List of speakers of the National Assembly of Guyana
| Speaker of the National Assembly of Guyana | |
|---|---|
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since 1 September 2020 | |
| Style | The Honourable Mr. Speaker Comrade Speaker[1] |
| Appointer | Members of the National Assembly of Guyana |
| Term length | During the life of the National Assembly (usually 5 years) |
| Constituting instrument | Article 56 of the Constitution of Guyana |
| Precursor | Legislature of British Guiana |
| Inaugural holder | Aubrey Percival Alleyne (1966–1967) |
| Formation | 1966 (as the National Assembly of Guyana) |
| Deputy | Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly |
| Website | parliament |
 |
|---|
| Constitution |
 Guyana portal |
The Speaker is the presiding officer of the National Assembly in Guyana. The post was created in 1966 when the National Assembly came into being, although previous legislatures including the Legislative Council, House of Assembly, and the Legislative Assembly also had Speakers.
The position of Speaker was introduced in 1953 following constitutional reforms that created the House of Assembly. The Speaker was initially appointed by the Governor, but following the 1961 constitutional reforms, was elected by members of the legislature. The first elected Speaker, Rahman Baccus Gajraj, was not a member of the Legislative Assembly.[2] The second, Aubrey Percival Alleyne, was a member of the House of Assembly, and after election as Speaker, resigned from his role as an elected member and was replaced by the next person on the party's list.
The Speaker initially wore a full-bottomed wig and ceremonial gown, with the practice ceasing in 1969.[2] The Speaker's Chair was a gift from the Government of India on 15 November 1966 to celebrate Guyanese independence.[2]
List of speakers
[edit]| Name | Entered office | Left office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| House of Assembly | |||
| Eustace Gordon Woolford | 7 April 1953 | 21 December 1953 | [3] |
| Interim Legislative Council | |||
| Eustace Gordon Woolford | 5 January 1954 | 29 June 1957 | [3] |
| Legislative Council | |||
| Donald Edward Jackson | 21 August 1957 | 18 July 1961 | [3] |
| Legislative Assembly | |||
| Rahman Baccus Gajraj | 5 October 1961 | 25 September 1964 | [3] |
| House of Assembly | |||
| Aubrey Percival Alleyne | 31 December 1964 | 26 May 1966 | [3] |
| National Assembly | |||
| Aubrey Percival Alleyne | 26 May 1966 | 4 August 1967 | [3] |
| Rahman Baccus Gajraj | 16 February 1968 | 4 January 1971 | [3] |
| Sase Narain | 4 January 1971 | 10 June 1992 | [3] |
| Derek Chunilall Jagan | 17 December 1992 | 15 October 2000 | [3] |
| Martin Zephyr | 23 October 2000 | 15 February 2001 | [3] |
| Hari Narayen Ramkaran | 4 May 2001 | 12 January 2012 | [3] |
| Raphael Trotman | 12 January 2012 | 10 June 2015 | [3] |
| Barton Scotland | 10 June 2015 | 1 September 2020 | [3] |
| Manzoor Nadir | 1 September 2020 | Incumbent | [4] |
Note
[edit]- Jagan died in office. Deputy speaker, Clarissa Riehl, served as acting speaker 15–23 October 2000 until a successor was elected.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ https://parliament.gov.gy/Standing%20Orders%20of%20the%20National%20Assembly%20-%202014.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ a b c Historical information events and dates on the Parliament of Guyana from 1718 to 2006 Parliament of Guyana
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Staff Reporter (11 June 2015). "Dr Barton Scotland elected as Speaker of National Assembly". Guyana Chronicle.
- ^ "Manzoor Nadir declared Speaker of the National Assembly". Stabroek News. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ "Guyana Parliament". www.guide2womenleaders.com.