Jennifer Geerlings-Simons has been elected as the first female president of the small South American nation, Suriname.
Geerlings-Simons, a 71-year-old physician and congresswoman, is the leader of the National Democratic Party. She will take office on July 16.
Suriname is a Dutch-speaking country with about 646,000 people.
Her election comes after a coalition agreement was formed after parliamentary elections in May did not produce a clear winner. The National Democratic Party secured 18 seats and the Progressive Reform Party won 17 seats. Smaller parties won the remaining 16 seats.
Suriname’s president is elected by a vote of members of the National Assembly. A candidate must secure two-thirds of votes to win.
“I come into this office to serve, and I will use all my knowledge, strength and insight to make our wealth available to all of our people,” Simons said in a speech after the vote.
“I am very aware of the responsibility now placed on our shoulders, a responsibility compounded for me by the fact that I am the first woman to hold this office. I do not need many words. My thanks and we will get to work.”
She replaces current president Chandrikapersad Santokhi, who has been in office since 2020. A number of major corruption scandals marked his five-year term in office. Santokhi was also forced to seek assistance from the International Monetary Fund amid his ongoing corruption.
Geerlings-Simons is now tasked with navigating tough economic conditions in Suriname. It is one of the poorest countries in South America. During the campaign, Geerlings-Simons promised to stablise the nation’s finances.
The country is expected to begin producing offshore oil in 2028, which will likely lead to an influx of wealth.
Suriname will celebrate 50 years since gaining independence from the Netherlands later this year.
In June, Suriname became the first country in the Amazon region to receive malaria-free certification from the World Health Organisation.