Jennifer Geerlings-Simons Appointed as Suriname’s First Female President

On Sunday, Suriname’s legislative assembly selected Jennifer Geerlings-Simons as the country’s first female president. Her appointment follows her party’s success in securing the largest number of seats in the parliamentary elections held in May.

Geerlings-Simons, aged 71 and a former opposition leader, became the sole candidate for the presidency after her competitors chose not to put forward any nominations last Thursday. This development paved the way for her unopposed selection to the nation’s highest office.

Suriname is located on the northern coast of South America, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and French Guiana to the east. The country gained independence from the Netherlands in 1975.