Development: On 9 October Guyana’s President, Bharrat Jagdeo of the People's Progressive Party (PPP), announced that general elections will take place on 28 November.
Significance: The announcement ends months of speculation, which has prompted complaints from the seven-party opposition coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU). David Granger, of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), is the coalition’s presidential candidate. The constitutional deadline for elections is 28 December 2011.
Key points:
• Granger, who is hoping to unseat the PPP which has been in power since 1992, will face Donald Ramotar, the PPP’s Secretary General. Jagdeo has held office for two five-year terms and cannot run for a third.
• Guyana’s unicameral national assembly has 65 members, all elected by proportional representation. The president is elected for a five-year term on the basis of the parliamentary result.
