1964 British Guiana general election

General elections were held in British Guiana on 7 December 1964.[1] They saw the People's Progressive Party win 24 of the 53 seats. However, the People's National Congress (22 seats) and United Force (7 seats) were able to form a coalition government with a working majority. Despite losing the elections, Prime Minister and PPP leader Cheddi Jagan refused to resign, and had to be removed by Governor Richard Luyt, with Forbes Burnham replacing him.[2] Voter turnout was 97.0%.[1]

1964 British Guiana general election

← 1961 7 December 1964 1968 →

53 seats in the House of Assembly
27 seats needed for a majority
Registered247,604
Turnout96.98%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Cheddi Jagan Forbes Burnham Peter D'Aguiar
Party PPP PNC TUF
Seats won 24 22 7
Seat change Increase4 Increase11 Increase3
Popular vote 109,332 96,657 29,612
Percentage 45.84% 40.52% 12.41%
Swing Increase3.21pp Decrease0.47pp Increase3.97pp

Premier before election

Cheddi Jagan
PPP

Elected Premier

Forbes Burnham
PNC

Electoral system

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The elections followed constitutional reforms and the re-establishment of the House of Assembly, which had been abolished in 1953, replacing the bicameral Legislature. The House had 54 members; the Speaker and 53 members elected by proportional representation.[2] The Speaker was elected from amongst the original elected members, and then gave up their elected seat to be replaced by a member of their own party.

Results

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Progressive Party109,33245.8424+4
People's National Congress96,65740.5222+11
United Force29,61212.417+3
Justice Party1,3340.560New
Guiana United Muslim Party1,1940.500New
Peace, Equality and Prosperity Party2240.090New
National Labour Front1770.070New
Total238,530100.0053+18
Valid votes238,53099.34
Invalid/blank votes1,5900.66
Total votes240,120100.00
Registered voters/turnout247,60496.98
Source: Nohlen

Elected members

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Member Party Notes
Cheddi Jagan People's Progressive Party
Brindley Benn People's Progressive Party
Ram Karran People's Progressive Party
Ranji Chandisingh People's Progressive Party
Henry Jocelyn Makepeace Hubbard People's Progressive Party
Charles Ramkissoon Jacob People's Progressive Party
Cedric Vernon Nunes People's Progressive Party
Fenton Harcourt Wilworth Ramsahoye People's Progressive Party
Eugene Martin Stoby People's Progressive Party
Earl Maxwell Gladstone Wilson People's Progressive Party
George Bowman People's Progressive Party
Sheik Mohamed Saffee People's Progressive Party
Ashton Chase People's Progressive Party
Moses Bhagwan People's Progressive Party
John Bernard Caldeira People's Progressive Party
Abdul Maccie Hamid People's Progressive Party
Derek Chunilall Jagan People's Progressive Party
Goberdhan Harry Lall People's Progressive Party
Yacoob Ally People's Progressive Party
Lloyd Linde People's Progressive Party
Joseph Rudolph Spenser Luck People's Progressive Party
Reepu Daman Persaud People's Progressive Party
Mohendernauth Poonai People's Progressive Party
Subhan Ali Ramjohn People's Progressive Party
Forbes Burnham People's National Congress Premier, Minister of Development & Planning
Ptolemy Reid People's National Congress Minister of Home Affairs
Neville James Bissember People's National Congress Minister of Health and Housing
Eugene Francis Correia People's National Congress Minister of Communications
Winifred Gaskin People's National Congress Minister of Education, Youth, Race Relations & Community Development
C.M. Llewellyn John People's National Congress Minister of Agriculture
Robert James Jordan People's National Congress Minister of Forests, Lands and Mines
Rudy Kendall People's National Congress Minister of Trade and Industry
Deoroop Mahraj People's National Congress Minister without Portfolio
Claude Alfonso Merriman People's National Congress Minister of Labour and Social Security
David Brandis deGroot People's National Congress
William Alexander Blair People's National Congress
Jagnarine Budhoo People's National Congress
Charles Frederick Chan-A-Sue People's National Congress
Oscar Eleazar Clarke People's National Congress
Royden George Basil Field-Ridley People's National Congress
John Gabriel Joaquin People's National Congress
Thomas Anson Sancho People's National Congress
Rupert Tello The United Force
James Henry Thomas People's National Congress
Alex Benjamin Trotman People's National Congress
Henry Milton Shakespeare Wharton People's National Congress
Aubrey Percival Alleyne People's National Congress Elected speaker and replaced by Philip Duncan
Peter d'Aguiar The United Force Minister of Finance
Mohamed Kasim The United Force Minister of Works and Hydraulics
Randolph Emanuel Cheeks The United Force Minister of Local Government
Stephen Campbell The United Force Ministry of Home Affairs
Cyril Victor Too Chung The United Force
Hari Prashad The United Force

References

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  1. ^ a b Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p363 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
  2. ^ a b Nohlen, p355