1953 British Guiana general election

General elections were held in British Guiana on 27 April 1953.[1] They were the first held under universal suffrage and resulted in a victory for the People's Progressive Party (PPP), which won 18 of the 24 seats in the new House of Assembly. Its leader, Cheddi Jagan, became Prime Minister.[1]

1953 British Guiana general election
27 April 1953
24 (of the 28) seats in the House of Assembly
15 seats needed for a majority
Registered208.939
Turnout156.226 (74.77%)
  First party Second party
 
Leader Cheddi Jagan Rudy Kendall
Party PPP NDP
Leader since 1 January 1950 1953
Leader's seat Corentyne Coast New Amsterdam
Seats won
18 / 24
2 / 24
Popular vote 77,695 20,032
Percentage 51.04% 13.16%
Chief Minister before election

None

 Elected Chief Minister

Cheddi Jagan
PPP

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Electoral system

Constitutional reforms as a result of the Waddington Commission had led to the creation of the House of Assembly to replace the Legislative Council. The new House had 28 members; 24 members elected in single member constituencies, a speaker appointed by the Governor and three ex officio members (the Chief Secretary, the Attorney General and the Financial Secretary).[2]

Campaign

The PPP ran candidates in 22 of the 24 constituencies, failing to contest the two interior constituencies due to a lack of money. The National Democratic Party contested 15 constituencies and the People's National Party eight.[3] A total of 85 independents,[4] including four United Guiana Party candidates, also contested the elections.[3] The United Workers and Farmers Party did run as a party, but contested some seats as independents.[3]

Results
Party Votes % Seats
People's Progressive Party77,69551.0418
National Democratic Party20,03213.162
People's National Party3,0001.970
Independents51,50433.834
Invalid/blank votes3,995––
Total156,22610024
Registered voters/turnout208,93974.77–
Source: GECOM

Elected members
ConstituencyMemberPartyNotes
1 – North WestWilliam Alfred PhangIndependent
2 – PomeroonThomas Sherwood WheatingIndependent
3 – Western EssequiboJanet JaganPeople's Progressive PartyDeputy Speaker
4 – Essequibo IslandsTheophilus LeeIndependent
5 – Bartica and InteriorEugene Francis CorreiaNational Democratic Party
6 – Demerara-EssequiboFred BowmanPeople's Progressive Party
7 – West Bank DemeraraJai Narine SinghPeople's Progressive PartyMinister of Local Government and Social Welfare
8 – East Bank DemeraraJoseph Prayag LachhmansinghPeople's Progressive PartyMinister of Health and Housing
9 – Upper Demerara RiverCharles Albert CarterIndependent
10 – Georgetown SouthAshton ChasePeople's Progressive PartyMinister of Labour, Industry and Commerce
11 – Georgetown South CentralClinton Reginald WongPeople's Progressive Party
12 – Georgetown CentralJessie BurnhamPeople's Progressive Party
13 – Georgetown NorthFrank Obermuller van SertimaPeople's Progressive Party
14 – Georgetown North-EastForbes BurnhamPeople's Progressive PartyMinister of Education
15 – West Central DemeraraRam KarranPeople's Progressive Party
16 – Central DemeraraSydney Evanson KingPeople's Progressive PartyMinister of Communications and Works
17 – East Central DemeraraJane Phillips-GayPeople's Progressive Party
18 – Mahaica-MahaiconyChandra Sama PersaudPeople's Progressive Party
19 – Western BerbiceSamuel Mahabali LatchmansinghPeople's Progressive Party
20 – New AmsterdamRudy KendallNational Democratic Party
21 – Berbice RiverAjodha SinghPeople's Progressive Party
22 – Eastern BerbiceRobert Stanley Hanoman SinghPeople's Progressive Party
23 – Corentyne CoastCheddi JaganPeople's Progressive PartyLeader of the House and Minister of Agriculture, Forests, Lands and Mines
24 – Corentyne RiverMohamed KhanPeople's Progressive Party

Aftermath

After assuming power Jagan embarked on implementing a series of policies that involved radical social reform, mainly directed at the colonial oligarchy. The British colonial authorities sent in troops in response to the alleged threat of a Marxist revolution. Governor Alfred Savage suspended the constitution in October (only 133 days after it had come into force) and set up a transitional government of conservative politicians, businessmen and civil servants.[1] Writing in The Guardian in 2020, Gaiutra Bahadur said that "the overthrow of Guyana’s ruling party by colonial forces fomented a racial divide that continues to blight its politics", saying that there was a greater crackdown on the Afro-Guyanese than on the Indo-Guyanese, in a deliberate and successful attempt to divide the PPP.[5]

References
  1. Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p354 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
  2. Historical information events and dates on the Parliament of Guyana from 1718 to 2006 Parliament of Guyana
  3. The election campaign in 1953 Guyana News and Information
  4. 1953 Election Archived 2016-06-16 at the Wayback Machine GECOM
  5. "In 1953, Britain openly removed an elected government, with tragic consequences | Gaiutra Bahadur". the Guardian. October 30, 2020.
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