(WESTERN) GUYANA
— Officially: Co-operative Republic of Guyana.
— Seat of government: Georgetown.
— Status: Democratic.
— Structure: The parliament (National Assembly) is elected by proportional representation and in multi-member geographical constituencies, and chooses the president.
— Governing parties: People’s Progressive Party.
— Head of government: Irfaan Ali, PPP, president.
— Opposition party: A Partnership for National Unity, principally People’s National Congress, with the Alliance for Change.
— Recent history: The PPP won every election from the restoration of democracy in 1992 to 2011. Elections are largely along racial lines, with Indians supporting the PPP, Africans the PNC. General elections in 2011 diminished the PPP’s majority to a near-majority. At the same time, new leader Donald Ramotar (2011-5) replaced president Bharrat Jagdeo (1999-2011). In 2015, a PNC-led coalition, APNU, won a slight majority, and David Granger (2015-20) became president. Granger lost a confidence vote in parliament in late 2018, and a new election was held in early 2020, which APNU (now including the Alliance for Change) originally claimed to have won, based on a count that some international observers deemed fraudulent. A recount following intervention by the courts gave the PPP a slight majority.
— FH: 2-3, free. Econ: 6.12 (76), flawed democracy.
— Updated: 2021 June 18.
O.T. FORD