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1 1 (August 12, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdbeq0001 and id is 1 raw text is: FF.~ p\w -- , gnom go mppm qq\ , q I as 11LIANJILiN, Updated August 12, 2020 Guyana: An Overview Located on the north coast of South America, English- speaking Guyana has characteristics of a Caribbean nation because of its British colonial heritage (the country became independent in 1966). Guyana participates in Caribbean regional organizations, and its capital Georgetown serves as headquarters for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), a regional integration organization. Figure I. Map of Guyana : . .. ............ : : : : . : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : . .................. : .. ... . .. :::: :::: ::: :::: ::: :::: :::: ::: :::: ::: :::: :::: ::: :::: ::: :::: :::::. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..:::: ::: n 2 2 , u a ha f c t j c .........................allenge piticalriisisiconcerningithe conduct of..the..March ... 2020,electiions,...I and.a puichealth threat duetothe C o v s i s 2 ( V 1 pandeim c. Afterfivemonths................... of dicr betweenGu major political parties, the country's political ..crisis.was resolved:onAugust 2, andopposition.:.candidate . Mohamed:rfaan Aiofthe.People's.. Progrssi... Source: Congressional Research Service. In 2020, Guyana has faced two major challenges a political crisis concerning the conduct of the March 2, 2020, elections, and a public health threat due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. After five months of discord between Guyana's two major political parties, the country's political crisis was resolved on August 2, and opposition candidate Mohamed Irfaan Ali of the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was sworn in as president. With regard to COVID-19, as of August 12, Guyana reported 22 deaths and 602 confirmed cases. The economic impact of COVID-19 on Guyana will not be as severe as in other Caribbean countries because of Guyana's recently begun offshore oil production. Guyana has a hybrid republican/parliamentary form of government. The presidential candidate of the party or coalition receiving the most votes becomes president, and the president appoints the prime minister. Current President Ali defeated incumbent President David Granger (elected in 2015) who led a coalition consisting of Granger's A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC). In the newly elected National Assembly, Ali's PPP/C took a majority of 33 seats, the APNU/AFC coalition won 31 seats, and a smaller party won the remaining seat. Ali appointed retired military leader Mark Phillips as prime minister and former President Bharrat Jagdeo (1999-2011) as vice president. Some observers contend that Jagdeo, who was constitutionally prohibited from seeking a third term, could play a key role in policy decisions. Traditionally supported by Indo-Guyanese, the PPP/C governed Guyana from 1992 until its defeat in the 2015 elections. The largest party in the opposition APNU is the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR), which dominated the political system from independence until 1992; the party traditionally has had an Afro-Guyanese base of support. The AFC identifies as a multiracial party. Guyana at a Glance Population: 785,000 (2019, I M F est.) Ethnic Groups: Indo-Guyanese, or those of East Indian heritage, almost 40%; Afro-Guyanese, almost 30%; mixed, 20%; Amerindian, almost 1 1% (2012, CIA est.) Area: 83,000 square miles, about the size of Idaho GDP: $4.1 billion (2019, current prices, IMF est.) Real GDP Growth: 4.7% (2019 est.); 53% (2020 est.); 6.3% (2021 est.) (constant prices, IMF) Per Capita GDP: $5,252 (2019, current prices, IMF est.) Sources: International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Economic Outlook Database, Oct. 2019 and April 2020; and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), World Factlboolk. March 2020 Elections and Aftermath. Originally due by September 2020, Guyana held national elections on March 2, 2020, because President Granger's APNU/AFC coalition lost a no-confidence motion in December 2018. A legal challenge to the motion delayed elections until after the Caribbean Court of Justice (Guyana's highest court of appeals) ruled in June 2019 that it was valid. Final election results were not issued until August 2, 2020, because of fraud allegations and numerous legal challenges. On March 6, several international election observer missions from the Organization of American States, the Carter Center, the European Union (EU), and the Commonwealth maintained that the tabulation of results was interrupted and incomplete. Legal challenges delayed a recount, but one was finally held between May 6 and June 8, overseen by a three-member CARICOM team.

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