Evert Udenhout

Evert Udenhout is a Guayanese retired politician and banker who served as the 27th & 29th President of Guayana in two non-consecutive terms from 1994-1999 and 2004-2009. He was also the founded of the United National Party and its leader from its creation in 1992 to his retirement from politics in 2014.

Udenhout was born in the town of Blauwgrond in 1949 to a white father and black mother. Although coming from a lower middle class background he was during the 1960's able to obtain a scholarship to the East American University studying finance. Udenhout subsequently became a banker and led a successful career in finance working at the Guayanan branch of.

In 1992 Udenhout founded the United National Party (VNP) to contest the upcoming 1994 Guayanan elections. Running on a platform critical both of the governing centre-left People's Democratic Party and opposition right-wing Progressive Democratic Congress the VNP was able to secure a surprise victory with Udenhout winning the presidency on 34% of the vote and the VNP a plurality in the legislature.

In office Udenhout governed as a promoting deregulation and privatisation, forging close ties with the  and appealing to Christian groups opposed to liberalisation on abortion and gay rights. His government was popular with certain groups in Guayanese society particularly the white minority and the middle class but aroused opposition from trade unions and other labour groups.

Restricted from consecutive re-election the VNP candidate lost the 1999 election to a coalition between the VdP and PDC resulting in Udenhout to lead the party in opposition. He returned to power in the 2004 election winning 48% of the vote and the VNP a majority in the legislature. Udenhout's second term was marked by a corruption scandal then severely dented his popularity leading to the rise of the left-wing Popular Socialist Alliance. His second government was seen as a continuation of his first with strong economic growth, albeit inequality significantly worsened under his government. Udenhout's second presidency also saw strong tensions with over. In 2009 after his presidency the VNP were again defeated with the PSA coming to power.

Udenhout led the VNP in opposition for a second time from 2009-2014. In 2014 he ran for president being endorsed by his own VNP and the PDC but was defeated by incumbent PSA president Hendrikus Simons who had removed term limits. Following this defeat Udenhout announced his retirement from public life. He currently sits on the executive bored of several companies in Guayana.