Guyana Government Structure |
The Republic of Guyana is an independent semi-presidential parliamentary republic and member of the Commonwealth of Nations and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The head of state is the President, a position which is elected indirectly. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly of Guyana. |
EXECUTIVE BRANCH |
Executive authority is exercised by the President, who appoints and supervises the Prime Minister and other ministers of the Cabinet. The president is not directly elected; each party presenting a slate of candidates for the assembly must designate in advance a leader who will become president if that party receives the largest number of votes. The president has the authority to dissolve the parliament, but in contrast to a parliamentary regime, the Constitution of Guyana does not provide any mechanism for parliament to replace the president during his or her term of office, except in case of mental incapacity or gross constitutional violations. This makes Guyana an "assembly-independent" regime (Shugart and Carey 1992) much like Switzerland. Only the prime minister is required to be a member of the assembly. In practice, most other ministers also are members. Those who are not serve as nonelected members, which permits them to debate but not to vote.The president is not a member of the National Assembly but may Address it at any time or have his address read by any member he may designate a convenient time for the Assembly.Under Guyana's constitution the President is both the Head of State and Head of Government of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. |
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH |
Legislative power of Guyana rests in a unicameral National Assembly. The 1980 Constitution, amended in 2001, provides for an executive presidency and a unicameral legislature, the National Assembly, with 65 members directly elected by proportional representation - 25 members are directly elected from the ten geographic constituencies. The remaining 40 are elected from a national list, colloquially called the ‘top-up’ list, based on the principle of proportional representation.. The normal life of parliament is five years. The President may dissolve the assembly and call new elections at any time, but no later than 5 years from its first sitting. |
JUDICIAL BRANCH |
The justice system is based on English Common Law with elements of Roman–Dutch Law, and is presided over by the Supreme Court. he second level is the High Court (Guyana), presided over by a Chief Justice appointed by the President. The most serious cases appear before the High Court, others before the magistrates’ courts. Appeals are to the High Court, then the Court of Appeal, and finally to the Caribbean Court of Justice in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, which in 2005 succeeded the UK’s Privy Council as the final court of appeal. The Audit Office of Guyana (AOG) is the country's Supreme Audit Institution (SAI). |
LOCAL GOVERNMENT |
Local government is provided for by the Municipal and District Councils Act 1988 and Local Government Act 1998, and it is enshrined in the constitution. The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development is responsible for local government. There are ten regional development councils, seven municipalities and 65 neighbourhood democratic councils; as well as 75 Amerindian village councils.The municipalities and neighbourhood democratic councils have revenue-raising powers, and they receive transfers from national government. The regional development councils are responsible for health, education and agriculture support services; the neighbourhood democratic councils for waste collection and sanitation, roads, dams and markets; and the municipalities for drainage, irrigation, waste collection and infrastructure maintenance. |
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