Legislative Assembly (British Guiana)

History

A new constitution was promulgated on 18 July 1961, replacing the unicameral Legislative Council with the Legislature. The new body consisted of a 13-member Senate and a 36-member Legislative Assembly.[1] Whilst the 13 members of the Senate were nominated, the Legislative Assembly was elected, and consisted of 35 members elected in single-member constituencies, and a Speaker elected by the elected MPs.[1]

Elections to the new Legislature were held on 21 August 1961. The People's Progressive Party (PPP) won 20 seats, the People's National Congress (PNC) won 11 and the United Force four. Both houses convened for the first time on 5 October 1961, when members elected Rahman Baccus Gajraj as Speaker.[1]

Although the PPP had only received 1.6% more of the vote than the PNC, it won almost double the number of seats. This resulted in mass demonstrations led by the PNC, a general strike and severe inter-racial violence. A few weeks after the elections the British authorities intervened by sending in troops and the Governor declared a state of emergency.[2]

Further constitutional amendments in 1964 scrapped the Legislature, replacing it with a unicameral House of Assembly elected by proportional representation. The Legislature was dissolved on 25 September 1964.[1]

List of members
People's Progressive Party People's National Congress The United Force
Cheddi JaganForbes BurnhamPeter d'Aguiar
Brindley BennRudy KendallStephen Campbell
Ram KarranJohn CarterRandolph Emanuel Cheeks
Balram Singh RaiEugene Francis CorreiaTeddy Melville
Ranji ChandisinghNeville James Bissember
Charles Ramkissoon JacobWilliam Alexander Blair
Fenton Harcourt Wilworth RamsahoyeRudolph Stanislaus Stanley Hugh
Earl Maxwell Gladstone WilsonJohn Gabriel Joaquin
George BowmanRobert James Jordan
Lawrence Everil McRansford MannClaude Alfonso Merriman
Sheik Mohamed SaffeeHenry Milton Shakespeare Wharton
George Lakey Robertson
Moses Bhagwan
John Bernard Caldeira
Victor Downer
Abdul Maccie Hamid
George McLinton Henry
Derek Chunilall Jagan
Goberdhan Harry Lall
Mohamed Shakoor
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References
  1. Historical information events and dates on the Parliament of Guyana from 1718 to 2006 Parliament of Guyana
  2. Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p355 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
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