This is a list of the heads of state of Guyana, from the independence of

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

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 was Queen of Guyana from 1966 to 1970, when Guyana was independent sovereign state with a constitutional monarchy. She was also the sovereign of the other Commonwealth realms, including the United Kingdom. Her constitutional roles ...

, Elizabeth II, who was also the queen of the United Kingdom and the other

Commonwealth realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations whose monarch and head of state is shared among the other realms. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwealt ...

s. The monarch was represented in Guyana by a governor-general. Guyana became a

republic within the Commonwealth A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

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 Succession to the British throne is determined by descent, gender, legitimacy and religion. Under common law, the Crown is inherited by a sovereign's children or by a childless sovereign's nearest collateral line. The Bill of Rights 1689 an ...

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 Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

, rather than being first established as a semi-autonomous dominion and later promoted to independence as defined by the

Statute of Westminster 1931 The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that sets the basis for the relationship between the Commonwealth realms and the Crown. Passed on 11 December 1931, the statute increased the sovereignty of the ...

, 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 Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

(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. Symbols : Died in office.

President of Guyana

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

(the head of the judicial branch, serving directly above the Chief Justice of Guyana) served as

acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor or actress who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a broad r ...

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. ;Status

Timeline

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 (1970–1980; under President Arthur Chung) File:Presidential Standard of Guyana (1980-1985) under President LFS Burnham.svg, Presidential Standard of Guyana (1980–1985; under President Forbes Burnham) File:Presidential Standard of Guyana (1985-1992) under President H. Desmond Hoyte.svg, Presidential Standard of Guyana (1985–1992; under President Desmond Hoyte) File:Presidential Standard of Guyana (1992-1997) under President Cheddi B. Jagan.svg, Presidential Standard of Guyana (1992–1997; under President Cheddi Jagan) File:Presidential Standard of Guyana (1997-1999) under President Janet Jagan.svg, Presidential Standard of Guyana (1997–1999; under President Janet Jagan) File:Presidential Standard of Guyana (President David Granger).svg, Presidential Standard of Guyana (2015–2020; under President

David A. Granger David Arthur Granger (born 15 July 1945) is a retired military officer who served as the 9th President of Guyana from May 2015 to August 2020. He served for a time as Commander of the Guyana Defence Force and subsequently as National Security A ...

) File:Flag of Guyana (fringed).svg, Presidential Standard of Guyana (1999–2015 and 2020–present)

Notes

External links

World Statesmen – Guyana

{{South America topic, state=uncollapsed, prefix=List of presidents of, countries_only=yes Government of Guyana

Heads A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may no ...