July 7 (UPI) -- Suriname's parliament has elected its first female president, voting doctor and former parliamentary speaker Jennifer Simons to lead the South American country. Thirty-four of 50 parliamentarians voted for Simons on Sunday to helm Suriname for a five-year term, the National Assembly confirmed in a release . The 71-year-old is set to be inaugurated July 16. "In 2030, we must hand over a country that is better off than it is now," she said in a statement following her election. "