Kraag was a member of the
National Party of Suriname. He served as the
Chairman of the Estates of Suriname from 1958 to 1963. In 1963, Kraag joined the
Pengel cabinet as Minister of Social Affairs. He was subsequently named
Deputy Prime Minister of Suriname as well. He retired from politics after the
1969 Surinamese general election, although he was still widely respected. The Surinamese daily suggested Kraag as a candidate for ambassador to the Netherlands in 1974; in 1979, the newspaper
Nieuwe Leidsche Courant considered him as a potential successor to President
Johan Ferrier.
Honorary Chairman After democracy was restored in 1987, Kraag accepted the title of "Honorary Chairman" of the NPS. However, he joined the party's moderate wing, which protested against leader
Henck Arron's tight control on internal party decisions. On 22 December 1990,
Bouterse resigned from the Army after a disagreement with President
Ramsewak Shankar. On 30 December, Kraag approved the Army's request to reinstate Bouterse as Commander of the Army, On 16 September 1991, Kraag was succeeded by
Ronald Venetiaan. == References ==