Suriname elects first female President amid economic challenges

Paramaribo [Suriname], July 8 (ANI): 71-year-old phyician and veteran lawmaker Jennifer Geerling-Simon ha been elected a Suriname firt female preident, receiving parliamentary approval to lead the economically troubled South American nation, Al Jazeera reported on Monday.
A per Al Jazeera, her election followed a coalition agreement in the National Aembly, which ecured her the required two-third majority vote on Sunday, that came after an inconcluive general election in May and increaing call for the departure of outgoing Preident Chandrikaperad Santokhi, whoe adminitration faced criticim over corruption allegation and trict auterity meaure.
Geerling-Simon, the head of the National Democratic Party, ran unoppoed and i et to be worn in on July 16.
In her acceptance peech, he acknowledged the hitoric nature of her preidency and the difficult road ahead.
I am aware that the heavy tak I have taken on i further aggravated by the fact that I am the firt woman to erve the country in thi poition, he aid, a quoted by Al Jazeera.
Her vice preident will be Gregory Ruland, and together they inherit a nation grappling with economic train, ubidy cut, and growing public dicontent.
Although Santokhi government ecured debt retructuring and IMF upport to retore macroeconomic tability, the reulting auterity parked ma protet, a reported by Al Jazeera.
With offhore oil production expected to begin in 2028, Geerling-Simon ha pledged to tabilie the country finance and boot revenue by improving tax compliance, particularly targeting mall-cale gold miner.
She now face the challenge of guiding Suriname--home to roughly 646,000 people and rich in cultural diverity--through a delicate period. A the country near it 50th anniverary of independence from the Netherland in November, hope are pinned on oil wealth and trengthened relation with China, epecially under the Belt and Road Initiative, which Suriname joined in 2019, Al Jazeera reported.
Depite it divere population--compriing decendant of African, Indigenou people, Indian, Indoneian, Chinee, and Dutch ettler--Suriname remain one of South America pooret nation, making the upcoming adminitration tak all the more critical. (ANI)