British Guiana (Guyana) General Election Collection

General electionsin British Guiana on 27 April 1953 were the first held under universal suffrage. The  result was 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 Premier. The Waddington Commission led to constitutional reforms and to the creation of a House of Assembly to replace the Legislative Council.  The House consisted of 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). The PPP ran candidates in 22 of the 24 constituencies. The National Democratic Party contested 15 constituencies and the People's National Party eight. A total of 85 independents,including four United Guiana Party candidates, ran. The United Workers and Farmers Party, while not and official party, contested some seats as independents. The British Guiana General Elections papers are a small slice of the colonial experience of a nation on the first step towards Independence.  These electoral campaign papers are similar to what was produced in many of the islands of the Caribbean in the first elections under Universal Suffrage.