President of Suriname - wikipedia President of Suriname President of Suriname President van de Republiek Suriname Standard of the President of Suriname Incumbent Dési Bouterse since 12 August 2010 Residence Presidential Palace Term length Five years, renewable Inaugural holder Johan Ferrier Formation 25 November 1975 Deputy Vice President of Suriname Website ( 1 ) Suriname This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Suriname Constitution Government President Dési Bouterse Vice President Ashwin Adhin Legislature National Assembly Speaker : Jennifer Simons Members Administrative divisions Districts Resorts Elections Recent elections General : 2005 2015 Political parties Foreign relations Minister of Foreign Affairs Diplomatic missions Passport Other countries Atlas The President of the Republic of Suriname ( Dutch : President van de Republiek Suriname ) is, in accordance with the Constitution of 1987, the head of state and head of government of Suriname, and commander - in - chief of Suriname National Army. The current President is Dési Bouterse, a former army officer and military dictator. He is affiliated with the National Democratic Party. Bouterse was elected on 19 July 2010 and inaugurated on 12 August at the Anthony Nesty Sporthal ( formerly known as National Indoor Stadium ). Contents 1 History 2 Election 3 Qualification 4 Powers and duties 5 List of Presidents of Suriname 6 Latest election 7 See also 8 External links History The office of President was created upon independence from the Netherlands in 1975. Until 1987, the role was largely ceremonial. The first officeholder was Dr. Johan Ferrier, a schoolteacher and veteran politician who had served as governor since 1968. He resigned as president in August 1980, several months after a coup d'état. From then until 1988, the titular Presidents were essentially army - installed puppets of Lt. Col. Bouterse, who ruled as a dictator with few practical checks on his power. Democracy was restored in 1988, the year after the adoption of the constitution, in which the duties and responsibilities of the president were included. On December 24, 1990, two days after Bouterse 's resignation as army commander, the army called president Ramsewak Shankar to inform him that he and his cabinet were removed from office. Police Chief and Acting Commander of the army, Ivan Graanoogst was appointed Acting President. On December 27, 1990, Johannes Kraag became the president. Since 1991, the president is elected democratically. Election The President and a Vice President are elected by the National Assembly to a five - year mandate and are accountable to the Assembly. During his time in office, the President must forfeit any additional posts in politics or business. Qualification A candidate must be a Surinamese national ( resident in the country for at least six years ) who is at least 30 years of age. A candidate must win at least two - thirds of the votes in the Assembly to be elected. If no candidate wins two - thirds after three rounds, the vote then goes to the United People 's Congress, composed of the Assembly and local government officials. In this case, a simple majority is required. Powers and duties The President is vested with extensive functional powers. The President names and dismisses ministers, signs bills, and names and dismisses diplomatic staff. He declares war and states of emergency with the ratification of the National Assembly. He concludes foreign treaties and agreements, again with the assent of the Assembly. He also exercises ceremonial duties such as conferring awards, receiving foreign diplomats, and granting pardons. List of Presidents of Suriname President Term of office Political party ( at time of election ) No Portrait Name ( Birth -- Death ) Took office Left office Duration Johan Ferrier ( 1910 -- 2010 ) 25 November 1975 13 August 1980 ( resigned after the Sergeants ' Coup. ) 7003172300000000000 ♠ 4 years, 262 days Independent Hendrick Chin A Sen ( 1934 -- 1999 ) 15 August 1980 4 February 1982 ( sacked by Bouterse. ) 7002538000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 173 days Nationalist Republican Party Fred Ramdat Misier ( 1926 -- 2004 ) 8 February 1982 25 January 1988 7003217700000000000 ♠ 5 years, 351 days Independent Ramsewak Shankar ( 1937 -- ) 25 January 1988 24 December 1990 ( deposed by Graanoogst. ) 7003106400000000000 ♠ 2 years, 333 days Progressive Reform Party 5 Johan Kraag ( 1913 -- 1996 ) 29 December 1990 16 September 1991 7002261000000000000 ♠ 261 days National Party of Suriname 6 Ronald Venetiaan ( 1936 -- ) 16 September 1991 15 September 1996 7003182600000000000 ♠ 4 years, 365 days National Party of Suriname 7 Jules Wijdenbosch ( 1941 -- ) 15 September 1996 12 August 2000 7003142700000000000 ♠ 3 years, 332 days National Democratic Party ( 6 ) Ronald Venetiaan ( 1936 -- ) 12 August 2000 12 August 2010 7003365200000000000 ♠ 10 years, 0 days National Party of Suriname 8 Dési Bouterse ( 1945 -- ) 12 August 2010 Incumbent 7003264600000000000 ♠ 7 years, 89 days ( as of 9 November 2017 ) National Democratic Party Latest election Main article : Surinamese general election, 2015 See also Suriname Politics of Suriname List of colonial governors of Suriname Vice President of Suriname List of Prime Ministers of Suriname Lists of Incumbents External links ( in Dutch ) Kabinet van de President van de Republiek Suriname ( in English ) Constitution of the Republic of Suriname, 1987 Suriname articles History Colony of Surinam Society of Suriname Within the Kingdom of the Netherlands 1980 coup d'état Interior War ( 1986 -- 1992 ) Geography Cities Environmental issues Fauna Flora National parks World Heritage Sites Politics Administrative divisions Constitution Elections Foreign relations Human rights Law enforcement Military National Assembly Political parties President Supreme Court Economy Agriculture Companies Dollar ( currency ) Energy International rankings Science and technology Telecommunications Internet domain Transport Society Crime Demographics Education Healthcare Languages People list indigenous Religion Culture Anthem Coat of arms Cuisine Flag Literature Music Public holidays Sport Outline Index Portal Presidents of Suriname Johan Ferrier Hendrick Chin A Sen Fred Ramdat Misier Ramsewak Shankar Ivan Graanoogst * Johan Kraag Ronald Venetiaan Jules Wijdenbosch Ronald Venetiaan Dési Bouterse * denotes interim presidents Presidents of South America Sovereign states Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela Dependencies and other territories Falkland Islands French Guiana South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Current heads of state of the South American countries Mauricio Macri ( Argentina ) Evo Morales ( Bolivia ) Michel Temer ( Brazil ) Michelle Bachelet ( Chile ) Juan Manuel Santos ( Colombia ) Lenín Moreno ( Ecuador ) David Granger ( Guyana ) Horacio Cartes ( Paraguay ) Pedro Pablo Kuczynski ( Peru ) Dési Bouterse ( Suriname ) Anthony Carmona ( Trinidad and Tobago ) Tabaré Vázquez ( Uruguay ) Nicolás Maduro ( Venezuela ) Elizabeth II ( Falkland Islands / South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ) Emmanuel Macron ( French Guiana ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=President_of_Suriname&oldid=809567448 '' Categories : Lists of presidents Presidents of Suriname Lists of political office - holders in Suriname Hidden categories : Articles containing Dutch - language text Articles with Dutch - language external links Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages Asturianu Deutsch Español Esperanto Français Frysk Ido Bahasa Indonesia Italiano ქართული Latviešu Magyar Nederlands Polski Português Русский Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 9 November 2017, at 23 : 19. 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Question: who is the head of government of suriname
Answer: Dési Bouterse