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| This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Guyana |
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General elections were held in British Guiana in 1916. [1]
British Guiana was the name of the British colony, part of the British West Indies (Caribbean), on the northern coast of South America, now known as the independent nation of Guyana.
The elections were held under the 1891 constitution, which provided for a 16-member Court of Policy, half of which was elected. The Court included the Governor, seven government officials (the Attorney General, the Government Secretary, the Immigration Agent General and the Receiver General, together with three other appointees). The eight elected members were elected from seven constituencies; [2] Demerara East, Demerara West, Essequebo North Western, Essequebo South Eastern, Berbice, City of Georgetown (2 members) and New Amsterdam. [3]
The Court of Policy was a legislative body in Dutch and British Guiana until 1928. For most of its existence it formed the Combined Court together with the six Financial Representatives.
Demerara is a historical region in the Guianas on the north coast of South America which is now part of the country of Guyana. It was a Dutch colony until 1815 and a county of British Guiana from 1838 to 1966. It was located about the lower courses of the Demerara River, and its main town was Georgetown.
Essequibo was a Dutch colony on the Essequibo River in the Guiana region on the north coast of South America from 1616 to 1814. The colony formed a part of the colonies that are known under the collective name of Dutch Guiana.
In addition, six "Financial Representatives" were also elected in six single member constituencies; Demerara, Essequebo North Western, Essequebo South Eastern, Berbice, Georgetown and New Amsterdam. [3] Together with the Court of Policy, the two groups formed the Combined Court. [2]
The Combined Court was the legislature of British Guiana until 1928. In its final form, it consisted of a sitting of the Court of Policy together with the elected Financial Representatives.
The franchise was restricted on the basis of a minimum income level, and women could not vote; [2] as a result, only 1.28% of the population were entitled to vote. [4]
Five Indo-Guyanese ran for election, [5] including Edward Luckhoo, mayor of New Amsterdam and Joseph Alexander Luckhoo. [1]
Indo-Guyanese or Indian-Guyanese, are Guyanese people with heritage from the Indian subcontinent. They are historical speakers of North Indian Indo-Aryan languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and Bhojpuri, however some Indian immigrants also historically spoke South Indian Dravidian languages such as Tamil. As immigrants, Indo-Guyanese people originated from different parts of India and they have traditionally been known as Indians in Guyana. Indo-Guyanese are the largest ethnic group in Guyana identified by the official census, making up 39.8% of the population in 2012.
New Amsterdam is one of the largest towns in Guyana, located in the East Berbice-Corentyne Region, 62 mi (100 km) from the capital, Georgetown. It is located on the eastern bank of the Berbice River, 4 mi (6.4 km) upriver from its mouth at the Atlantic Ocean, and immediately south of the Canje River. New Amsterdam's population is approximately 33,000.
Joseph Alexander Luckhoo was elected in South West Essequibo seat, becoming the first Indo-Guyanese member of the Court of Policy. [1] In addition, three Britons, three Portuguese, five blacks (including Alfred A. Thorne) [1] and one mixed race candidate were elected. [5]
Alfred Athiel Thorne, LLD, MA was a popular statesman, educator, advocate, and key contributor to the history of human rights and equal educational access in the Americas. Thorne became famous for championing human rights during the nineteenth century by establishing one of the first human rights organizations in the Western Hemisphere. Thorne broke new ground for educational access by establishing the first co-educational private secondary school for qualified children regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, religion or financial status, in British Guiana in 1894. The school provided educational access for hundreds of qualified students who would otherwise have been excluded from the prevailing preparatory schools due to high tuitions and social class-based admissions. Thorne was an elected official, served in public office for more than fifty years, and served as Mayor of British Guiana's capital city Georgetown. A prolific writer and columnist, Thorne authored numerous published articles and editorial columns for the British colony's influential newspapers "Echo" and "Outlook", as well as notable articles published by the "Boston Transcript" in Massachusetts. Born in Barbados, British West Indies, Dr. Thorne became the first person of African descent from any British colony to earn both a Bachelor's degree and advanced degree from any British University in England -- and he earned them with Honors at Durham University, one of England's oldest universities, founded in 1832.
The politics of Guyana takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Guyana is the head of government and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the President, advised by a cabinet. Legislative power is vested in both the President and the National Assembly of Guyana. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The recorded history of Guyana can be dated back to 1466, when Guyana de Ojeda's first expedition arrived from Spain at the Essequibo River. The history of Guyana has been shaped by the participation of many national and ethnic groups, as well as the colonial policies of the Spanish, French, Dutch, and British. The African slave rebellions in 1763 and 1823 were seminal moments in the nation's history. Africans were enslaved and transported to Guyana as slaves; in contrast, East Indians came as indentured labourers. Guyana's recent history is characterized in particular by the struggle to free itself from colonial rule, and from the lingering effects of colonialism.
Elections in Guyana take place within the framework of a multi-party representative democracy and a presidential system. The National Assembly is directly elected, with the nominee of the party or alliance that receives the most votes becoming President.
Berbice is a region along the Berbice River in Guyana, which was between 1627 and 1815 a colony of the Netherlands. After having been ceded to the United Kingdom in the latter year, it was merged with Essequibo and Demerara to form the colony of British Guiana in 1831. In 1966, British Guiana gained independence as Guyana.
The Railways of Guyana comprised two public railways and several industrial railways, including the first in South America.
Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. It is often considered part of the Caribbean region because of its strong cultural, historical, and political ties with other Anglo-Caribbean countries and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Guyana is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Brazil to the south and southwest, Venezuela to the west, and Suriname to the east. With 215,000 square kilometres (83,000 sq mi), Guyana is the third-smallest sovereign state on mainland South America after Uruguay and Suriname.
The National Labour Front (NLF) was a political party in Guyana.
General elections were held in British Guiana on 15 October October 1926.
General elections were held in British Guiana on 19 October 1921.
General elections were held in British Guiana in 1911.
General elections were held in British Guiana in 1906.
General elections were held in British Guiana in 1901.
General elections were held in British Guiana in 1897.
General elections were held in British Guiana in 1892.
The National Democratic Party (NDP) was a political party in British Guiana led by Rudy Kendall.
