Government & politics — Suriname
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Government & politics at a glance
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations. Key figure for Suriname: Republic of Suriname
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Identity & names
- Full Country Name
Republic of Suriname
- Country Name
Suriname
- Local - Long
Republiek Suriname
- Local - Short
Suriname
- Former Name
Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana
- Etymology- history of name
name may derive from the indigenous "Surinen" people who inhabited the area at the time of European contact
- Independence
25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)
- National Holiday
Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
Political system
- Government Type
presidential republic
- Constitution
- history: previous 1975; latest ratified 30 September 1987,
- effective 30 October 1987 amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the total membership; amended 1992
- Legal System:
civil law system influenced by Dutch civil law; note - a new criminal code was enacted in 2017
- Executive Branch:
- chief of state: President Jenn
- ifer GEERLINGS-SIMONS (since 16 July 2025) head of government: Pre
- sident Jennifer GEERLINGS-SIMONS (since 16 July 2025) cabinet: Cabinet of Mini
- sters appointed by the president election/appointment process: president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly; president and vice president s
- erve a 5-year term (no term limits) most recent election date: 6
- July 2025 election results: 2025: Jennifer GEERLINGS-SIMONS elected president unopposed;
- National Assembly vote - NA 2020: Chandrikapersad "Chan" SANTOKHI elected president unopposed;
- National Assembly vote - NA 2015: Desire Delano BOUTERSE reelected president unopposed;
- National Assembly vote - NA expected date of next election: 2030
- note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
- Legislative Branch:
Description
unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats; members directly elected in 10 multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote, using the D'Hondt method, to serve 5-year terms)
Elections
last held on 25 May 2020 (next to be held in May 2025)
Election Results
- percent of vote by party - VHP 41.1%, NDP 29.4%, ABOP 17.6%, NPS 7.8%, other 3.9%
- seats by party - VHP 20, NDP 16, ABOP 9, NPS 3, BEP 2, PL 2
- composition as of February 2024 - men 35, women 16, percentage women 31.4%
- Judicial Branch:
- highest court(s): High Court of Justice of Suriname (consists of the court president, vice president, and 4 judges); note - appeals beyond the High Court are referred to the Caribbean Court of Justice; human rights violations can be appealed to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights with judgments issued by the Inter-Amer
- ican Court on Human Rights judge selection and term of office: court judges appointed by the national president in consultation with the National Assembly, the State Advisory Council, and the Order of Private Attorneys;
- judges serve for life subordinate courts: cantonal courts
- Regions or States:
10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica
- Political Parties and Leaders:
- Brotherhood and Unity in Politics or BEP [Ronnie ASABINA]
- Democratic Alternative '91 or DA91 [Angelique DEL CASTILHO]
- General Liberation and Development Party or ABOP [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK} National Democratic Party or NDP [Desire Delano BOUTERSE]
- National Party of Suriname or NPS [Gregory RUSLAND]
- Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or DOE [Steven ALFAISI]
- Party for National Unity and Solidarity or KTPI [Iwan GANGA]
- People's Alliance (Pertjajah Luhur) or PL [Paul SOMOHARDJO]
- Progressive Workers' and Farmers' Union or PALU [Jim HOK]
- Progressive Reform Party or VHP [Chandrikapersad SANTOKHI]
- Reform and Renewal Movement or HVB [Mike NOERSALIM]
- Surinamese Labor Party or SPA [Guno CASTELEN]
- Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
- Citizenship Criteria:
- no citizenship by descent only: at least one par
- no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Capital & time
- Capital Name
Paramaribo
- Capital - geographic coordinate
5 50 N, 55 10 W
- Capital Time Difference
UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
International role
- International Organization Participation:
ACP, AOSIS, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International Law Organization Participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
- Diplomatic Representation from US:
chief of mission
Ambassador Robert J. FAUCHER (since 31 January 2023) embassy: 165 Kristalstraat, Paramaribo mailing address: 3390 Paramaribo Place, Washington DC 20521-3390
telephone
[597] 556-700
FAX
[597] 551-524
Email address and website
- caparamar@state.gov
- https://sr.usembassy.gov/
- Diplomatic Representation in the US:
chief of mission
Ambassador Jan Marten Willem SCHALKWIJK (since 19 April 2022)
chancery
4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 629-4302
FAX
[1] (202) 629-4769
Email address and website
- amb.vs@gov.sr
- https://surinameembassy.org/index.html
consulate(s) general
Miami