Ronald Runaldo Venetiaan (born June 18, 1936) served as the 6th and 8th President of Suriname

President of Suriname

The President of the Republic of Suriname is, in accordance with the Constitution of 1987, the head of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of Suriname....

. His first term as president ran from 1991 to 1996 after which he lost in the elections to Jules Wijdenbosch

Jules Wijdenbosch

Jules Albert Wijdenbosch is a politician in Suriname. He was a member of the National Democratic Party, which held absolute power in Suriname during the 1980s. He was Prime Minister from April 1987 until January 1988, Vice President from January 1991 until September 1991, and President from...

. In 2000 however, he regained his former position on the New Front

New Front for Democracy and Development

The New Front for Democracy and Development is a Social democratic political alliance in Suriname....

 banner, receiving an absolute majority of 37 from 51 votes in the Parliament.

In 2005 he was re-elected

Surinamese legislative election, 2005

The 2005 Surinamese legislative elections were held in Suriname on 25 May 2005. The governing New Front for Democracy and Development of president Ronald Venetiaan lost seats, remaining the largest party but failing to get a majority in the National Assembly of Suriname...

 to serve a third term as president and sworn in on August 12, 2005.

Personal

Venetiaan is a mathematician beside all political activity. His surname means Venetian

Venice

Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...

in Dutch

Dutch language

Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...

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