Background
Shankar, Ramsewak was born on November 6, 1937 in Nickerie, Suriname.
president of Republic of Suriname
Shankar, Ramsewak was born on November 6, 1937 in Nickerie, Suriname.
Master of Science in Agricultural Engineering, University Agriculture, Wageningen, Suriname. Student, Institute for Social Studies.
He was previously Agriculture & Fisheries Minister from 1969 to 1971. He was elected as President by the National Assembly after a parliamentary election was held in November 1987 following the adoption of a new constitution by the ruling military regime. Ramsewak Shankar was a former agriculture minister and succeeded Ramdat Misier as the President of Suriname.
In 1989 he agreed on pardoning the maroons, or bush negroes, and the possibility of their members keeping their arms when moving within the rain forest.
Dési Bouterse and the National Democratic Party opposed the agreement, calling it a violation of the constitution and saying that this would lead to legalizing an independent military force. In 1990, Shankar was ousted in a bloodless military coup (known as the "Telephone coup") led by Bouterse, and a military backed government was installed with Ivan Graanoogst and later Johan Kraag as the new president
Married Gisela Prabhawatie Sewsahai.