| Willy Soemita | |
| Birth Name: | William Soemita |
| Birth Date: | 1936 3, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Commewijne, Suriname |
| Death Place: | Suriname |
| Office1: | Deputy Vice President of Suriname |
| President1: | Ramsewak Shankar |
| Term Start1: | 25 January 1988 |
| Term End1: | 24 December 1990 |
| Predecessor1: | position established |
| Successor1: | position abolished |
| Office2: | Minister of Social Affairs and Housing |
| President2: | Ramsewak Shankar |
| Term Start2: | 25 January 1988 |
| Term End2: | 24 December 1990 |
| Predecessor2: | Ewald Grep |
| Successor2: | René Kaaiman |
| President3: | Ronald Venetiaan |
| Term Start3: | 16 September 1991 |
| Term End3: | 15 September 1996 |
| Predecessor3: | René Kaaiman |
| Successor3: | Soewarto Moestadja |
| Office4: | Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries |
| Primeminister4: | Henck Arron |
| Term Start4: | 24 December 1973 |
| Term End4: | 28 December 1977 |
| Predecessor4: | Radjnarain Nannan Panday |
| Successor4: | Cornelis Ardjosemito |
| Party: | Party for National Unity and Solidarity |
William Soemita (1 March 1936 – 23 September 2022[1]) was a Surinamese parliamentarian and minister. He was the only Deputy Vice President of Suriname, serving from 1988 to 1990.
His father Iding Soemita was born in West Java and came as an indentured labourer to Suriname where he founded the political party Kerukunan Tulodo Pranatan Inggil (KTPI) in 1949. In August 1972, Willy succeeded his father as chairman of the Javanese Surinamese party.
Soemita became head of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, then Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in 1973. After the restoration of democracy in Suriname, Soemita returned as minister in 1988, taking the portfolio of Minister of Social Affairs and Housing.[2] This ended in 1990 because of the military coup known as the "telephone coup".[3] From 1991 to 1996 he was again Minister.[2]
In 2005, he coached Sonny Kertoidjojo to succeed him as chairman of the KTPI. However, in early 2007, Kertoidjojo decided not to run. The then 71-year-old Soemita was then re-elected as chairman of KTPI.
In November 2019, Soemita retired from his position as party chairman, and was succeeded by Iwan Ganga. Soemita said that he would remain active in the party and support the new chairman.[4]