The politics of Guyana takes place in a framework of a Parliamentary 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 history of Guyana begins about 35,000 years ago with the arrival of humans coming from Eurasia. These migrants became the Carib and Arawak tribes,who met Alonso de Ojeda's first expedition from Spain in 1499 at the Essequibo River. In the ensuing colonial era,Guyana's government was defined by the successive policies of Spanish,French,Dutch,and British settlers.
The Caribbean Community is an intergovernmental organisation of 15 member states throughout the Caribbean having primary objectives to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members,to ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared,and to coordinate foreign policy. The organisation was established in 1973. Its major activities involve coordinating economic policies and development planning;devising and instituting special projects for the less-developed countries within its jurisdiction;operating as a regional single market for many of its members;and handling regional trade disputes. The secretariat headquarters is in Georgetown,Guyana. CARICOM is an official United Nations Observer beneficiary.
Bharrat Jagdeo is a Guyanese politician who has been serving as Vice President of Guyana since 2020,in the administration of President Irfaan Ali. He had previously also held the office from 1997 until 1999,during the presidency of Janet Jagan. Jagdeo subsequently served as the President of Guyana from 11 August 1999 to 3 December 2011. He also holds a number of global leadership positions in the areas of sustainable development,green growth and climate change.
Janet Rosenberg Jagan was an American-Guyanese politician who served as the President of Guyana,serving from December 19,1997,to August 11,1999. She was the first female President of Guyana. She previously served as the first female Prime Minister of Guyana from March 17,1997,to December 19,1997. The wife of Cheddi Jagan,whom she succeeded as president,she was awarded Guyana's highest national award,the Order of Excellence,in 1993,and the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Gold Medal for Women's Rights in 1998.
Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham was a Guyanese politician and the leader of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana from 1964 until his death in 1985. He served as Prime Minister from 1964 to 1980 and then as its first Executive President from 1980 to 1985. He is often regarded as a strongman who embraced his own version of communism. Throughout his presidency,he encouraged Guyanese to produce and export more local goods,especially through the use of state-run corporations and agricultural cooperatives. Despite being widely regarded as one of the principal architects of the postcolonial Guyanese state,his presidency was nonetheless marred by repeated accusations of Afro-supremacy,state-sanctioned violence,economic collapse,electoral fraud,and corruption.
The People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is a centre-left to left-leaning political party in Guyana. As of 2020,the party holds 33 of the 65 seats in the National Assembly and forms the government. It has been the ruling party in the past as well,most recently between 1992 and 2015. In Guyana's ethnically divided political landscape,the PPP/C is a multi-ethnic organization that is supported primarily by Indo-Guyanese people.
Donald Rabindranauth Ramotar is a Guyanese politician who was President of Guyana from 2011 to 2015. He was also the General Secretary of the People's Progressive Party (PPP) from 1997 to 2013.
The People's National Congress Reform is a social-democratic and democratic socialist political party in Guyana led by Aubrey Norton. The party currently holds 31 of the 65 seats in the National Assembly. In Guyana's ethnically divided political landscape,the PNCR is a multi-ethnic organization supported primarily by Afro-Guyanese people.
David Arthur Granger is a retired military officer who served as the 9th President of Guyana from May 2015 to August 2020. He served for a time as Commander of the Guyana Defence Force and subsequently as National Security Adviser from 1990 to 1992. He was Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly of Guyana from 2012 to 2015.
Moses Veerasammy Nagamootoo is a Guyanese politician,writer and novelist who served as the Prime Minister of Guyana under former President David A. Granger from May 2015 to August 2020.
Odeen Ishmael was a career Guyanese diplomat.
The Constitution of Guyana is the highest governing document in the Republic of Guyana. It came into effect on October 6,1980,replacing it constitution enacted in 1966 upon its independence from the United Kingdom. The current Constitution of Guyana contains 12 chapters that are further divided into 232 articles. It also contains a preamble and an oath. Since its 1980 enactment,it has gone through multiple amendments.
Hari Narayen Ramkaran,known as Ralph Ramkarran,is a Guyanese politician and lawyer. He served as Speaker of the National Assembly of Guyana from 2001 to 2011.
Deborah Backer was a Guyanese politician of the People's National Congress who served as the deputy speaker of the National Assembly of Guyana.
Snap general elections were held in Guyana on 2 March 2020. They were called early after the government of President David A. Granger lost a vote of no confidence by a margin of 33–32 on 21 December 2018,the government having held a one-seat majority since the 2015 elections. However,one of its own MPs,Charrandas Persaud of the Alliance for Change (AFC),voted with the opposition. Granger announced on 25 September 2019 that the elections would be held on 2 March 2020.
Mohamed Irfaan Ali is a Guyanese politician who has served as the President of Guyana since August 2020. Ali is the first Muslim President of Guyana,along with being the second Muslim head of state in the Western Hemisphere after Noor Hassanali.
Isahak Basir CCH was a Guyanese historian who was a member of the National Assembly of Guyana from 1977 to 1991. Basir was nicknamed "Uncle Tabrak" and was of Indian descent.
Hugh Hilton Todd is a Guyanese politician who serves as Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Guyana since 2020.
Yvonne Fredericks-Pearson is a Guyanese politician. She has been a member of the National Assembly since 2015. She served as Toshao of Mainstay/Whyaka from 1994 to 2012.
Guyanese 