Meanwhile the deadline to present candidates for both positions has passed. No other candidates have entered the race which means that Simons and Rusland will not face any obstacles. If there were more candidates, each candidate would need 34 votes to be elected in parliament. The chairman of the ABOP, Ronnie Brunswijk, on Wednesday night announced that his party had decided to support  Jennifer Simons (NDP) for the presidency and  Gregory Rusland (NPS) for the vice presidency. Brunswijk explained that it would have cost a lot of money to hold the presidential election in the united people’s congress. After Brunswijk had made the announcement, the VHP which is currently the only opposition party also announced that it had decided not to present any candidates for the presidency and the vice presidency. Simons who is scheduled to be installed as the 11th president of the Republic of Suriname will also become the nation’s first ever female president.