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List of heads of state of Guyana#Governor-general

{{Short description|None}}

{{EngvarB|date=October 2021}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}

{{Politics of Guyana}}

This is a list of the heads of state of Guyana, from the independence of Guyana in 1966 to the present day.

From 1966 to 1970 the head of state under the Constitution of 1966 was the queen of Guyana, Elizabeth II, who was also the monarch of the other Commonwealth realms. The monarch was represented in Guyana by a governor-general. Guyana became a republic within the Commonwealth under the Constitution of 1970 and the monarch and governor-general were replaced by a ceremonial president, by that time.

Monarch (1966–1970)

The succession to the throne was the same as the succession to the British throne.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! rowspan="2" | {{Abbr|No.|Number}}

! rowspan="2" | Portrait

! rowspan="2" | Name
{{small|(Birth–Death)}}

! colspan="3" | Reign

! rowspan="2" | Royal House

! rowspan="2" | Prime minister(s)

Reign start

! Reign end

! Duration

1

| 90px

| Queen Elizabeth II
{{small|(1926–2022)}}

| {{nowrap|26 May}} 1966

| {{nowrap|23 February}} 1970

| {{ayd|1966|5|26|1970|2|23}}

| Windsor

| Burnham

=Governor-general=

The governor-general was the representative of the monarch in Guyana and exercised most of the powers of the monarch. The governor-general was appointed for an indefinite term, serving at the pleasure of the monarch. Since Guyana was granted independence by the Guyana Independence Act 1966, rather than being first established as a semi-autonomous dominion and later promoted to independence as defined by the Statute of Westminster 1931, the governor-general was to be always appointed solely on the advice of the Cabinet of Guyana without the involvement of the British government, with the sole exception of Richard Luyt, the former colonial governor, who served as governor-general temporarily until he was replaced by David Rose. In the event of a vacancy the Chancellor (the head of the judicial branch, serving directly above the Chief Justice of Guyana) would have served as the officer administering the government.

Following is a list of people who have served as Governor-General of Guyana.

;Status

{{legend|#E6E6AA|Denotes acting governor-general}}

;Symbols

{{note label|†|†|†}} Died in office

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan="2" | {{Abbr|No.|Number}}

! rowspan="2" | Portrait

! rowspan="2" | Name
{{small|(Birth–Death)}}

! colspan="3" | Term of office

! rowspan="2" | Monarch
{{small|(Reign)}}

Took office

! Left office

! Time in office

1

| 90px

| Sir Richard Luyt
{{small|(1915–1994)}}

| {{small|26 May}}
1966

| {{small|16 December}}
1966

| {{ayd|1966|5|26|1966|12|16}}

| rowspan="3" style="background:#eaecf0" | 70px
Elizabeth II
{{small|(1966–1970)}}

2

| 90px

| Sir David Rose
{{small|(1923–1969)}}

| {{small|16 December}}
1966

| {{small|10 November}}
1969{{ref label|Died|†}}

| {{ayd|1966|12|16|1969|11|10}}

style="background:#e6e6aa;"

| –

| 90px

| Sir Edward Luckhoo
{{small|(1912–1998)}}

| {{small|10 November}}
1969

| {{small|23 February}}
1970

| {{ayd|1969|11|10|1970|2|23}}

Republic (1970–present)

Under the Constitution of 1970, the first constitution of the Republic of Guyana, the president replaced the monarch as ceremonial head of state. The president was elected by the National Assembly for a six-year term. In the event of a vacancy the Chancellor (the head of the judicial branch, serving directly above the Chief Justice of Guyana) served as acting president. In 1980, the powers of the president were increased, with the establishment of the executive presidency.

Currently, the president is both head of state and head of government and, pursuant to article 91 of the Constitution, is directly elected on the basis of the votes cast in the general election. On Nomination Day, each list of contesting parties designate a member of their list as that party's presidential candidate. The presidential candidate whose party's list of candidates receives the most votes is elected president. In the event of a vacancy, the prime minister becomes president.

