Johan Ferrier

Johan Henri Eliza Ferrier ( born May 12, 1910 in Paramaribo, Suriname, † January 4, 2010 in Oegstgeest, The Netherlands) was prime minister, governor and first president of Suriname.

Life

Ferrier studied social pedagogy at the Gemeentelijke University of Amsterdam, where he received his PhD in November 1950. A month later, he went back to Suriname and took a post as a teacher, shortly after he became director of the school and was active in politics.

From 16 May 1955 to 14 July 1958, Ferrier Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of General Affairs (Algemene Zaken ), as well as Minister of the Interior ( Binnenlandse Zaken ).

1968 Ferrier governor of Suriname, which he remained until independence in 1975. On November 25, 1975, the day of independence, he became the first president. On August 13, 1980, he resigned under pressure of the dictator Bouterse Dési. His successor was Henk Chin A Sen

His daughter, Kathleen Gertrud Ferrier is now a Dutch politician, member of the Second Chamber (CDA ) and her half-sister Cynthia Mc Leod writer whose work has the history of Suriname to the topic. Johan Ferrier is the father of eight children from two marriages. He was also grandfather, great-grandfather and great-grandfather. Since the death of Nouhak Phoumsavanh, the former president of Laos, in 2008, he was the oldest former head of state in the world.