Dear Editor,
Guyanese (in Guyana and in NY) paid tribute to former Suriname President Chandrika Santokhi. President Ali paid glowing tribute to his friend and former colleague. Chan, as he was popularly called, was well known among Guyanese settled in Suriname, Holland, at home in New York.
As President and as Opposition Leader, he was very popular among Guyanese as I discovered engaging them in multiple trips in Suriname when he was Police head, Opposition Leader, and President. Guyanese who I engaged in Guyana this month, many in the greater Skeldon area, as well as many in NY spoke well of Santokhi. Many Indo-Guyanese with Surinamese nationality voted for him although they expressed disappointment in the slow pace of development during his tenure.
It was an honour to know Chan and to exchange ideas from the multiple encounters we had including several one-on-one engagements when he was OL and President. We met multiple times in Suriname at official functions and at social gatherings. And we met several times in Delhi, Indore (Madya Pradesh for PBD), Georgetown, and New York. Friends in Delhi and in Guyana and NY remember him fondly. They, like Guyanese, mourn his passing as he developed close ties with India. Chan has maintained a long relationship with Guyana and was very supportive of President Ali. He focused on regional cooperation. President Ali engaged him and his successor to strengthen trade and other ties especially on the border issue.
I engaged Chan for articles I was researching. But he was not easily persuaded on strategies I enunciated even when they were in his favour. And like several other Guyanese, I helped to organise and or contributed financially to receptions hosted in NY when he was President. Guyanese were on the planning and organising committee that hosted receptions for Chan in NY every year he was President. There is a small Surinamese community in NY, most settled in Queens and Long Island and the Brooklyn border of Queens. Thus, not surprisingly, more Guyanese than Surinamese patronized his events in Queens. They contributed to his re-election campaign as did some Indo-Trinidadians. He thanked us all at all of the fundraising and other public engagements on Long Island, Manhattan, and Queens. Santokhi was narrowly defeated by one seat in the May 2025 elections.
Chan’s tenure as President, one five-year term (2020-25), left an indelible mark on political discourse and national development. He became President at a time when the treasury was bankrupt and the country faced huge debts. He had to make large interest payments on outstanding debts while balancing the annual budgets; revenue intakes were tight.
And foreign aid was limited. Nevertheless, Chan managed the economy well though the public was dissatisfied with tight government spending. He was generally viewed as transformative and charismatic, and often he was recognized as a champion for the working class, promoter of national unity. He loved to sing Indian songs and chutney. Many refer to him as the country’s first Indian President under the new constitution, marking a significant shift in the nation’s political landscape. His election was celebrated by Indo-Surinamese and Indo-Guyanese in USA; his defeat was a disappointment. He was admired among Guyanese for his simplicity and down to earth demeanor. He was also viewed as a sharp political strategist who navigated intense racialised political dynamics in Suriname.
Santokhi has made rich contributions to national progress. And he has left a legacy that is highly regarded by supporters.