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010570690:mpeg21:p003|via=Delpher.nl}}</ref>
| {{nowrap|4 February}} 1982<br />{{efn|Dismissed by [[Dési Bouterse|Bouterse]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/06/world/around-the-world-military-in-suriname-takes-over-government.html|title=AROUND THE WORLD; Military in Suriname Takes Over Government|date=6 February 1982|work=The New York Times|access-date=15 December 2020}}</ref><ref name="aftreden">{{cite news|url=https://www.digibron.nl/viewer/collectie/Digibron/offset/8/zoekwoord/Chin+A+Sen/id/c0087201859ec9d8360edad52a52e827|title=Chin A Sen onder druk afgetreden |website=Reformatorisch Dagblad via Digibron|date=5 February 1982|language=nl|access-date=23 June 2020}}</ref>}}
| {{Age in years and days|1980|8|15|1982|2|4}}
| [[Nationalist Republican Party (Suriname)|PNR]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}}; color:black"|3
| [[File:L.F.Ramdat Misier (cropped).jpg|60px]]
| [[Fred Ramdat Misier]]<br />{{small|(1926–2004)}}
| {{nowrap|8 February}} 1982
| {{nowrap|25 January}} 1988
| {{Age in years and days|1982|2|8|1988|1|25}}
| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Progressive Reform Party (Suriname)}}; color:white"|4
| [[File:Ramsewak Shankar 2023.jpeg|60px]]
| [[Ramsewak Shankar]]<br />{{small|(born 1937)}}
| {{nowrap|25 January}} 1988
| {{nowrap|24 December}} 1990<br />{{efn|Deposed in the [[1990 Surinamese coup d'état|Telephone Coup]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/27/world/suriname-coup-leaders-had-power-already.html|title=Suriname Coup Leaders Had Power Already|date=27 December 1990|author=Howard W. French|author-link=Howard W. French|work=The New York Times|access-date=15 December 2020}}</ref>}}
| {{Age in years and days|1988|1|25|1990|12|24}}
| [[Progressive Reform Party (Suriname)|VHP]]
| [[Henck Arron]]<br>([[National Party of Suriname|NPS]])
|-
! style="background:{{party color|National Party of Suriname}}; color:white"|5
| [[File:Minister van Sociale Zaken van Suriname dhr Kraag voor besprekingen in Holland , Bestanddeelnr 915-4476 (cropped).jpg|60px]]
| [[Johan Kraag]]<br />{{small|(1913–1996)}}
| {{nowrap|29 December}} 1990
| {{nowrap|16 September}} 1991
| {{Age in years and days|1990|12|29|1991|9|16}}
| [[National Party of Suriname|NPS]]
| [[Jules Wijdenbosch]]<br>([[National Democratic Party (Suriname)|NDP]])
|-
! style="background:{{party color|National Party of Suriname}}; color:white"|6
| [[File:Ronald Venetiaan.jpg|60px]]
| [[Ronald Venetiaan]]<br />{{small|(1936–2025) }}
| {{nowrap|16 September}} 1991
| {{nowrap|15 September}} 1996
| {{Age in years and days|1991|9|16|1996|9|15}}
| [[National Party of Suriname|NPS]]
| [[Jules Ajodhia]]<br>([[Progressive Reform Party (Suriname)|VHP]])
|-
! style="background:{{party color|National Democratic Party (Suriname)}}; color:white"|7
| [[File:JulesWijdenbosch2017.jpg|60px]]
| [[Jules Wijdenbosch]]<br />{{small|(1941–2025)}}
| {{nowrap|15 September}} 1996
| {{nowrap|12 August}} 2000
| {{Age in years and days|1996|9|15|2000|8|12}}
| [[National Democratic Party (Suriname)|NDP]]
| [[Pretaap Radhakishun]]<br>([[Basic Party for Renewal and Democracy|BVD]])
|-
! rowspan=2 style="background:{{party color|National Party of Suriname}}; color:white"|{{small|(6)}}
| rowspan=2|[[File:Ronald Venetiaan.jpg|60px]]
| rowspan=2|[[Ronald Venetiaan]]<br />{{small|(1936–2025)}}
| rowspan=2|{{nowrap|12 August}} 2000
| rowspan=2|{{nowrap|12 August}} 2010
| rowspan=2|{{Age in years|2000|8|12|2010|8|12}} years
| rowspan=2|[[National Party of Suriname|NPS]]
| [[Jules Ajodhia]]<br>([[Progressive Reform Party (Suriname)|VHP]])
|-
| [[Ram Sardjoe|Ramdien Sardjoe]]<br>([[Progressive Reform Party (Suriname)|VHP]])
|-
! rowspan=2 style="background:{{party color|National Democratic Party (Suriname)}}; color:white"|8
| rowspan=2|[[File:Дези Баутерсе.jpg|60px]]
| rowspan=2|[[Dési Bouterse]]<br />{{small|(1945–2024)}}
| rowspan=2|{{nowrap|12 August}} 2010
| rowspan=2|{{nowrap|16 July}} 2020
| rowspan=2|{{Age in years and days|2010|8|12|2020|7|16}}
| rowspan=2|[[National Democratic Party (Suriname)|NDP]]
| [[Robert Ameerali]]<br>([[General Liberation and Development Party|ABOP]])
|-
| [[Ashwin Adhin]]<br>([[National Democratic Party (Suriname)|NDP]])
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Progressive Reform Party (Suriname)}}; color:white"|9
| [[File:Чандрикаперсад Сантохи (cropped) v3.jpeg|60px]]
| [[Chan Santokhi]]<br />{{small|(born 1959)}}
| {{nowrap|16 July}} 2020
| {{nowrap|16 July}} 2025
| {{Age in years|2020|7|16|2025|7|16}} years
| [[Progressive Reform Party (Suriname)|VHP]]
| [[Ronnie Brunswijk]]<br>([[General Liberation and Development Party|ABOP]])
|-
! style="background:{{party color|National Democratic Party (Suriname)}}; color:white"|10
| [[File:Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, November 2025.jpg|60px]]
| [[Jennifer Geerlings-Simons]]<br />{{small|(born 1953)}}
| {{nowrap|16 July}} 2025
| {{nowrap|''Incumbent''}}
| {{Age in years and days|2025|7|16}}<br>{{small|(as of {{FULLDATE|type=dmy}})}}
| [[National Democratic Party (Suriname)|NDP]]
| [[Gregory Rusland]]<br>([[National Party of Suriname|NPS]])
|}