;Political parties

{{legend|{{party color|People's National Congress Reform}}|People's National Congress Reform (PNCR)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{{legend|{{party color|People's Progressive Party/Civic}}|People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

;Other affiliations

{{legend|{{party color|Independent politician}}|Independent|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

;Symbols

{{note label|†|†|†}} Died in office

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! rowspan="2" |{{Abbr|No.|Number}}

! rowspan="2" |Portrait

! rowspan="2" |Name
{{small|(Birth–Death)}}

! rowspan="2" |Elected

! colspan="3" |Term of office

! rowspan="2" |Political party
{{small|(Coalition)}}

! rowspan="2" |Prime minister(s)

Took office

! Left office

! Time in office

bgcolor="#EEEEEE"

| colspan="9" |Ceremonial President

rowspan="2" style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}}; color:black;" | 1

| rowspan="2" | 90px

| rowspan="2" | Arthur Chung
{{small|(1918–2008)}}

| 1970

| rowspan="2" | {{nowrap|17 March}} 1970

| rowspan="2" | {{nowrap|6 October}} 1980

| rowspan="2" | {{ayd|1970|3|17|1980|10|6}}

| rowspan="2" | Independent

| rowspan="2" | Burnham

1976
bgcolor="#EEEEEE"

| colspan="9" |Executive President

style="background:{{party color|People's National Congress Reform}}; color:white;" | 2

| 90px

| Forbes Burnham
{{small|(1923–1985)}}

| 1980

| {{nowrap|6 October}} 1980

| {{nowrap|6 August}} 1985{{ref label|†|†|†}}

| {{ayd|1980|10|6|1985|8|6}}

| PNCR

| Reid
Hoyte

rowspan="2" style="background:{{party color|People's National Congress Reform}}; color:white;" | 3

| rowspan="2" | 90px

| rowspan="2" | Desmond Hoyte
{{small|(1929–2002)}}

| —

| rowspan="2" | {{nowrap|6 August}} 1985

| rowspan="2" | {{nowrap|9 October}} 1992

| rowspan="2" | {{ayd|1985|8|6|1992|10|9}}

| rowspan="2" | PNCR

| rowspan="2" | Green

1985
style="background:{{party color|People's Progressive Party/Civic}}; color:white;" | 4

| 90px

| Cheddi Jagan
{{small|(1918–1997)}}

| 1992

| {{nowrap|9 October}} 1992

| {{nowrap|6 March}} 1997{{ref label|†|†|†}}

| {{ayd|1992|10|9|1997|3|6}}

| PPP/C

| Hinds

style="background:{{party color|People's Progressive Party/Civic}}; color:white;" | 5

| 90px

| Sam Hinds
{{small|(born 1943)}}

| —

| {{nowrap|6 March}} 1997

| {{nowrap|19 December}} 1997

| {{ayd|1997|3|6|1997|12|19}}

| PPP/C

| J. Jagan

style="background:{{party color|People's Progressive Party/Civic}}; color:white;" | 6

| 90px

| Janet Jagan
{{small|(1920–2009)}}

| 1997

| {{nowrap|19 December}} 1997

| {{nowrap|11 August}} 1999
{{small|(Resigned)}}

| {{ayd|1997|12|19|1999|8|11}}

| PPP/C

| Hinds
Jagdeo

rowspan="3" style="background:{{party color|People's Progressive Party/Civic}}; color:white;" | 7

| rowspan="3" | 90px

| rowspan="3" | Bharrat Jagdeo
{{small|(born 1964)}}

| —

| rowspan="3" | {{nowrap|11 August}} 1999

| rowspan="3" | {{nowrap|3 December}} 2011

| rowspan="3" | {{ayd|1999|8|11|2011|12|3}}

| rowspan="3" | PPP/C

| rowspan="4" | Hinds

2001
2006
style="background:{{party color|People's Progressive Party/Civic}}; color:white;" | 8

| 90px

| Donald Ramotar
{{small|(born 1950)}}

| 2011

| {{nowrap|3 December}} 2011

| {{nowrap|16 May}} 2015

| {{ayd|2011|12|3|2015|5|16}}

| PPP/C

style="background:{{party color|People's National Congress Reform}}; color:white;" | 9

| 90px

| David Granger
{{small|(born 1945)}}

| 2015

| {{nowrap|16 May}} 2015

| {{nowrap|2 August 2020}}{{efn|Lost confidence vote on 21 December 2018; see 2020 Guyanese general election}}

