National Assembly (Guyana)


The National Assembly is one of the two components of the Parliament of Guyana. Under Article 51 of the Constitution of Guyana, the Parliament of Guyana consists of the President and the National Assembly. The National Assembly has 65 members elected using the system of proportional representation. Twenty five are elected from the ten geographical constituencies and forty are awarded at the national level on the basis of block votes secured, using the LR-Hare Formula as prescribed by the elections Laws Act 15 of 2000.
The Ninth Parliament came to an end in September 2011 before the holding of the 2011 General Elections, and was followed by the Tenth Parliament of Guyana, whose first sitting was held on January 12, 2012, following a proclamation by President Donald Ramotar. In this sitting the Speaker and Deputy Speaker were elected, and MPs sworn in. Deborah Backer resigned from the National Assembly and was replaced as deputy speaker by Basil Williams of the same party.
On November 10, 2014, President Ramotar, by proclamation under Article 70 of the Constutiton, prorogued the National Assembly. President Ramotar announced that General and Regional Elections would be held on May 11, 2015. The president will issue the relevant proclamations within the constitutionally prescribed time for the 2015 Elections.
On February 28, 2015, the Tenth Parliament was dissolved by Proclamation issued by the President.
The Eleventh Parliament was officially summoned to meet on June 10, 2015, by Proclamation issued by President David A. Granger. The 33 elected members of the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change, in addition to three technocrat members took their oaths of office. At this, the First Sitting of the Eleventh Parliament, civil servant Barton Scotland was elected Speaker of the House. The Deputy Speaker was not elected at that time, and absent from the sitting were members of the Opposition People's Progressive Party. The President delivered his address during this ceremonial opening of the Eleventh Parliament.

Membership

General Elections were held on May 11, 2015. Next elections are constitutionally due by 2020.

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