FORBES BURNHAM

'Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham' (February 20 1923 – August 6 1985) was a Guyanese political leader and leader of Guyana from 1964 until his death, as the Prime Minister from 1964 to 1980 and as President from 1980 to 1985. He was married to Viola Burnham, who was also involved in politics. He has three children, Roxane, Annabelle, and Francesca from his first marriage to Bernice Lataste. His second marriage to Viola produced two daughters, Ulele and Melanie.

Contents

Personal life and education

Early years: The People's Progressive Party (PPP)

Leader of Guyana: The People's National Congress (PNC)

Personal life and education

Burnham, an Afro-Guyanese, was born in Kitty, a suburb of Georgetown, East Demerara, Guyana as one of three children. He attended the prestigious and the colony's elite Queen's College. In 1942, he won the Guiana Scholarship as the colony’s top student. Burnham received a law degree from the University of London in 1948.

Early years: The People's Progressive Party (PPP)

In 1950, Burnham, along with Indo-Guyanese labor leader Cheddi Jagan, established the People's Progressive Party. In 1952, he became the president of the party's affiliated trade union, the British Guiana Labour Union. That same year, the PPP won 18 of 24 seats in the first elections permitted by the British colonial government.
In 1955, there was a split in the PPP between Burnham and Jagan. As a result, Burnham went on to form the People's National Congress in 1958 entering its first election under that name in 1961.

Leader of Guyana: The People's National Congress (PNC)

In the 1964 elections, while Jagan's PPP won the highest percentage of the vote (46% to the PNC's 41%), it did not win a majority. Burnham was able to form a coalition with the United Force (TUF) who won the remaining 12% of the votes and became premier of British Guiana on 14 December. On May 26, 1966, British Guiana became independent country and was renamed to Guyana.
Burhnam at first pursued moderate policies. However, one of his first acts upon independence was a sweeping "National Security Act" giving the police the power to search, seize and arrest virtually at will. He won full power in 1968, although the elections were condemned by many as fraudulent due to a large number of voter irregularities. On February 23,1970, Burnham declared Guyana to be a "co-operative republic" and established strong relations with Cuba, the Soviet Union and other communist countries.
In 1974, Burnham declared the PNC to be paramount and socialist. He passed a referendum in 1978 which made it harder for his party to lose power. In 1980, the constitution was changed to make the president chief executive officer. He won the first Presidential elections in 1980 amidst charges once again of election fraud.
In 1970, when Burnham declared the country a co-operative republic, he also preached the ideology of self reliance. Burnham banned all forms of imports into the country, including flour and varieties of rice. Burnham also instituted the nationalization of all the major industries that were foreign owned and controlled. Burnham's policies acted as a catalyst for the mass exodus in the 1980s that saw the country's population reduced significantly.
Burnham remained President of Guyana until his death. He died suddenly in Georgetown, Guyana.