| {{ayd|2015|5|16|2020|8|2}}

| PNCR
{{small|(APNU)}}

| Nagamootoo

style="background:{{party color|People's Progressive Party/Civic}}; color:white;" | 10

| 90px

| Irfaan Ali
{{small|(born 1980)}}

| 2020

| {{nowrap|2 August}} 2020

| {{nowrap|Incumbent}}

| {{ayd|2020|8|2}}

| PPP/C

| Phillips

Timeline since 1970

{{#tag:timeline|

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:21

PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:90 left:20

AlignBars = late

Define $today = {{#time:d/m/Y}}

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy

Period = from:01/01/1970 till:31/12/{{#expr:{{#time:Y}}+1}}

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1970

ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1970

Colors =

id:independent value:rgb(0.87,0.87,0.87) legend:None_(Independent)

id:ppp value:rgb(0.6,0,0) legend:People's_Progressive_Party/People's_Progressive_Party/Civic

id:pnc value:rgb(0,0.4,0) legend:People's_National_Congress/People's_National_Congress_Reform

Legend = columns:1 left:150 top:35 columnwidth:170

TextData =

pos:(20,38) textcolor:black fontsize:M

text:"Political parties:"

BarData =

bar:Chung

bar:Burnham

bar:Hoyte

bar:C_Jagan

bar:Hinds

bar:J_Jagan

bar:Jagdeo

bar:Ramotar

bar:Granger

bar:Ali

PlotData =

width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

bar:Chung

from: 17/03/1970 till: 06/10/1980 color:independent text:"Arthur Chung"

bar:Burnham

from: 06/10/1980 till: 06/08/1985 color:pnc text:"Forbes Burnham"

bar:Hoyte

from: 06/08/1985 till: 09/10/1992 color:pnc text:"Desmond Hoyte"

bar:C_Jagan

from: 09/10/1992 till: 06/03/1997 color:ppp text:"Cheddi Jagan"

bar:Hinds

from: 06/03/1997 till: 19/12/1997 color:ppp text:"Sam Hinds"

bar:J_Jagan

from: 19/12/1997 till: 11/08/1999 color:ppp text:"Janet Jagan"

bar:Jagdeo

from: 11/08/1999 till: 03/12/2011 color:ppp text:"Bharrat Jagdeo"

bar:Ramotar

from: 03/12/2011 till: 16/05/2015 color:ppp text:"Donald Ramotar"

bar:Granger

from: 16/05/2015 till: 02/08/2020 color:pnc text:"David Granger"

bar:Ali

from: 02/08/2020 till: $today color:ppp text:"Irfaan Ali"

}}

Standards

File:Flag of the Governor-General of Guyana (1966–1970).svg|Flag of the governor-general (1966–1970)

File:Presidential Standard of Guyana 1970-1980.svg|Presidential standard of Guyana under President Arthur Chung

File:Presidential Standard of Guyana (1980-1985) under President LFS Burnham.svg|Presidential standard of Guyana under President Forbes Burnham

File:Presidential Standard of Guyana (1985-1992) under President H. Desmond Hoyte.svg|Presidential standard of Guyana under President Desmond Hoyte

File:Presidential Standard of Guyana (1992-1997) under President Cheddi B. Jagan.svg|Presidential standard of Guyana under President Cheddi Jagan

File:Presidential Standard of Guyana (1997-1999) under President Janet Jagan.svg|Presidential standard of Guyana under President Janet Jagan

File:Flag of Guyana (fringed).svg|Presidential Standard of Guyana used by President Bharrat Jagdeo

File:Presidential Standard of Guyana - President Donald Ramotar.svg|Presidential standard of Guyana under President Donald Ramotar

File:Presidential Standard of Guyana (President David Granger).svg|Presidential standard of Guyana under President David A. Granger

File:Presidential Standard of Guyana - President Irfaan Ali.svg|Current presidential standard of Guyana used by President Irfaan Ali

Notes

{{Notelist}}

External links

  • [http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Guyana.htm World Statesmen – Guyana]
  • [http://rulers.org/rulg2.html#guyana Rulers.org – Guyana]

{{Heads of State of Guyana}}

{{Representatives of the monarch in Commonwealth realms and Dominions}}

{{South America topic|state=uncollapsed|prefix=List of presidents of|countries_only=yes}}

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Heads

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Guyana

Heads of state