Suriname’s New Female President Faces Economic Crisis After Corruption-Riddled Predecessor

Suriname's parliament has elected Jennifer Geerlings-Simons as the country's first female president, stepping into a nation struggling under the weight of economic turmoil and government corruption. This leadership change comes after the scandal-plagued five-year administration of President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, whose austerity measures and reliance on International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailouts have left ordinary Surinamese citizens burdened and protesting.The National Democratic Party-led coalition that propelled Geerlings-Simons to power did so unopposed, highlighting a political environment desperate for change but also underscoring the absence of alternative leadership solutions in Suriname. As she prepares for her July 16 inauguration, Geerlings-Simons inherits a fragile...