Lachmipersad Frederik "Fred" Ramdat Misier (28 October 1926–25 June 2004) was the 3rd President of Suriname

President of Suriname

The President of the Republic of Suriname is, in accordance with the Constitution of 1987, the head of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of Suriname....

, serving from 1982 to 1988.

Early life

He was born on 28 October 1926 in Paramaribo

Paramaribo

Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...

, Suriname

Suriname

Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...

. His parents were Famparpas Ramdat Misier
and Ramkali Misier.

Political career

Before becoming president, Ramdat Misier served as a teacher, lawyer and president of the Court of Justice. Dictator Dési Bouterse

Dési Bouterse

Desiré Delano "Dési" Bouterse is the 9th and current President of Suriname.As an army officer, he was the de facto leader of Suriname through most of the 1980s, serving as Chairman of the National Military Council...

 appointed Ramdat Misier third president of Suriname on 8 February 1982. As president, he oversaw November 1987 democratic elections that elected Ramsewak Shankar

Ramsewak Shankar

Ramsewak Shankar is a Surinamese politician who was the 4th President of Suriname from 1988 to 1990. He was previously Agriculture & Fisheries Minister from 1969 to 1971.He was elected as President by the National Assembly after a parliamentary election...

 to the presidency. Ramdat Misier was succeeded by Shankar in February 1988.

Death

Ramdat Misier died on 25 June 2004, at the age of 78. His death occurred at the country's capital, Paramaribo

Paramaribo

Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...

. Former president Jules Wijdenbosch

Jules Wijdenbosch

Jules Albert Wijdenbosch is a politician in Suriname. He was a member of the National Democratic Party, which held absolute power in Suriname during the 1980s. He was Prime Minister from April 1987 until January 1988, Vice President from January 1991 until September 1991, and President from...

 commented on Ramdat Misier's political career, saying "he has played a vital role in Suriname's new democratic gestation. He brought unprecedented developments for the country." He is survived by his spouse, Hilda Doergadei Dewanchand. Ramdat Misier's cremation

Cremation

Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....

 was held on 30 June and was attended by a number of dignitaries, including Wijdenbosch and current president Ronald Venetiaan

Ronald Venetiaan

Ronald Runaldo Venetiaan served as the 6th and 8th President of Suriname. His first term as president ran from 1991 to 1996 after which he lost in the elections to Jules Wijdenbosch...

.