PARAMARIBO, (Reuters) – Suriname’s parliament backed Jennifer Simons as the South American country’s first woman president on Sunday, six weeks after the former ruling party and its top opposition nearly tied in the race for legislative seats.
Simons’ opposition National Democratic Party won 18 seats and current President Chan Santokhi’s Progressive Reform Party won 17 seats in the May 25 parliamentary election. Smaller parties won the remaining 16 seats.
“You will soon be our country’s first female president – a historic moment of national significance,” parliament speaker Ashwin Adhin said after lawmakers approved the election of Simons with a round of applause.
Suriname, a former Dutch colony independent since 1975, is on the cusp of a predicted oil boom, but campaigning featured little debate about what the next government, which will hold power until 2030, should do with the income.
The election of Simons was agreed in a six-party deal two days after the parliamentary contest, but was not made official until Sunday’s vote. Her inauguration is scheduled for July 16.
Suriname’s parliament backed Simons for the post by acclamation, alongside National Party of Suriname (NPS) leader Gregory Rusland as her vice-president.
Simons, a doctor, served as parliamentary speaker for a decade until 2020. She was second in vote tallies behind Santokhi, winning more than 41,700 votes. She is the head of the NDP, founded by former President Desi Bouterse, who dominated Surinamese politics for decades but died a fugitive last year.
