Johannes Samuel Petrus "Johan" Kraag (29 July 1913 – 24 May 1996) was a

Suriname Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, also considered as part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. It is a developing country with a Human Development Index, high level of human development; i ...

se politician who served as the

President of Suriname The president of the Republic of Suriname () is, in accordance with the Constitution of 1987, the head of state and head of government of Suriname, and commander-in-chief of the Suriname National Army (SNL). The president also appoints a cab ...

from 29 December 1990, until 16 September 1991.

Political career

Kraag was a member of the

National Party of Suriname The National Party of Suriname (, NPS) is a political party in Suriname, founded in 1946, and since June 2012 led by Gregory Rusland. For a long time it was the largest ruling party in the country, and it has been in government for a total of ove ...

. He served as the Chairman of the Estates of Suriname from 1958 to 1963. In 1963, Kraag joined the Pengel cabinet as Minister of Social Affairs. He was subsequently named

Deputy Prime Minister of Suriname The Deputy Prime Minister of Suriname () was a title given to a member of the List of Surinamese cabinets, Cabinet of Ministers of Suriname between 1954 and 1988, often to recognize members of other parties in the Coalition government, ruling co ...

as well. He retired from politics after the

1969 Surinamese general election General elections were held in Suriname on 24 October 1969.Dieter Nohlen (2005) ''Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I'', p614 The result was a victory for the VHP bloc (an alliance of the VHP, the Indonesian People's Party and ...

, although he was still widely respected. The Surinamese daily suggested Kraag as a candidate for ambassador to the Netherlands in 1974; in 1979, the newspaper Nieuwe Leidsche Courant considered him as a potential successor to President Johan Ferrier.

Honorary Chairman

After democracy was restored in 1987, Kraag accepted the title of "Honorary Chairman" of the NPS. However, he joined the party's moderate wing, which protested against leader

Henck Arron Henck Alphonsus Eugène Arron (25 April 1936 – 4 December 2000) was a Surinamese politician who served as the first Prime Minister of Suriname after it gained independence in 1975. A member of the National Party of Suriname, he served from 24 ...

's tight control on internal party decisions. On 22 December 1990, Bouterse resigned from the Army after a disagreement with President Ramsewak Shankar. On 24 December a

military coup A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

known as the "telephone coup" ousted President Shankar, and Ivan Graanoogst was appointed as Acting President.

President of Suriname

On 29 December, Kraag was chosen by the National Assembly as President of Suriname.

Jules Wijdenbosch Jules Albert Wijdenbosch (2 May 1941 – 30 April 2025) was a Surinamese politician who was President of Suriname from 1996 to 2000 and prime minister from 1987 to 1988. Life and career Wijdenbosch was born in Paramaribo on 2 May 1941. He was ...

, a follower of Bouterse, was appointed Vice President. On 30 December, Kraag approved the Army's request to reinstate Bouterse as Commander of the Army, and Bouterse officially returned on 1 January 1991. On 16 September 1991, Kraag was succeeded by

Ronald Venetiaan Ronald Runaldo Venetiaan (born 18 June 1936) is a former politician who served as the sixth president of Suriname. Biography Venetiaan was born in Paramaribo. In 1955, Venetiaan left Suriname to study mathematics and physics at the University of ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kraag, Johan 1913 births 1996 deaths National Party of Suriname politicians Presidents of Suriname Deputy prime ministers of Suriname Surinamese evangelicals Chairmen of the Estates of Suriname People from Coronie District