==Timeline==
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:21
PlotArea  = top:10 bottom:80 right:110 left:20
AlignBars = late

Define $today = {{#time:d/m/Y}}

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period     = from:01/01/1975 till:31/12/{{#expr:{{#time:Y}}+1}}
TimeAxis   = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1975
ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1975

Colors     =
  id:independent value:rgb(0.87,0.87,0.87) legend:None_(Independent)
  id:nps         value:rgb(0,0.59,0.30)    legend:National_Party_of_Suriname
  id:pnr         value:rgb(0,0.28,0.67)    legend:Nationalist_Republican_Party
  id:vhp         value:rgb(1,0.4,0)        legend:Progressive_Reform_Party
  id:ndp         value:rgb(0.53,0.16,0.56) legend:National_Democratic_Party

Legend     = columns:1 left:150 top:35 columnwidth:170
 
TextData =
  pos:(20,38) textcolor:black fontsize:M
  text:"Political parties:"

BarData =
 bar:Ferrier
 bar:Chin_A_Sen
 bar:Ramdat_Misier
 bar:Shankar
 bar:Kraag
 bar:Venetiaan
 bar:Wijdenbosch
 bar:Bouterse
 bar:Santokhi
 bar:Simons

PlotData =
  width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

 bar:Ferrier
  from: 25/11/1975 till: 13/08/1980 color:nps         text:"[[Johan Ferrier]]"
 bar:Chin_A_Sen
  from: 15/08/1980 till: 04/02/1982 color:pnr         text:"[[Henk Chin A Sen]]"
 bar:Ramdat_Misier
  from: 08/02/1982 till: 25/01/1988 color:independent text:"[[Fred Ramdat Misier]]"
 bar:Shankar
  from: 25/01/1988 till: 24/12/1990 color:vhp         text:"[[Ramsewak Shankar]]"
 bar:Kraag
  from: 29/12/1990 till: 16/09/1991 color:nps         text:"[[Johan Kraag]]"
 bar:Venetiaan
  from: 16/09/1991 till: 15/09/1996 color:nps
  from: 12/08/2000 till: 12/08/2010 color:nps         text:"[[Ronald Venetiaan]]"
 bar:Wijdenbosch
  from: 15/09/1996 till: 12/08/2000 color:ndp         text:"[[Jules Wijdenbosch]]"
 bar:Bouterse
  from: 12/08/2010 till: 16/07/2020 color:ndp         text:"[[Dési Bouterse]]"
 bar:Santokhi
  from: 16/07/2020 till: 16/07/2025 color:vhp         text:"[[Chan Santokhi]]"
 bar:Simons
  from: 16/07/2025 till: $today     color:ndp         text:"[[Jennifer Geerlings-Simons]]"

}}

==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]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{in lang|nl}} [http://www.gov.sr/kabinet-van-de-president.aspx Kabinet van de President van de Republiek Suriname]
* {{in lang|en}} [http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Suriname/english.html Constitution of the Republic of Suriname, 1987]

{{Presidents of Suriname}}
{{Suriname topics}}
{{South America topic|state=uncollapsed|prefix=List of presidents of|countries_only=yes}}
{{Heads of State of the South America}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:President of Suriname}}
[[Category:Lists of national presidents|Suriname]]
[[Category:Presidents of Suriname| ]]
[[Category:Lists of political office-holders in Suriname|Presidents]]
[[Category:1975 establishments in Suriname]]