The 71-year-old physician and lawmaker has been given the country’s first female president, with the parliament supporting the country’s first female leader.
Her election came after the National Assembly approved a coalition deal on Sunday, which received a two-thirds vote.
The decision was made in response to unconclusive May polls and growing pressure to oust former president Chandrikapersad Santokhi, whose reign was marred by corruption scandals and severe austerity.
The National Democratic Party leader Geerlings-Simons ran unopposed and will take office on July 16.
She stated after receiving her confirmation that she was aware that the difficult task I had to perform is made even more difficult by the fact that I was the first woman to hold this position.
Running mate Gregory Rusland and her husband will take over a nation that is struggling as a result of reduced subsidies, economic hardship, and widespread frustration. Santokhi’s government, which had the support of the IMF, managed to reduce debt and restore macroeconomic stability, which also sparked widespread protests over severe cuts.
Geerlings-Simons has pledged to concentrate on stabilizing state finances because Suriname is anticipated to start producing offshore oil in 2028. She has previously pledged to increase profits by lowering taxes, including on small-scale gold miners.
She faces a challenging road ahead, according to economists. Former head of the national economists’ association, Winston Ramautarsingh, claimed Suriname must pay off about $400 million in debt each year.
He claimed that Sauname lacks the funds. The previous administration only delayed the debts by rescheduling them.
The Dutch-speaking nation of 646, 000 people will now have the task of balancing public dissatisfaction with the promise of a promising oil wealth.
Suriname, a small South American nation, is putting its hopes on a new era, driven by rising oil prices and strengthening ties with China, as it prepares to celebrate 50 years since becoming independent from the Netherlands in November.
It became one of the first Latin American states to sign on to the vast infrastructure project in 2019 when it joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Source: Aljazeera
Leave a Reply