Guyana

People's Progressive Party

Guyana's oldest political party, the PPP, was founded in 1950 by Cheddi Jagan as a means to push for independence. After the 1961 elections, however, the party came to represent almost exclusively the Indo-Guyanese community. A long-time Marxist-Leninist, Jagan declared in 1969 that the PPP was a communist party and advocated state ownership of all industry. The PPP won elections in 1953, 1957, and 1961, but its leftist policies led to internal unrest and opposition from the British colonial authorities (see Preindependence Government, 1953-66 , ch. 1). The PPP had ten National Assembly seats after the 1980 election and in the 1985 elections won eight seats.

Data as of January 1992

Guyana - TABLE OF CONTENTS

• CONSTITUTIONAL BACKGROUND
  • Preindependence Constitutions
  • Independence Constitution
  • Constitution of 1980
• GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS
  • Executive
  • Legislature
  • Judiciary
  • Other National Institutions
  • Local Government
  • Civil Service
• POLITICAL DYNAMICS
  • Electoral Process
  • Political Parties
    • People's National Congress
    • People's Progressive Party
    • Other Political Groups
  • Interest Groups
    • Trade Unions
    • Media
    • Religious Organizations
    • Other Groups
• FOREIGN RELATIONS
  • Relations with the United States
  • Relations with Venezuela
  • Relations with Brazil
  • Relations with Suriname
  • Relations with Britain
  • Relations with the Commonwealth Caribbean
  • Relations with Communist Countries